It was nothing more than a whim that lead artist Michael Grab to step into the creek he’d been exploring in Boulder, Colorado, and began stacking rocks. That was back in 2008.
Almost every day since, no matter where he is in the world, Grab has experimented with his almost magical artform. It’s more than a creative obsession; it’s part of a meditative practice that reminds him and those who experience his work that anything is possible.
“I am constantly in awe at the stillness, let alone possibility, of such precarious formations, amidst sometimes very turbulent conditions,” says Grab on his website Gravity Glue, which features his work from over the last four years.
In addition, you can read a diary in which Grab discusses his mindset and shares his inspiration. You will also find a dedicated community page, which features an interactive map detailing the location of other stone-balancers, along with links to groups and social media pages for the artists.
The keys to Grab’s design lay in patience, commitment, and an ability to ‘feel’ the rocks.
“…every rock is covered in a variety of tiny to large indentations that can act as a natural tripod for the rock to stand upright, or in most orientations you can think of with other rocks. By paying close attention to the vibrations of the rocks, you will start to feel even the smallest ‘clicks’ as the notches of the rocks are moving over one another.”
Grab correlates his work to the Japanese aesthetic of Wabi-Sabi: the definition of life’s transient, imperfect nature.
Though it seems a vexing process (as the video below gives some insight to), the results really do speak for themselves.
See more of Grab’s work on Facebook, or at the official Gravity Glue site.