Text and photos (unless otherwise noted) by Mendi Kogosowski

It is a safe assumption that most of us played with Lego bricks as kids, probably spending many hours creating make-believe worlds. But how many of us took this further, beyond the realms of childhood love? Artist AME72 did just that.

A full-time artist who does street art and exhibits works all around the world, his extensive use of Lego-esque characters has earned him the nickname “Lego Guy”. Born Jamie Ame in 1972 in Sheffield, England, and raised mostly in Manchester, AME72 often uses stencils and generates freehand spray paint works with intense colors and clean sharp lines. His latest exhibition, Let's Go, is now showing at the Kishon Gallery in Tel Aviv until November 13th. I caught up with AME72 for a conversation about art, life and things in between.

Mendi Kogosowski: How did you get started?

AME72: It was in 1985, when I watched Beat Street. This film had a huge impact on me: it was the first time I was really exposed to the hip-hop and graffiti cultures, and it looked like fun. My friends and I started spending our Saturdays doing graffiti in empty subway carriages. Eventually, the other kids grew out of it, but with me it stuck.
So you were one of those young hooligans who got into trouble for painting graffiti…

Well no. My parents only found out a few year later what I was doing. I never got caught, was never arrested. My only run-in with the law was a parking ticket.

Tell me about your Lego fascination

When I was four years old our TV set broke, and my dad bought me a Lego set to keep me busy. Ever since, I’ve always had Lego with me. Even when I went backpacking around Australia I carried around a little set. I think that the Lego man is something everyone can relate to - it’s timeless, a bit like Bart Simpson…it’s never going to grow old.

AME72 says he uses the Lego character as a thought provoking instrument, a social statement on social hypocrisy and consumerism, but also humor. “Well, mainly humor. My artist’s statement is: ‘I do what I do to make people think and smile. Mainly smile’. The world is plagued by so many problems, war and recession - I don’t want to go too deep. I just want to make people feel good. I don’t psychoanalyze everything.

What inspires you?

There are always ideas that float in. Inspiration…it pops into my head. Sometimes it’s the news, current events, but it could be anything.

Where is the Missing Piece? (source: www.ame72.com)

One of AME72’s most famous art works is a graffiti painting on the Security Wall by Bethlehem which depicts a Lego man without a smile, with the caption “Where is the Missing Peace?”

Let’s talk politics. You’re a British artist living in a major global hotspot. What influence has this had on your work?

I try to stay away from the political side of things. I’ve painted in Palestinian cities as well as on buildings in Israeli cities that have been hit by Palestinian rockets. I don’t get involved in politics.

The “Where is the Missing Peace?” work in Bethlehem is a play on words: the Lego man is missing his smile, and I wanted to say that if the smile is there, the peace is there.

On a bombed building in [the Israeli city] Ashkelon I painted frogs falling from the sky, and the meaning was that this is something absurd, that shouldn’t happen, so if it does – let’s fix it. I supposed it is political in a way…but more like pointing a finger at things that I believe are wrong.


How do you think you’ve influenced the local art scene, and what are your thoughts on it?

I’d like to think I helped to develop it. When I first came here 4.5 years ago (AME72 is married to an Israeli) the graff scene was barely existent. Because I arrived in the right place at the right time I’ve grown with the scene.

There’s an opportunity to do things here. Whereas in the UK I’d be one of thousands doing graffiti and stencils, here it stands out more. Plus it doesn’t rain much here, so I can work more. In Manchester it’s probably raining right now. But I’d be doing what I’m doing regardless of where I’d be living. I don’t think there are any borders to humor.

What other projects are you involved in?

There’s a company in Berlin called 500 Godz, which makes organic T-shirts. All made in Europe, no sweatshops. They approached me with their initial concept about two years ago, I really liked it and I’ve been designing T-shirts for them ever since. They sell all over the world, and it’s a nice way to get my name out there on a quality product.

Also, I’m going to China next month, my work is part of the Animamix Biennal at the Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art.

Do Not Disturb – Tel Aviv graffiti (source: www.ame72.com )

What connection do you feel to those who buy your works?

I put a piece of myself into every work I do. I want the person who buys my stuff to have something of value. They work hard for the money they spend and I want to give them something back, in the form of pleasure. It’s the biggest compliment when people send me photos of my works hanging in their homes – that’s your space, your personal space, and you have a piece of me there!

Thoughts on the future?

I’m crossing over a bit – less street work, more sculptures. The themes will still stay the same – or maybe they won’t …I’ve developed from using black and white stencils to color canvases to video. It’s an ongoing progression. I’ll just keep exploring new avenues and see where they take me. You just have to keep on going no matter what. This is the statement I have on my website: “believe in yourself and others will believe in you too”. It says it all.

All photos not taken from the artist's website were taken at the Kishon Gallery, with permission www.kishongallery.com

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