Archive

All20152016
Autumn 2016

Autumn 2016

Summer 2016

Summer 2016

Spring 2016

Spring 2016

Winter 2016

Winter 2016

Autumn 2015

Autumn 2015

Summer 2015

Summer 2015

Spring 2015

Spring 2015

Winter 2015

Winter 2015

Current Work

  • Although I’ll prolly never understand, I get the sense sometimes that there is a greater consciousness or spirit for which “Gravity Glue” is merely a conduit. . . I lost count of how many times various experiences or stumbled-upon perspectives in Boulder Creek have instantly triggered visions or presences of this chief Niwot character. . . For whom there is a statue west of 9th street, and various stencil art by @smileboulder flashing his image along the creek path.. but I see him in the rocks sometimes.. and the trees.. and the various nonhuman residents of the creek. And the way these elements have a tendency to coalesce into time and space specific renderings of what appear to be Niwot’s face. I didn’t even recognize it as I was composing this relativity of rocks, sun, and trees, but as soon as I started examining the photos in hi res on the big screen, I can not unsee Niwot’s mimetolith.. 🗿👁 Maybe I’m just crazy. . . #gravityglue #bouldercolorado #chiefniwot #conduit #nature #consciousness #spirit #observation #mimetolith #thunderoussilence #psychedelicart #listening #beyondunderstanding
  • Same frame I shared yesterday, +22 hours, courtesy of Colorado front range Nature.. ❤️ The accumulation currently is roughly 5x (at least) what you see here, and I feel like a kid in a candy store. Also I chose this frame from my 2400 frame timelapse cuz it’s the only one with a perfectly placed bird in flight, which I assume to be the duck that was hanging around yesterday.. Also happy bicycle day from yesterday..! #gravityglue #dancewithnature #carpethatfuckingdiem #springtime #bicycleday
  • I didn’t foresee this creation taking so much of my time. I almost didn’t even settle in this spot to begin with.. . But the truth of the matter is I’m in love, again. I’ve spent days observing the way the light interacts with the space. I’ve developed a bond with the ducks that frequent the pool behind this structure. The dogs that come out to play from the neighboring yard on the south bank.. the daily owl presence.. the red tailed hawk that hunts during the day here and is often hassled by resident crows, all overhead and above the radar of most creekpath passers-by. There is a certain beauty in the background presence of pedestrian and car traffic over the bridge in the distance. And especially the way this space GLOWS in the late afternoon sun, with a trance-inducing sea (literally thousands) of sunlit flies buzzing around through this whole corridor.. . . While I normally avoid bridges in the scenes I record, this one has grown on me because of its unique style (with the columns) apart from all the others, as well as what I’ve recognized as a connection between it and the building blocks that encouraged the existence of this creation. . . I’ve gone up and down this whole corridor to collect and dispose of all the bits of garbage littering the creek bed and banks, which although tragic, has also expanded my bond with it.. . . I didn’t recognize this composition until yesterday, as I’ve been mostly preoccupied with wide focal lengths as you can see via the previous posts.. But I love this view for the way it draws the site specific connection to this CU themed bridge... moreso without me in the frame 🙈. . in fact, many years ago as a student, before I started balancing, I used to bomb that 17th street hill/bridge on my skateboard on my way home from class every afternoon.. hell I almost died once doing that, if it weren’t for a split second decision to ride the center line at 20 mph without brakes, squeezing between a bus and oncoming traffic😅 .. . . But all these experiences amplify the metaphysical gravity of this creation in time and space for me. . . . . #gravityglue #rockbalancing #sitespecific #earthart #meditation #balance #art #bouldercolorado
  • As they say: one never steps in the same river twice. . . ❤️ #gravityglue #springtime
  • DJ Krush Vibes 🎼🎧 #gravityglue #krushin #regulus #turnthegoddamnmusicup #collaborationwithnature #gravityart #earthart #galaxyart #giveittomeraw #rockbalancing #bouldercolorado #springsnow
  • The previous structure was a kinda rough draft of this spinal thingy... I injected 3 new base layers here, bringing the total layer count to 21 including the top two to bring it to a point.. . . I actually built this extended spine with the foresight and intent to put that large top rock back on, which I did, however, the spine now dwarfs that large top from the previous build too much to where it just looks kinda silly and out of place, despite its technical prowess.. . . So I decided to abandon the top rock altogether and round this out to a nice point to yield this highly satisfying tentacle thingy... . . And the reason I know this was the ultimate vision, is because upon further observation, I discovered its curve fits the perfect slot in the background trees from this perspective. . . And I also discovered why this spot has such a flagstone anomaly. It’s because the bridge immediately west of this