Tiananmen Square

A Lego recreation of Jeff Widener's 1989 photograph of "The unknown rebel".

Original here ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tianasquare.jpg

Setup shot here ...

www.flickr.com/photos/balakovsetup/2377765369/

It took me hours to make 4 identical Lego tanks from my big bag of random Lego bits! I could have saved some time and only made three.

Print available on Redbubble.

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Comments

yeright [deleted] says:

awesome!!!
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

✁☄ KAIRUUINZURO ✁☄ says:

fantarstic!
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

A♂ L♀ M♀ says:

Oh I love this photo...the original and the lego version!!
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

jonathenharty says:

Superb recreation once again.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

PassengerFiftySeven says:

This whole series is ridiculous - but absolutely brilliant! Well done on all the shots.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Pv Zanella says:

i love your recriations with lego
soon i will make some lego shots again
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

kidfiction says:

Love it! When does he crawl all over the tank?
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Liam Kearney says:

Well done!
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

smileyjohn says:

Amazing, very creative!
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Stijn Vogels says:

Great reconstruction, but this will surely be blocked by the Big Chinese Firewall.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

[walang tao dito] says:

very well done!
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

cameracar says:

!!!!!!
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

tanaise says:

You can reuse the tanks in the Prague Spring photos.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

_alef_ says:

Great concept and well executed!
--
Seen in your Classics in Lego set. (?)
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Steffan Harries says:

Great stuff! I really like these re-creations of famous images.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

seoulsuzy says:

This is fabulous. I think the whole Lego series is very very creative.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

kralefski says:

Amazing. You're a genius. I took the liberty of posting this in my blog, with a link to the picture in flickr and to your photostream, of course.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Guilherme M says:

wonderful, wonderful man!
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

petilipois says:

hahahahaha you're great man.
What about Robert Capa Spanish Civil War or Day D in Normandie?
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

{ circle }.. ( ﾟДﾟ)/ says:

creative!
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

harbingercrow says:

i love the imperial logo at the end of the tank canons. that just makes it right there. that's attention to detail.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

mcenal says:

Fantastic work. I wonder if anyone noticed that the briefcase was in the other hand?
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Balakov says:

There are two versions of this photo, this one has the bag in his right hand ... www.worldsfamousphotos.com/tiananmen-square-1 989.html

... and that's the one I planned on recreating, but I didn't have enough lego for the bus :) That's why the briefcase is in that hand, but yes, technically it is in the wrong hand.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

liuqinghou says:

China,would you shoot me too?
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

StLuke says:

hahah oh man!! what a great idea!! congrats!
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Lillput says:

Fab shot, Mike. Lovely stuff.

--
Seen on your photo stream. (?)
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Tom Craggs says:

Well done on getting these published, saw them in todays Metro.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

sausyn says:

great job!
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

svejetosranje says:

Zbigniew Libera. the true LEGO artist!!
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Michael Smith says:

You are a genius. 'Nuff said.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Eric Hands says:

Congratulations !
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

....Tim says:

Seen you all over the UK press today - how do you do it?

Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

jonathenharty says:

Yes, just seen your images in the Mail......well done.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

go79 [deleted] says:

phantastik lego photos !!!
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Rodolpho Lupus says:

Fantastic Fantastic!
Very creative!
Congrats!

Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Ian cotta says:

Amazing...

Congrats
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Anderson Carvalho says:

Wonderfull...

Congrats!!!
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

mark_rutley says:

Congratulations on your photos being published in the DAILY MAIL!
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

eok3 says:

great idea! keep it up....

no che?
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Stéfan says:

Awesome!
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

rachjones says:

Saw these images in the Metro paper a couple of days ago - thought they were fab - then found them all here! Excellent work! More please! :o)
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Leo Souza says:

amazing recreation. i really love the idea. great photos. congrats !
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

| Andreas | says:

awesome!
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

marvin4pet says:

Well! I'm totally stunned, and just spent a chunk of time browsing these when I should have been working!!! Genius
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

..Oscar d'Empaire.. says:

stunning!
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

yasu2909 says:

nice work!
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

phil1983 says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Ultimate Tribute Photography, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

labrujy says:

nice one!!
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

david in den bosch says:

This one is almost as good as the original :P haha
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

miguelhv says:

Amazing!, the whole set is just genious ;)
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

霄龍 says:

you r making anther history! brilliant work！a great artist is one who has a beautifully mind!
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

teejayhanton says:

You're on Digg.com now ... and this set is awesome. This is my fave though.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

Cane Rosso says:

www.repubblica.it/2006/08/gallerie/spettacoli ecultura/leg...

i saw your works on this italian newspaper

great work!

