Art with Rubik cubes

Recently we came across an interesting use for those puzzling, addictive and to some (me for instance) frustrating Rubik’s Cubes. Josh Chalom, founder and owner of Cube Works has made a business our of using Rubik’s style cubes to create mosaics of some of the most iconic pieces of art. His company has recreated such works as da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe using these small toy cubes. But the entire process of recreating the image isn’t as easy as you might think.

In order to recreate an image with Rubik’s Cubes, graphic designers at Cube Works have to break down an image into its smallest part –one square of a Rubik’s Cube — similar to the way a computer or digital camera builds a picture using pixels. Chalom says, “Converting a photograph into an image our ‘Cubers’ can work with isn’t as easy as you might think. Once we’ve fed the image into the computer, the image it generates is comprised of an almost infinite number of colours. Our graphic artists have to work with the result using only the six Rubik’s Cube colours until they’ve produced the desired end-result. It can take awhile to get the right image.” Once the image has been broken down into the individual squares, the entire image is divided into a grid which will consist of a certain number of the cubes depending on the size of the final art work. This is the “road map” the ‘Cubers’ will use to assemble the object.

The actual development of the piece of art is left up to the ‘Cubers’, the people who have to manipulate each cube into the necessary 3×3 piece that will take its place to create the entire image. There aren’t any short cuts available to the ‘Cubers’ who put the pieces together. They have to manipulate the cubes just the way you would if you were trying to solve the puzzle. And even though most of the time the ‘Cubers’ only have to figure out one side, it can still be a challenge.

The finished cubes are assembled into their specific panels, initially without glue to make sure that all the cubes have been manipulated properly and have been placed in their proper place within their panel. Then the panels are placed side by side to make sure they look like they should. Once it’s confirmed that the product is finished properly, the cubes are glued into the panels.

Depending on the size of the piece, the panels are either assembled in-house or installed directly into the commissioned space. Because the cubes are plastic, a large piece can weigh a significant amount. Mounting it becomes as important a consideration as its construction.

Cube Works holds the Guinness Book of World Records, record for the largest cube work of art for its replica “The Last Supper” using 4,050 cubes and creating a panel that measures 17 x 8.5feet. However, that’s a drop in the bucket compared to the company’s current gaol: A recreation of the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel, curves and all. If produced, the project would weight 56tonnes and be comprised of 250,000 cubes.

The Last Supper recreated by Rubik's cubes

Chalom says that many of their private clients seem to come from a math background. “It’s something about the algorithms of the pieces that appeals to them.” For him though, he just loves the works’ simplicity.

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