Wednesday, August 11, 2010

balance

Sometimes, when life gets too busy or unpredictable, you need to slow yourself down and rebalance. Some people self destruct, others become introspective. Some go for long walks or take a canoe out into the wilderness to think about life. Some people do yoga to relax and find an inner peace. Others may get creative with knitting or painting to calm their nerves.

Some get right into the middle of a river and start balancing stones.
I had heard about these sculptures before, in different parts of the city over the years, mostly in the east or west beaches

last weekend, these stone sculptures appeared in the Humber River in Toronto.

Artist Peter Riedel likes the impermanence of his sculptures.


"Just like people in life, my creations can easily be knocked down. Like so many things in life, the balance isn’t always up to us. We think things are perfect and balanced, but sometimes life has surprises for us too" He said. He likes that even through the stone creations may fall apart, they become a clean slate from which to create again.

30 comments:

  1. i travel and takes a lot of photos to relax.

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  2. Those are so cool. And yet they are permanent in a way because they've been documented.

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  3. About two seconds after I told a friend I was badly in need of balance, your post appeared.

    Thank you.

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  4. Those rock sculptures are soooooo neat! I've seen a few on various beaches out here, too, but never so many in one spot. Thanks for posting those photos!

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  5. I get that. No matter how much effort I may put into one of my sand creations on the beach, it's fun to watch it slowly dissolve as the tide rises and reduces it to its original state.
    Cool sculptures!

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  6. Thomas: I find photography helps me a lot

    Jazz: yes, having a photo does help. he takes photos of them all (which are way better than mine)

    Ruth: now that is synchronicity!

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  7. Pinklea: he made over 40 of them and it was really cool to see them scatterd about the river

    Geewits: I usually have some trouble with that - but then I watched as one of them tumbled and I found I hung about as long as I could, just waiting for another to fall and was kinda excited when two more collapsed

    Guillaume: he just quietly went about his work, then later quietly stood back and watched peoples reactions

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  8. A great idea. We all would love to leave behind something to prove we existed!

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  9. Wonderful post and I wish I had seen this!

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  10. Ooh, if you like these then you must google Andy Goldsworthy, who is a master of transient art founded on natural forms and materials. I adore his work, and the philosophy of their impermanence and natural decay being part of their life-cycle. Very 'balancing'.

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  11. Looks like the bird life liked them too! :-)

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  12. Ken: do you think our blogs count?

    EGwow: I was worried about them collapsing with the wind last week, so when I had a day off, I went to see it. I'm so glad I did. many people were just standing around admiring them (or taking pics)

    dancingbeastie: I checked his site - very interesting work

    Saj: yes!! I am rather pleased with that shot. there were lots of gulls and one duck and one heron

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  13. That looks a lot of fun. Didn't other people join in? I would have been tempted . . .

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  14. I love these sculptures...they are so beautiful!! I so enjoy environmental sculptors...their work is always evolving and so intriguing.
    Thanks for sharing his work with us.
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  15. Jabblog: no, people gathered on the banks in the park and watched and a few waded into the water to get good photos

    SueAnn: I talked to one guy who came back a few times every day to see which ones were still standing

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  16. Great pics my dear. Looking forward to seeing you on Monday. Can't believe it's been over a year already. Where did the time go?

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  17. Oh my, are they glued or just balanced by gravity? I like that egret in your last picture. BTW, thanks for welcoming me in skywatch friday :)

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  18. Mr Nighttime: well, it hasn't stood still, has it?!

    Mel: these are all carefully balanced

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  19. That's especially cool with the egret (heron?) strolling by.

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  20. Great photos! and a great idea - playing with stones, in a lovely clean (well it looks clean) river, what fun!

    And that last one looks very precarious, but I don't think it actually is when you look really closely!

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  21. SAW: that is a white heron who was trying to blend in with the stones!

    Gilly: the river is pretty clean and these had been up for about 5 days when I took these pics, so they aren't as precarious as they look, I guess.

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  22. I've see stacked stone art before but these creations, in water, are fantastic. Glad to read in your note above that they are not as precarious as they look.

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  23. I like them! Guess they are fun to do and to see.
    Maggie X

    Nuts in May

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  24. How cool is that! I've never seen anything like this before. What a magical thing to do.... and to come across. Thanks for sharing. It really made me smile.
    Cheers, jj

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  25. This is way cool..I love this idea! I wonder how many people go by on their merry way and never notice:)

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  26. Too bad the artist made his sculptures impermanent I like 'em!

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  27. Wow, amazing sculptures. I hope the river is not deep.

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  28. I'll happily walk for hours with or without an excuse. If I didn't I expect I'd be a lot like Peter Riedel's sculptures, falling down easily. Thanks, this is an awesome post.

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  29. Oh my, I am behind in my replies!
    Annie: he has been known to build these on land near the beach, too, but I think these look more mysterious

    Maggie: I've tried building inukshuks and it is harder than it looks. I'd like to try this, but fear I'd get too frustrated!

    Joanna: glad to make your day. and thanks for your visits and comments

    FFF: I think most people noticed these - and there was a lot made of it in the media

    Jeannette: the best part is that he will make them again next year

    Evelyn: no, the river is not deep at all. but it is fast moving

    gospelwriter: yes, having life rush past one might make one unsteady!

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