Thursday, January 24

Michael Grab

Using simply gravity and rocks, Michael Grab creates sculptures that are impermanent but beautiful. While they are spectacular to see, they are more of a zen meditation for the artist. This video shows a short clip of how he balances rocks upon each other. His work can be seen on his website, Gravity Glue.
“Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I’ve learned that whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.” – Helen Keller (Stolen from Michael Grab's blog)
To address the question of why he does it, Grab's blog states, "Alongside the art, setting rocks into balance has also become a way of showing appreciation, offering thanksgiving, and inducing meditation. Through manipulation of gravitational threads, the ancient stones become a poetic dance of form and energy, birth and death, perfection and imperfection. they become a reflection of ourselves in a way; precariously sturdy, mysterious and fragile."
"The trick I’ve found is to play and experiment. If you keep at it, a balance will be inevitable if you make yourself present in that moment of balance."
"Much of the time balancing is also spent experimenting with different ideas and arrangements. Remember there is no right or wrong configuration of rocks. It is about YOU and what excites YOUR spirit."