2025 Joint Mathematics Meetings
Steve Butler
Artists
Steve Butler
Morrill Professor
Iowa State University
Ames, IA, USA
Statement
LEGO bricks tend to come across as very blocky and full of right angles. But by looking at some of the less usual pieces we can find parts that allow us to take LEGO in a whole new direction, both metaphorically and literally. I have been exploring ways to form interesting geometrical and mathematical constructions using LEGO in unexpected ways. The results can be sometimes cumbersome and unimpressive, but they have also sometimes surprised me with their elegance and versatility.
Artworks
LEGO skeleton of a dodecahedron
18.0 x 20.0 x 20.0 cm
LEGO
2024
The skeleton of the dodecahedron made from using two types of LEGO: 120 of the "Parabolic rings" and 660 of the "Skeleton Arm No. 4". They are initially formed together to form nodes which are cubes / octahedrons (depending on if you look at the sides or the corners). By then connecting corners of the individual nodes and growing it is possible to form larger structures, including ones that close back in on themselves. In this case there are 20 nodes and each node represents a vertex of the dodecahedron. The LEGO connections are surprisingly well-suited for this construction and there is just enough tension to keep the final shape surprisingly robust.