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

← prev 1 2 next →

(108 comments)

yeright [deleted] says:

awesome!!!
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

✁☄ KAIRUUINZURO ✁☄ says:

fantarstic!
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

A♂ L♀ M♀+? says:

Oh I love this photo...the original and the lego version!!
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

jonathenharty says:

Superb recreation once again.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

PassengerFiftySeven says:

This whole series is ridiculous - but absolutely brilliant! Well done on all the shots.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Pv Zanella says:

i love your recriations with lego
soon i will make some lego shots again
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

kidfiction says:

Love it! When does he crawl all over the tank?
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Liam Kearney says:

Well done!
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

smileyjohn says:

Amazing, very creative!
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Stijn Vogels says:

Great reconstruction, but this will surely be blocked by the Big Chinese Firewall.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

[walang tao dito] says:

very well done!
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

cameracar says:

!!!!!!
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

tanaise says:

You can reuse the tanks in the Prague Spring photos.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

_alef_ says:

Great concept and well executed!
--
Seen in your Classics in Lego set. (?)
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Steffan Harries says:

Great stuff! I really like these re-creations of famous images.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

seoulsuzy says:

This is fabulous. I think the whole Lego series is very very creative.
Posted 21 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 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Guilherme M says:

wonderful, wonderful man!
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

petilipois says:

hahahahaha you're great man.
What about Robert Capa Spanish Civil War or Day D in Normandie?
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

{ circle }.. ( ﾟДﾟ)/ says:

creative!
Posted 21 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 21 months ago. ( permalink )

mcenal says:

Fantastic work. I wonder if anyone noticed that the briefcase was in the other hand?
Posted 21 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 21 months ago. ( permalink )

liuqinghou says:

China,would you shoot me too?
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

StLuke says:

hahah oh man!! what a great idea!! congrats!
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Lillput says:

Fab shot, Mike. Lovely stuff.

--
Seen on your photo stream. (?)
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Tom Craggs says:

Well done on getting these published, saw them in todays Metro.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

sausyn says:

great job!
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

svejetosranje says:

Zbigniew Libera. the true LEGO artist!!
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Michael Smith says:

You are a genius. 'Nuff said.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Eric Hands says:

Congratulations !
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

....Tim says:

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

Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

jonathenharty says:

Yes, just seen your images in the Mail......well done.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

go79 [deleted] says:

phantastik lego photos !!!
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Rodolpho Lupus says:

Fantastic Fantastic!
Very creative!
Congrats!

Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Ian cotta says:

Amazing...

Congrats
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Anderson Carvalho says:

Wonderfull...

Congrats!!!
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

mark_rutley says:

Congratulations on your photos being published in the DAILY MAIL!
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

eok3 says:

great idea! keep it up....

no che?
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Stéfan says:

Awesome!
Posted 21 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 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Leo Souza says:

amazing recreation. i really love the idea. great photos. congrats !
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

| Andreas | says:

awesome!
Posted 21 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 21 months ago. ( permalink )

..Oscar d'Empaire.. says:

stunning!
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

yasu2909 says:

nice work!
Posted 21 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 21 months ago. ( permalink )

labrujy says:

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

david in den bosch says:

This one is almost as good as the original :P haha
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

miguelhv says:

Amazing!, the whole set is just genious ;)
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

霄龍 says:

you r making anther history! brilliant work！a great artist is one who has a beautifully mind!
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

teejayhanton says:

You're on Digg.com now ... and this set is awesome. This is my fave though.
Posted 19 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 19 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 19 months ago. ( permalink )

hellodrew says:

Amazing work! Weird how the legos add such a humanistic feel to the photos.
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

洋淏 says:

天安门lego版
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

y a s says:

appreciate the effort... great work... you should sell it as artwork
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

- iHon - says:

Awesome!
Posted 19 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 19 months ago. ( permalink )

johnyzar says:

Congrats really good!
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

PP Martin says:

Excellent. Many thanks.
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

~ Ipknoss says:

this is simply great! :D
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

pectonyte says:

sweet!!!
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

Ignacio Nuñez C. says:

veri nice, but suitcase is in the other hand on the og
Posted 19 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 19 months ago. ( permalink )

neoben says:

A GENIUS idea...

simple, perfect executed, very emotive...
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

Icefreez says:

They look like camera tanks :P
Posted 19 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 19 months ago. ( permalink )

Thiago Pinheiro says:

amazing! :]
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

jokerfran says:

Ths suitcase mus be in the other hand :P
Posted 19 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 18 months ago. ( permalink )

Ahmet Alp Balkan says:

wow that is fantastic
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

Anuska Nardelli says:

Fantastic. I am its fan!
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

alexdesigns says:

awesome
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

Paolo Tonon says:

Courage in Lego!
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

pulpozone says:

good job
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

i_lectra says:

hehehe...
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

marcosan74 (quello delle cave) says:

I would like to say only that the idea is fantastic. Very brave :-)
Posted 14 months ago. ( permalink )

Petoto! says:

Fuc*** awesome!
Posted 13 months ago. ( permalink )

--char-- says:

Posted 13 months ago. ( permalink )

Loco_Ver says:

Gran creatividad!!!
Posted 13 months ago. ( permalink )

marker (mark®) says:

fantastic!!!
Posted 12 months ago. ( permalink )

Anu@r ™ says:

perfect title!
Posted 11 months ago. ( permalink )

Davic says:

excellent!!
Posted 11 months ago. ( permalink )

JayMaude /// says:

love it :)
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

david icely says:

this is great!
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

NataliaRex says:

Awesome photo!
Posted 10 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 10 months ago. ( permalink )

diningferrari says:

Classic moment !
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

mshi says:

outstanding work!
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

ĕđ Ѓĕŀįx says:

AmAZING!!! AWESOME!!!!
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

Jenny Lynn Photography says:

brilliant!!!
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

bill ellis! says:

this really is absolutely brilliant
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

San Rosemanico Benedicta de Assisi says:

I love your photo! A tremendous moment well reconstructed
Posted 7 months ago. ( permalink )

bricksonwheels says:

Timing brilliant, and Lego work too. This remains a very powerfull scene. Great work!
Posted 7 months ago. ( permalink )

fabienbarral says:

the original shot was taken just 20 years ago today...
Posted 7 months ago. ( permalink )

Potatofish says:

(approving bow)
Posted 7 months ago. ( permalink )

srq3 says:

Very nice! The brief case should've been in the left hand though..
Posted 6 months ago. ( permalink )

嘉莉-咖哩 says:

ah one of my favorite photos...beautiful
Posted 6 months ago. ( permalink )

ahhhhhhhhhh you're great!
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

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Some rights reserved Anyone can see this photo

Taken with a Nikon D200.
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Taken on March 31, 2008
Viewed 177,359 times

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