Axial Stones: An Art of Precarious Balance

by George Quasha, Carter Ratcliff (Foreword)

George Quasha’s extraordinary sculptures unite natural stones in a state of breathtakingly improbable balance. The stones are not altered physically or bonded in any way; rather, Quasha discovers an unknown axis that brings them into radical alignment. The stones "learn" this state of levity in contrast to their ordinary state of gravity, resulting in a new art form that feels alive with its own individual energy and personality. Here, 37 axial stones are displayed in dazzling full-page color photos. The accompanying text explains not only how the stones were found and eventually came together, but explores the aesthetic, philosophical, spiritual, and practical implications of an art of danger and impermanence. "Action pages" document the process—the repeated setting up, balancing, losing balance, and falling—until the full axial stone is born: a whole being greater and more real than the sum of its parts.

160 pages, Paperback

First published July 24, 2006

Reviews

[Sparrow .]

I first saw two of George’s stone sculptures at a gallery in Chelsea, accompanied by a warning to stand back, so as not to inadvertently topple the rocks. George, you see, has invented the art of balancing two rocks (and sometimes three).

Many of them look impossible – and indeed, in this age of ubiquitous trick photography, one must accept on faith the assertion that all of them are really balancing, without glue or invisible fishing tackle – or simply Photoshop! But this element of trust, in the photographs, is key to the art Quasha has developed. There is trust all around: between the stones, between George and the stones, between us and George. The universe is predicated on trust; that’s one of the ideas of this “inanimate tai chi.”

The sculptures look like other items: Etruscan gods, skulls of horses, anvils, big teeth, Marcel Duchamp. Most of them are accompanied by a brief punctuationless sentences, such as:

to wake one stone wears another

As with cooking, ingredients are key. George finds memorable stones, usually by rivers, often with his wife or friends. (There are extensive notes by George throughout the text.) Also, as with cooking, a lot of time is necessary. George must find the “balancing point” of these earthly weights. It’s a meditation, plus a Pointless Practice. George backed up into an artform, while pursuing an obsession – or maybe a “game”?

[Kitap · Rating 5 out of 5]

My one-time PhD advisor, Dr. Steven D. Goodman, posted something about this book/art/exhibit/artist to his Facebook page, and it sounded so intriguing that I immediately requested it from the university library. His description reminded me of my first encounter with balanced stones as a sculptural, performance art form--Bay Area artist Bill Dan's impromptu sculptures in front of the Palace of Fine Arts. George Quasha is all that and more. Axial Stones isn't just about a bunch of balanced rocks; it explores what Quasha calls the principle of axiality, a notion that is nearly impossible to dress in language yet irresistible in its will to self-expression. Poetry, philosophy, dharma, art, come together here precariously, optimally, beautifully like the stones on the book's cover. Deeply challenging from cover to cover, at every level of one's being, the language approaches but never quite comes pretentious, due to the sincerity of the author's intention (and, possibly by imitation, this reader's); as Quasha notes in his metalogue, "I don't mean any of this as a cleverness of thought, but as an inevitably failing attempt to characterize the feel and time of work.