The Quietus of Nnenn

Farewell to a Legend, via Brothers Brick

It is a sad day indeed with the passing of Nate Nielson. He wasn't a rock star, movie star, Nobel prize winner, author, athlete, or any other type of hero or celebrity. If you've hung around the Lego circles on the 'net in the past few years, you've probably seen his work, even if you didn't know who it was. I think every builder aspires to the levels Nate did. I included a quote below from an online eulogy that sums it up better than I could hope to do. I would look at page after page of Nate's microscale spaceships, mini-fig scale fighters, tanks, spider-legged robots, and more and just be mesmerized by his color, technique, and design. Rock on Nnenn...





Nnenn's Flikr

Nnenn's Brickshelf

Nnenn's Interview on LAMLradio

Nate, or nnenn as he was known to us, was always a controversial genius. He built like no one else before, combining color and form in wild and creative ways. He built more quickly, with a high rate of success. Often, he’d post a mind boggling new creation every day for a month in a row, an unprecedented (except when he’d do it again and again) achievement.

He was controversial in his ideas about how to build and in how to commune together. Many people attacked him, mostly unfairly. But all of that controversy will fade away with time. What will remain is how his passion, his creativity, and his willingness to challenge us and himself. We will all remember Nate, in our discussions and in our building, because he did so much so well.

I didn’t always see eye to eye with, and we had our disagreement. But Nate showed me that our community, the we, are our best when we build. When we create. And there is no one who could build as freely as he could.

I’ll miss you, Nate. -Lenny Hoffman