Boulder Artist ROCKS the World
01 Jun 2018
Michael Grab discusses his artistic process and meteoric rise to Internet fame
By Sara Bruskin | Photos courtesy Michael Grab In 2008, Michael Grab was hanging out with a friend at Boulder Creek when he idly started balancing rocks on top of each other in the water. Feeling for grooves and notches in the stones and working patiently to find their equilibrium, Grab was instantly hooked on the meditative feat of engineering. For four years he continued the hobby, and began selling photographic prints and calendars of the temporary masterpieces he created. In 2012, he did what many artists dream of—he quit his job to pursue art full time.
Sharing His Art
The parties may be exclusive, but the work is not. Grab is not one to jealously guard his methods; he posts demonstration videos on his blog. Visitors to the Gravity Glue website can watch Grab work in his waders, inspecting rock after rock to select one with the right weight, balance and texture. In the process of stacking them, he pushes down to feel their stability, then rotates and pushes some more, making sure his base rocks are steady for the next layer. The finished products look like works of mathematical genius, but Grab says he hasn’t studied physics to any great extent. He does it all by feel. “I look at it as a kind of yoga practice,” says Grab. “It’s like a problem-solving activity that I have to pretty much meditate to get through. You have to veer in on these really tiny vibrations, so there’s this whole meditative awareness that happens just by doing it.” Italian artist Gabriele Meneguzzi got to know Grab at the Balanced Art World International Festival, and has immense respect for his work. “Michael was a very interesting young man to study,” he says. “If he is concentrating on his balancing, he doesn’t see or hear what is happening around him. You can talk, scream, or whatever else, but he is inside the stone.”Fans in Action
Simply watching Grab’s videos feels calming, so it’s no wonder Gravity Glue has gone viral in more than 100 countries. Amassing so many fans has enabled Grab to support himself with his artwork, and has also armed him with a formidable activism army when needed.
Find more photos and videos of Grab’s work at www.gravityglue.com
