High atop a crumbling hill sits a collection of decayed Victorian mansions, time-worn facades that loom with knowing menace, who-knows-what lurking behind lacy curtains that seem poised to twitch in a phantom breeze. These ominous relics are not the abandoned homes of a long-dead society crowd; rather, they are amazingly intricate models built by graphic designer and LEGO enthusiast Mike Doyle.

Known in the LEGO community as a MOC (My Own Creation), these sinister manor homes are unique creations designed and built using only LEGOs – no wood, glue, paint or other foreign materials were applied. Each of Mike’s three spine-tingling Victorian MOCs tower over five feet tall and required hundreds of hours to build, using upwards of 100,000 LEGO pieces each. Taking inspiration from photos of abandoned houses and earthly decay, Mike sees these pieces as representative of a certain mortal transience:

“For me, this piece speaks to the inherent unpredictability of those things which we call our foundation. Like a little dollhouse, a seemingly secure home is plucked up and set on a new path. This charming home, lovingly embellished with ornamental fancy was no match for nature. The fancy embellishments serve as a reminder of our earlier focus on the material world, while the aftermath removes us from that focus. The piece offers no answers or necessarily any hope, but rather points to life’s fragility.”

You can see all three of Mike’s spooky Victorian builds in the gallery below, or visit his Flickr stream and blog for more photos and information on how the mansions were made. If you’re so inclined, you can even order limited edition prints of the mansions numbered and signed by the artist while you’re there. For more on Mike’s inspiration and being an Adult Fan of LEGO (AFOL), check out his interview with LEGO designer Marcos Bessa.

(via This is Colossal)

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Categories: Art & Inspiration

Tags: abandoned, AFOL, art, creepy, LEGO, Mike Doyle, MOC, model, Sculpture, spooky, Victorian