Not all art finds its audience within the closed walls of a gallery or the echoing halls of a museum. Sometimes it has to wait for a long time to be noticed, hidden in an odd corner of the public arena. And sometimes it has to travel very far before it meets its intended observers. This might be one such case. 

Jeff Hindman of Florida discovered a giant Lego minifig washed up on the Florida shore this week. He happened upon the 8-foot tall yellow man while taking a walk down a Siesta Key Village beach. The oversized figurine bears two cryptic messages; on the front of his shirt reads the words, "No Real Than You Are", and once Hindman and other curious observers stood him up, they discovered the name "Ego Leonard" on his back just above the number 8. 

What meaning could that broken English and strange pseudonym hold? The name Ego Leonard links the figurine back to its creator, whose website is in Dutch--suggesting that this particular Lego man had quite the transatlantic journey. He seems to be in pretty good shape for all the aquatic miles he must have had to traverse if he really did come all the way from the Netherlands. 

This particular Lego man is actually the third Ego Leonard piece to wash up on a beach. The first was discovered in Holland and the second in Brighton, England. I have no idea how the artist engineered, built, or launched these seaworthy toys, but so far they've all made it back to land in one piece.

Once translated, Leonard's website gives a bit of an artist's statement--although the message born by these figurines remains mysterious. He ponders the use of freedom by avatar in the virtual world, the ability to act outside of reality's constraints. But do our free, virtual actions carry through to our real actions? Can we make connections online that translate into a meaningful real-world relationship? How do we best communicate in the digital age? These are all questions raised by the multiple layers of reality technology has granted us. Sending a giant symbol of playfulness, inventiveness, and childhood halfway across the world is certainly one method of communication, and perhaps just as real and meaningful as any other. 

The number 8 on the back of this figurine suggests that there are at least 5 other Lego men floating around the world courtesy of Ego L., so keep an eye out for the next shore appearance--or for the next move from this enigmatic public artist.