Center of Gravity: A Guide to the Practice of Rock Balancing

Rock balancing is a growing art form that uses ordinary rocks to create startling ephemeral sculptures. Artist Peter Juhl tells about how he discovered the magic that could be worked with just a few stones, and how like-minded balancers around the world have found one another, forming a generous and cohesive community. Using photos from well-known balance artists, he illustrates a sampling of popular styles and techniques. The rocks are kept in place by shape, weight and friction alone: No glue, metal rods, photo manipulation, or other artificial means are used. A comprehensive Why and How section first explains the physics behind the art, then gives a detailed tutorial that applies those principles with exercises in real-world balancing. Beginning with the most basic skill, and working up to the more challenging, the tutorial uses plenty of diagrams to illustrate the creation of various styles of balance art. For those who want to take their new interest further, a Beyond the Basics section shows how to create more interesting and compelling work, and how to use photography to capture it. A collection of miscellaneous tips and techniques help to make the creation of this fascinating art easier and more fun. Whether you are new to balancing and want to learn from the ground up, or have some experience and seek to broaden your artistic skills, this book gives you a comprehensive guide and reference to the art of rock balancing.