includes 2 stone columns that are constructed out of this exact type of stone, and for that matter, much of the CU Boulder architecture includes variations of this flagstone or ‘buffstone’ I’ve also heard it’s called.. same stuff that can be found up at my old friend ‘woods quarry’ in Chautauqua park. . . But anyway, the main reason this creation exists in this spot is because of the remnants washed down from that bridge’s construction which was originally installed in 1907, and replaced with its current form in 1985. It took roughly 35 spring runoffs to tumble these slabs into their current zone where this structure currently stands.. nearly 100 meters downstream in my very rough estimate. . . . . Also, the owl definitely resides in this immediate area somewhere.. I keep looking for a nest of sorts, but it ‘hoos’ every evening at very close range from this spot, as I pack up to head home.. . . ❤️🧙🏼‍♂️ . . #gravityglue #bouldercolorado #meditation #balance #art #ephemeralart #earthart #collaborationwithnature #pastinsidethepresent #pagoda #gaiainukshuk #stone #spine #oddlysatisfying #rockbalancing #sculpture #visitboulder #boulderarts
  • Over the years I’ve certainly accumulated a few “go-to” spots (or “power spots”) that I often revisit, and know the available rocks in those spots intimately, however, this particular spot is new in my experience. I balanced a few times just upstream from here in 2013, but never in this distinct zone.. as I tend to avoid bridges or city structures in my photos.. But one thing I’ve noticed returning to familiar zones is sometimes, I won’t really find new inspiring rocks and experience a kind of creative “block”, like the powerful experiences of those past creations can cloud the current process or influence it too much. Here, there was none of that usual familiarity of space and rocks. Finding new enthralling rocks proved effortless and almost overwhelming.. TOO MANY OPTIONS! In this case, this top rock, with its lovely oxidized print (which happens moreso in distinct stretches of creek and also a very unique phenomenon in Boulder creek, relative to most places I’ve balanced in the world..) locked me into the space.. and unlike any other zone nearby, this one had an abnormal abundance of this flat flagstone stuff — enough so that the intuitive direction into the day’s wind was this sort of pagoda thing — and make it swing! At first the tower seemed like too much effort, finding all the intermediate steps (3 rocks per layer), but I aired on the side of “just go”, and eventually it came to this.. It did blow over last night shortly after a live stream I recorded, and a perfect break on part of the top rock has activated my curiosity to give it another go... today... wind permitting.. . . in conclusion, I’ve decided that I’m going to explore mostly unbalanced zones this year, precisely cuz they’re outside my normal, tested and proven “power spots”... and in my opinion, the “Gravity Glue” ethos in relation to Boulder creek, is only an incomplete view while there are still spots and distinct tree patterns to be balanced and photographed. #gravityglue #pagoda #carpediem #meditation #balance #ephemeralart #stoneflower #spring #zeropoint #yoga
  • For some reason, another (maybe the same..?) great horned owl visited me again last night shortly after shooting this photo. Who knows why or if it means anything at all, but considering I’ve lived here almost 20 years now without ever seeing a resident owl, while having been visited by one twice at the creek in less than a week, has me curious about what the intent of infinity might be up to. . . . . Also, in terms of this balance, the previous post was Gen I, while this would be Gen IV — each new gen having a different combination between the large wing and main top rock.. . . I was almost certain the addition of the smaller top rock here would’ve collapsed the whole thing. hence, given the extreme technical and physical exertion to zero this balance to begin with, I was too afraid to add substantial counterweight until the very end of the day... but here’s a microcosm of using fear as a directional... i was afraid to risk the whole structure while my mind was certain the addition was impossible, understanding that if it failed, all that hard work returns to zero... but it was in that abandonment and moving forward with precisely what I was afraid to do all day, where the surprise and moment of magick was realized.. . . 🦉🌷 . . #gravityglue #meditation #balance #ephemeralart #zeropoint #yoga #rockbalancing #stonebalance #ishihana #wabisabi #landart #owlmedicine #earthart #doforlove #thereisnotry . . ❤️
  • ~ We move lightly ~ . . #gravityglue #boulderite #stoneflower #zeropoint #yoga #ishihana #ephemeralart #meditation #balance #sunset #bouldercolorado #earthartist #wabisabi #rockbalancing #stonebalance #石花 #ロックバランシング #侘寂