and this "Tien An Men" interpretation is just great!
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

voxel486 says:

yay Tankman!
very charming
one of the few pictures i have seen before, apart from th V.J. pic ;)
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

hellodrew says:

Amazing work! Weird how the legos add such a humanistic feel to the photos.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

洋淏 says:

天安门lego版
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

y a s says:

appreciate the effort... great work... you should sell it as artwork
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

- iHon - says:

Awesome!
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

sulebryan says:

An absolutely amazing set of photos. This is by far my favourite. They are all so well thought out.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

johnyzar says:

Congrats really good!
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

PP Martin says:

Excellent. Many thanks.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

~ Ipknoss says:

this is simply great! :D
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

pectonyte says:

sweet!!!
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

Ignacio Nuñez C. says:

veri nice, but suitcase is in the other hand on the og
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

*mvh says:

I saw this and a bunch of others on the BBC website: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/default.stm
Nice work!
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

neoben says:

A GENIUS idea...

simple, perfect executed, very emotive...
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

Icefreez says:

They look like camera tanks :P
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

elephantwaylon says:

Stimpson, I want to put this on the cover of my magazine, elephant journal... my email is waylon@elephant journal dot com I would looooooooooooove to connect this is painfully brilliant.
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

Thiago Pinheiro says:

amazing! :]
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

jokerfran says:

Ths suitcase mus be in the other hand :P
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

glunkfritz says:

Wo und wie kann ich die Rechte an dem Foto erwerben, um es auf die Titelseite einer angesehen Politik-Zeitschrift zu bringen?
Fritz Glunk
Bitte an: Glunk@gazette.de
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

Ahmet Alp Balkan says:

wow that is fantastic
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

Anuska Nardelli says:

Fantastic. I am its fan!
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

alexdesigns says:

awesome
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

Paolo Tonon says:

Courage in Lego!
Posted 13 months ago. ( permalink )

pulpozone says:

good job
Posted 13 months ago. ( permalink )

i_lectra says:

hehehe...
Posted 13 months ago. ( permalink )

marcosan74 (quello delle cave) says:

I would like to say only that the idea is fantastic. Very brave :-)
Posted 12 months ago. ( permalink )

Petoto! says:

Fuc*** awesome!
Posted 12 months ago. ( permalink )

--char-- says:

Posted 12 months ago. ( permalink )

Loco_Ver says:

Gran creatividad!!!
Posted 12 months ago. ( permalink )

marker (mark®) says:

fantastic!!!
Posted 11 months ago. ( permalink )

Anu@r ™ says:

perfect title!
Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink )

Davic says:

excellent!!
Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink )

JayMaude /// says:

love it :)
Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink )

david icely says:

this is great!
Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink )

NataliaRex says:

Awesome photo!
Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink )

lensa.co.uk says:

U r a genius! we'd be honored ot have ur pics on our blog! heres he link lensa.co.uk/2009/03/afghan-girl/ , so hopfully more people wud come to see your genius work!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

diningferrari says:

Classic moment !
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

mshi says:

outstanding work!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

ĕđ Ѓĕŀįx says:

AmAZING!!! AWESOME!!!!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Jenny Lynn Photography says:

brilliant!!!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

bill ellis! says:

this really is absolutely brilliant
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

rosemaniov says:

I love your photo! A tremendous moment well reconstructed
Posted 6 months ago. ( permalink )

bricksonwheels says:

Timing brilliant, and Lego work too. This remains a very powerfull scene. Great work!
Posted 6 months ago. ( permalink )

fabienbarral says:

the original shot was taken just 20 years ago today...
Posted 6 months ago. ( permalink )

Potatofish says:

(approving bow)
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

srq3 says:

Very nice! The brief case should've been in the left hand though..
Posted 4 months ago. ( permalink )

嘉莉-咖哩 says:

ah one of my favorite photos...beautiful
Posted 4 months ago. ( permalink )

ahhhhhhhhhh you're great!
Posted 4 months ago. ( permalink )

dwimagesolutions says:

These are just so cool, love them. I saw some of your lego shots in the paper last year, its great to find the source on here and see them all. Lego was far and away my fave toy as a kid.
Posted 3 months ago. ( permalink )

Kevin J Hatton's Flickr Pics says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Remote Viewing Media, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Posted 3 months ago. ( permalink )

Sick_blue says:

Me encanto esta foto ¡¡¡¡¡

I love it ¡¡¡¡

saludos desde Chile

Hi from Chile.
Posted 3 months ago. ( permalink )

metacromatico says:

Definitivamente, la mejor
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

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Additional Information

Some rights reserved Anyone can see this photo

Taken with a Nikon D200.
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Taken on March 31, 2008
Viewed 174,026 times

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