Making art with the Tricky Trials blocks

My first victim work of art was a humble tree, which I turned into an avant-garde sculpture. Organic matter meets copper grates in a creation that critics (i.e. the first unlucky soul to walk by my desk as I was working on it) call groundbreaking (or more precisely: “I wish the ground would split in two and swallow it whole”). Win! 

But my assault on alteration of the Overworld’s vegetation did not stop there, no. I was determined to improve on nature’s most perfect creation: a huge mushroom. Between the intricately chiseled copper and meticulously placed copper bulbs, I consider this a success. The aforementioned critic? Sobbing. Sobbing! I don’t think I’ve ever moved anyone to tears before and I have to say, it feels amazing. And there they go, running away, having discovered a new meaning to life. 

But my journey continues! Nearby, I found an unassuming ruined portal. Rebuilding it using aged copper may not have made it functional, but it sends a message! Imagine running up those stunning tuff brick stairs flanked by chiseled tuff blocks towards the promise of a different world... only to smash against solid glass. Are you disappointed to find yourself in the same place? Or relieved to not have stepped into the Nether? Food for thought. 

Having built my most useless controversial structure yet, I felt like it was time to make a real statement. Conveniently, I ran into an illager outpost. And because art takes courage, I ran past the hostile illagers and rebuilt not their grand tower, but the small cage inside which a poor golem was held prisoner. Thanks to the tuff bricks and iron grates, the structure is sturdy, yet the golem can easily see the world outside, freedom within reach. This is definitely a metaphor for something! As long as the golem remains inside, of course. We must all suffer for art! The golem’s pained gaze tells me that it understands. Goodbye, friend! 

Feeling emotionally drained from making art as a statement, I decided to pivot into a more functional expression that gives back to the community. First, I set sights on an abandoned church, for which I exclusively used the new tuff blocks. I carefully placed them without disturbing the original cobwebs because an authentic feel is very important in my work! Never mind that the rest of the church’s blocks have been replaced entirely. “Have I heard of the Ship of Theseus?” Sorry, no – I get really seasick, so no fancy cruises for me! 

While restoration work is rewarding in itself, I wanted to rebuild a home. Whether the homeowners agree to it or not. The setting: a desert village. The build: a cozy three-unit family home. Was it a controversial choice to use the dark tones of tuff in a desert setting? Absolutely, but I can’t help but be insufferable push the boundaries. In this case, those of indoor temperature. I varied the texture of the tuff between these three houses to make sure the villagers don’t accidentally walk into the wrong one (been there) and upgraded the lighting from old-school torches to copper bulbs. And of course, the copper doors are the perfect finishing touch. The verdict? An emphatic “hrmmmmm.” Even in its simpler forms, real art is supposed to make you think, so I count this as another win. 

To complete my artistic journey, there was only one option: go where no artist has gone before – the Nether! (Editor’s note: many artists have in fact been to the Nether on many occasions). You may think that my resounding success has gone to my blockhead, but I know I’m ready for this bold endeavor! And as fate would have it, the first structure I stumbled upon was a bastion remnant. What an opportunity! To bridge the old and the new on such a scale! I started by filling in the holes in the bridge... but then the piglins saw me replace the gold blocks with copper. A cacophony of frantic oinks ensued. Before I could complete my magnum opus, I had to sprint back to the portal. But isn’t that a statement in itself? Trying to leave your mark in a hostile dimension, only to be chased away from the very pig people you were trying to help?

And there you have it! My artistic journey comes to a climactic, dare I say poetic end. How will you leave your mark on your worlds using the new Tricky Trials blocks? And will you dare venture into the trial chambers to get them? Which I definitely did, of course. I would never pretend to be in Survival mode and fake a piglin attack just because I didn’t feel like renovating an entire bastion. Or would I...