  • Struggling to find proper words to describe the experience of this installation over these several days recently.. . . I had no idea when I began, how much its presence would touch the community here in Boulder, and I’m humbled by the far-reaching positive impact it’s had, the stories people shared with me, the undeniable solace and gratitude I felt in so many people’s eyes and words.. . . A truly magickal phenomenon. A “forever box” kind of experience. . . . . A story in particular that moved me to tears was from a close friend of Suzanne, who was deeply touched by this stone garden as she told me how much Suzanne loved stacking rocks, and did so wherever she found the opportunity. . . I eventually removed everything yesterday, as the high wind began tearing through the space and taking them down faster than I could rebuild. . . Many people expressed their wishes to make this a permanent thing, however, in my practice, the true power of applying this art form in a memorial style like this exists very much in its transience — the fact that NOTHING LASTS — which holds a very distinct style of almost melancholic beauty. . . These photos are from the final Sunday eve approaching the full moon rise.. Sunday was certainly the energetic maximum in the lifespan of this garden, as hundreds of people were able to find the spot and experience the space.. in a relatively quiet zone of the creek path, away from car traffic, and only the sound of a babbling creek and birds. . took on this kind of thunderous silence in the presence of all ten spirits. . . I think my favorite moment happened shortly following these photos, just before the full moon broke the eastern horizon — a great horned owl, first I’ve seen at the creek here in town, perched on a branch directly above this memorial.. I’ve experienced the magick of great horned owls during my time in Canada, but this moment, location, and circumstance, although fleeting, was especially profound and resolute. It made yesterday’s wind have a clear purpose that was to be heeded and accepted as the closing of this special sort of vortex that opened temporarily on Boulder Creek. . . ❤️🦉 . . #gravityglue #foreverbox
  • One thing I've learned throughout my travels, is that this romanticized idea of "escaping", or this idea of "the grass is greener, over there" is little more than a construct. I've come to understand there is this common thread of fundamental beauty that permeates "in here" as equally as "out there"... when one learns to be fully present in the space one inhabits. . . learning to "be the balance" in a sense, or dissolving one's Self here and now -- Zero Point Yoga. . . Boulder Creek has countless spaces with this familiar ambiance or "thunderous silence" i've experienced everywhere i've spent time creating. It's like a kind of "i've been here before" (but also not) flavor of beauty, for which there is no substitute, and can be accessed whether i'm "out there", or right here in my backyard. It's all here, if I have the sensitivity and awareness to feel it. Happy Equinox! ❤️ #gravityglue #zeropoint #yoga #beherenow #meditation #balance #art #sculpture #landart #ephemeralart #wabisabi #stoneflower #ishihana #stonebalance #rockbalancing #bouldercolorado #ritual #practice #BeTheBalance #石花 #ロックバランシング #侘寂
  • Complex creations don’t just happen “overnight”.. they usually happen in steps. Each realization unlocks a door to the next... these 4 steps cover 3 days — middle two being the same day. Step 3 being the one I shared, step 4 being the process shot I shared most recently. Step 1 (on the left): was done under the resignation to the belief that I didn’t know how to get these two rather massive tops in place. Instead it’s maximum precision of the common one rock style.. but that process and those edges were logged in my muscle memory that day, processed overnight, and I returned the next day to attempt.. Step 2: new base + basic 2-rock spine, topped by the 3-rock system I originally thought I couldn’t achieve... an aha moment — It IS possible!... that was early in the day, so then i naturally went back to work to level up the spine into... Step 3: this one took 2-3 hours beyond step 2, but my vision was to integrate the spinal precision of step 1 with the Gemini top of step 2.. which resulted in the same 2-rock spine of step 2, plus one rock.. finally realized with only minutes of remaining sun. (Ambition / curiosity peaked) Step 4: reworked the spine from scratch.. reversed the curve... the two upper spinal rocks being exactly the same as step 1, but opposite face to the camera. The upper rock of this spine was the lower rock of step 2 & 3’s spine. The spinal rock below the yellow was the other spinal rock from steps 2 & 3.. . . I’m not sure but I think I’m satisfied..? . . #gravityglue #evolution #revolution #love
