Sure. Start with a small cube that is taller than it is wide or deep, and use the "Duplicate Special" command to make a row of them along the X axis (with a small translate value like 1.05,0,0) and then select that row and duplicate it along the Z axis, again using a small translate value (like 0,0,-1.05.)
Once you've made your array of cubes, you can move them individually up or down to make the desired pattern.
For lighting, you may want to use area lights that aim straight down...one at each end of the array of cubes. I was able to create an image very similar to the one you supplied using V-Ray as a renderer, but I'm sure you can do the same with Mental Ray. Forum member @damaggio is really good with Mental Ray, and can probably give you some tips if you need them.
Hope this makes sense...give a yell if something is not clear.
