There’s something beautifully surreal about seeing inanimate objects, be they playing cards or matches, precariously stacked on top of one another. Over the years, it’s actually been developing into its very own genre of art, “balanced art,” inspiring creative minds all over the world to start stacking. Artist Ishihana-Chitoku is but one of these creative minds who’s spent years working to imbue the serene sensation into his balanced rock sculptures. Chitoku’s catalogue is filled with mind boggling assemblages of stacked rocks that you won’t believe were made by human hands.
More at The Creators Project. Check out more rock sculptures from Ishihana-Chitoku on Instagram, and keep abreast of new projects on his website. I have been picking up rocks for decades. Now I’ll have to get them all out and play.
rq says
The definition of steady hands. O.O
Ice Swimmer says
The rock in the second picture is like a ballerina dancing on tips of their toes: “Whee, a pirouette on the round stone while the wind blows from the sea.”
johnson catman says
It is kind of hard to get a sense of the size in the second photo, but the balanced piece looks rather large. To get a sense of the center of gravity of a large stone and move it in place delicately would seem nearly impossible.
rq @1: Steady hands indeed!
Ice Swimmer says
johnson catman @ 3
Actually, I suspect that the photographer might have played with the perspective a bit. The puddle and the balanced rock may not be that big if the cliffs on the other side of the bay are distant enough.
Caine says
Ice Swimmer:
I share that suspicion. It’s easy enough to do.
chigau (違う) says
There are an astonishing number of videos link of people doing this.
The one at my link is of the person in the OP.
It contains an admonition to the effect that 石花 can be dangerous, so after you’ve had your fun, take them apart and return the stones to where you found them.
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石花 (ishi hana) means “stone flower”.
It appears to be both the name of the art-form and the artist’s name.
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Japanese personal names are deeply mysterious.