  • Process: Here is a frame from a timelapse I recorded yesterday. . . this is a more extreme variation of the balance in my previous post as you can see if you compare the two spines. I wanna give a general idea of “how” this came to be.. in which case, the use of my knees is integral to its execution. Notice how my knees are tightly hugged around the spine. This is to brace the curve of the spine as much as possible to avoid it snapping out while adjusting the top section.. . . The most important element of actually making this work, is the upward force I apply with my knees, specifically under the top rock I pace first.. in this case on MY right side.. the downward force of that first top rock must be perfectly neutralized by the upward force of my knee, to avoid any disturbance to the precarious spine... Thus, while I’m placing the second top rock (on MY left), the rest of the structure is being hugged and braced by my right hand on the right top rock, zeroed by my right knee pushing upward, and my left knee applying an upward force to the left side that is proportional to the differential downward force relationship of the two tops.. in order to most accurately mimic the final center force on the spine without displacing the counterbalanced curve.. Still with me..? 🤓 My goal is to shoot another timelapse today, in hopes of cutting the build time from several hours, to hopefully under an hour.. it probably took so long in this instance because I still wasn’t satisfied with the previous spine and decided to “one up” myself... when I have more time to sequence the whole TL I’ll publish it so you can get a better idea on just how difficult this equation was to realize. . . To be continued . . #gravityglue #workshop #geministyle #rockbalancing #zeropoint #yoga #process #practice #breathe
  • I decided to add a side rock 🤯 . . “My technique is don’t believe anything. If you believe in something, you are automatically precluded from believing its opposite.” #terencemckenna #gravityglue #youhavenotbetrayedyourideals #youridealsbetrayedYOU #liftingtheveil #balance #meditation #nature #stoneflower #ishihana #wabisabi #zenasfuck #symbols #reality #turnon #tunein #zeropoint #yoga #youfallwefall #wakeup #breathe #hereandnow #nothinglasts #itsallagame #mentalapocolypse #nonviolentrevolution . . 🍄🪨
  • Can’t stop won’t stop! . . I know these crazy humans that are moving the festival into the online virtual space this year... which appears to be quite an ambitious technical undertaking, but it WILL be done! . . March 27/28 is gonna be an interesting weekend stringing together live feeds from land artists all around the planet ! ! ! #beleaf2021 #llanoearthartfest
  • There is a certain sensual richness and depth in adjusting a cumulative interrelationship of vibrations to achieve maximum tension x minimum contact. . . . . Also, currently editing, slowly but surely, the most recent (9th) edition of my annual film series.. featuring my 2020 footage.. was a strange year indeed cuz I captured very little video during the first half of the year due to some aforementioned circumstances... but once I got back in the flow, I went kinda overdrive and potentially drowned myself in timelapses over the latter half of 2020, but on the plus side, there are some super beautiful observations of time that I’m excited to share.. . . Also gonna continue including a virtual “tip jar” at the end of my posts for anyone who feels inspired to help support the work.. I tried it briefly recently and was humbled by people’s support.. it means a lot for my ability to continue with this work given the circumstances around COVID and the (hopefully temporary) hold on some of the international performance and teaching work I’m used to. . . I’m growing restless though, like a deafening urge to get back out in the world doing this art, performing and teaching, etc...Which is I think where I thrive most. . . However, I’m also still in love with Boulder creek.. because of our history.. the rocks are still among my favorite of the hundreds of international locations I’ve created with.. the wind is most friendly to extreme balancing, and one of my favorite zones is newly liberated from a construction project that held it hostage throughout 2020.. . . This balance is from the other day, in that familiar zone, in fact this beautifully curved rock is an old friend from 2016.. possibly in my top 10 favorite rocks I’ve touched since 2008. . . . . #gravityglue #springfeels #extreme #balance #ephemeralart #iamopening #stoneflower #ishihana #skillz #practice #rockbalancing #石花 #ロックバランシング #thankyou . . PayPal.me/gravityglue (Always no expectations - thank you! 🙏🏼) . . 🌱❤️
  • This was the final afternoon, ~10ish minutes before the sun went behind the mountain. During the last hour of sun, a pair of ducks came to hang around in this opening of water with me while I was up-close filming some gimbal shots.. Anyone who has followed my page for more than a month, knows I seem to have a special connection with some local ducks.. they are special beings to me and I always treasure their presence. the sum of elements; human solitude, ice and glowing sunlight, love, and the pair of ducks, was like something from a utopian fairy tale. The way the ducks stayed with me for some time before trailing off into the distance leaving fresh tracks over an expanse of powder.. It was a clear signal and feeling of conclusion on this sculpture. #gravityglue
