Today is probably the most atypical gallery for my blog. It has nothing to do with sculpture or the fine arts. I liked the works on display so much that I couldn’t help but describe them for you.
Michael Grab, an American of Canadian origin, works with natural stones, arranging unreal compositions of them in an unreal balance. The first photos I saw really touched me. As I am very fond of stones, their electronic form alone transported me into the silence and harmony of nature, filled me with some inspiration. It was as if I myself held them in my hands. I almost got goosebumps… I understand Michael’s fascination with the equilibrium of stones. The extraordinary sensation of touching the stones. Outwardly completely passive, they carry some kind of special life, and some have an undeniably strong energy and influence.
Looking at all this attractive natural splendor, in some moments it is hard to believe that the stones are standing without any glue or anything like that. In the comments on these works on the internet, there are many who doubt the natural bonding of the stones to each other. In a number of cases, I, too, had my doubts, so I decided to look deeper into the issue. In the end I found a video which shows the natural adhesion of the rocks, not strengthened in any way. In addition, the philosophy of the author does not leave the slightest room for deception of the viewer. At the end of the post, I have attached a video in which doubts finally disappear. As Michael says, every stone has all kinds of nicks, cracks, scratches, indentations and convexities. It is these that bind the stones together. Over time, with proper focus and attention, you develop a special sensitivity to every vibration and sound in the stone as you set it.
It must be said that Michael Grab is not the only one in the world who is passionate about constructing such stone standards of balance. There are others who began this endeavor much earlier. I haven’t posted their works, because I haven’t found anything particularly new in them. Some of Michael’s compositions seemed to me more powerful. In addition, they are more well photographed.
A Short Biography of Michael Grab
Michael Grab was born in Edmonton, Canada in 1984. He moved to Boulder, Colorado in 2002 to attend university. There, in the summer of 2008, he stumbled upon the art of rock balancing. Since then, he has developed a reputation as a local creator and designer of large-scale balanced rock gardens, most of which are placed upstream and downstream of the river that runs through the city. Over the years, Michael has attracted regular visitors to his stone gardens. And sometimes small crowds gather to watch him lay out and photograph the river rocks. Generally, the feedback on his work is most positive. Especially after the joint creation. He plans to continue doing such collaborative “rock practices.” He finds in it a free artistic enhancement with living natural material, a rapprochement with nature itself.
Michael reflects on his hobby rather broadly. For him it is not just a physical creation with an obvious result. He sees implications in it that go far beyond dense matter. Bringing balance to the stones is akin to meditation. Michael notes the importance of inner silence, silence, the capacity for which is perfected in the exercise with stones. And in his compositions he sees a symbol of our universe, in which each part has a very precisely aligned place and participation. One giant symphony of harmony. In short, it’s very rewarding…
I can add from my own words: it’s really useful only when done consciously. I am sure that most people in the hours of training with stones will not create balance or silence inside them, but will even fall into some irritation and impatience. Our civilization is very conducive to endless turmoil…