Artist who defies gravity
By Ankita
PATNA: People would laugh at you, if you say, ‘I can stick things together without any glue.’ It has happened, not only in fairy tales but also in reality. Meet 36-year-old MichaelGrab , an American gravity artist who balances stones without glue by challenging the phenomenon of gravity.
Grab has been doing this for years. “It started with an accident, I was hanging out with a friend in the city and we spontaneously startedbalancing stones on the road. I fell in love with that activity,” Grab said.
He began balancing stones as an art form in 2008. “I found it like a unique and meditative therapy and decided to continue practice. Earlier, I used to work as a professional employee in a company. Then, in 2012, I quit the job as the art needed times, effort and practice. It is a self-learned art through extensivepractice over time and now it’s my full time job even for my earning,” Grab said.
The most challenging part is to find a degree of focus required to achieve small contact points incomplex structures . Because of that challenge, structures can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours to reach the required form.
“I prefer to use harder stones for balancing, so the natural edges can withstand the various adjustments I need to make to centre the mass properly. But in terms of design, I prefer obscure shapes and also a variety of shapes to make structures more interesting. The physical balance works like a camera tripod, where the mass is centred between three tiny contact edges, which can be found in the natural surface texture of the rocks. I never alter the rocks to make the balance. I always use the natural edges as they are, which is also why I prefer harder rocks,” the artist said, explaining the process of gravity art.
Grab has always been an artist not just an art enthusiast since childhood. His mother’s passion for quilt art inspired him. His passion for stone balancing and nature art also ignited a passion for photography and filmmaking. “I love to travel internationally and do my art along the way,” he said.
“Most people are intrigued by the seeming impossibility of the work and also the beauty of the structures in natural setting, I got huge support which also led to the blue tick on my Instagram account,” Grab shared.
Grab tells you that it’s not an impossible task. Anyone can do it. “All you need is patience and practice. It is hard to say what I am working on next because I usually don’t plan projects. I let them arise spontaneously and approach my art in the moment, sort of like a meditative yoga practice,” he said.
This story was first published in the The Times of Bennett print edition (February 2021), a student-run initiative of The Times School of Media, Bennett University.
(The writer is a first year student of BA ( Journalism and Mass Communication) of The Times School of Media )
Join exciting programmes offered by Bennett University
PATNA: People would laugh at you, if you say, ‘I can stick things together without any glue.’ It has happened, not only in fairy tales but also in reality. Meet 36-year-old Michael
Grab has been doing this for years. “It started with an accident, I was hanging out with a friend in the city and we spontaneously started
He began balancing stones as an art form in 2008. “I found it like a unique and meditative therapy and decided to continue practice. Earlier, I used to work as a professional employee in a company. Then, in 2012, I quit the job as the art needed times, effort and practice. It is a self-learned art through extensive
The most challenging part is to find a degree of focus required to achieve small contact points in
“I prefer to use harder stones for balancing, so the natural edges can withstand the various adjustments I need to make to centre the mass properly. But in terms of design, I prefer obscure shapes and also a variety of shapes to make structures more interesting. The physical balance works like a camera tripod, where the mass is centred between three tiny contact edges, which can be found in the natural surface texture of the rocks. I never alter the rocks to make the balance. I always use the natural edges as they are, which is also why I prefer harder rocks,” the artist said, explaining the process of gravity art.
Grab has always been an artist not just an art enthusiast since childhood. His mother’s passion for quilt art inspired him. His passion for stone balancing and nature art also ignited a passion for photography and filmmaking. “I love to travel internationally and do my art along the way,” he said.
“Most people are intrigued by the seeming impossibility of the work and also the beauty of the structures in natural setting, I got huge support which also led to the blue tick on my Instagram account,” Grab shared.
Grab tells you that it’s not an impossible task. Anyone can do it. “All you need is patience and practice. It is hard to say what I am working on next because I usually don’t plan projects. I let them arise spontaneously and approach my art in the moment, sort of like a meditative yoga practice,” he said.
This story was first published in the The Times of Bennett print edition (February 2021), a student-run initiative of The Times School of Media, Bennett University.
(The writer is a first year student of BA ( Journalism and Mass Communication) of The Times School of Media )
Join exciting programmes offered by Bennett University
Recent Messages ()
Please rate before posting your Review
SIGN IN WITH
Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive. Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.