  • On the subject of transcendental beauty. . . Many have asked “how” these ice formations come to be.. some assumed wind.. some assumed I painstakingly dripped water. . . but alas, they are purely products of Nature’s processes, noticed through constant observation at the creek... and different shapes form in different sections of the creek depending on the variable relationship of water level and flow rate versus the sheet ice that covers the creek, and of course temperature... these parts, which I carefully broke off and basically balanced in place until they bonded together, form upside down, hanging underneath the sheet ice. It’s absolutely brilliant, the variability in form, long narrow “flowers” (where the gap between water and ice is large with faster moving gurgling water), and the mushroom-like disks (where the gap is small with slower-moving water), and spectrum of forms in between, that materialize in the infinite complexities of changing conditions.. it blew my mind that previously I was desperate to find even tiny mushroom shapes, but as the freeze progressed, the creek started producing larger and larger formations, which made me think of the fractal nature of crystals and rocks, they way a tiny crystal can fit in your palm, and the deeper you dig, the same geometric forms can dwarf houses... Also interesting to me that these larger formations did not appear in my awareness until after I had an unwitting “practice run” with the smaller, rather unimpressive versions, as if nature observed my attempts, observed the mistakes I realized I made, said ‘away with those’ and decided I was ready to play big, which is more in line with what I was wishing I could do before, if only I have the materials... But I must say, I’m absolutely in love with the synergy of this arrangement.. I unequivocally outdid myself this time... and to think only a week ago I had no idea this could exist 🤯 #gravityglue #collaborationwithnature #bouldercolorado #earthart #ephemeralart #beautiful #magichour If you’d like to help support this art, you can do so here: PayPal.me/gravityglue Thank you! Ps: everyone’s kind words regarding my dad melts my heart 🙏🏼❤️
  • Talking about this creation won’t feel complete without mentioning my dad. . . It was the morning of this sunset — removing fresh powder and re-articulating the frozen headdress of ghostface, when I received word that my dad passed away. . . As shocking as it felt, It’s fair to say I’ve been somewhat prepared, having spent significant time meditating on the inevitable. But still, the gravity of the fact consumed my mind and heart-scape approaching this sunset.. Nature is inspiring and all, but in particular it’s the nature of nature — death (and life) — the transience of it all, and the beauty therein — that I find most inspiring. Despite the emotional gravity at hand, his memory seemed to make everything take on a certain glow, with periodic wells of tears transformed by deep realizations of transcendental beauty. . I like the idea that the experience of beauty can be seen as a necessary constituent for “a good day to die”... and even to maintain youth of spirit. there have been countless moments in my creative life that have made me think it’s “a good day to die”, which is part of why I’m so impassioned about nature play, however this day it was especially pertinent and creatively resolute that nature chose to make it obvious.. . . After all these years of cultivating a practice focused on metaphysical births, deaths, and rebirths, I can’t imagine a more perfect day to crystallize his passing. . . ❤️ #gravityglue
  • As I was saying, that mini ice garden from the previous post WAS on the upper (camera) right... it all happened so fast. I was mucking around with icebergs behind the camera when I heard a sudden crash as those ice “mushrooms” shattered.. .. my heart sank cuz they were my favorite element and also the most frustrating /difficult to realize.. . . So naturally I went to assess the damage thinking my interest in this sculpture was lost.. . . Then I noticed a familiar pattern with melting ice and balanced rocks.. which was the near certainty that ice formation tends to dislodge the balance, and while slowly receding, the rock separates from the ice.. in this case, the top rock I placed was leaning back, away from the plate of ice i grew over its face... except this case was unique, in that I unwittingly anchored that plate of ice to frozen dead roots in either side, as you can see in this photo.. . . Anyway, nearing the threshold of collapse, I made a moment’s decision to try peeling the rock away from behind, as the back face’s ice layer had completely evaporated.. if I left it to continue leaning, that rock would’ve fallen back and the trauma of its impact would have almost certainly shattered the entire sculpture beyond repair.. a definitive death.. . . But much to my childish excitement and surprise, I was actually able to remove the rock completely without disturbing its mold of ice or anything else on the sculpture.. and it’s a *perfect mold of that rock, not quite the same presence but PRESENT nonetheless.. . . . The removal immediately reignited my interest in a previously dying sculpture.. like it took on an afterlife.. hence, I started calling it ghostface (...chillah...), and you best believe I did it for the children. . . . . But as with any karma, it begets more karma and I was still unsatisfied with the wreckage of the ice.. however I quickly learned to appreciate its trade-off for this new realization of ghostface.. and all the potential I know very well with backlit ice... . . Best believe I would arrive EARLY the next morning to take advantage of the fleeting freeze to somehow revive the ice formations.. . . #gravityglue ❤️