p ra ctice o f scu lp tu ral sta g e cra ft. T h is m o v e w o u ld e v e n tu a lly lead
his w o r k o u t o f th e g a lle ry and in to th e lan d . Ju st as
Cleave
stages
an e m b o d im e n t e x p e rie n c e fo r th e v ie w e r , p la c in g us in a v u ln e r -
able sp ace , G ra d e ’s later scu lp tu res w o u ld b e cast in to th e o p en ,
n ak ed and at th e m e rcy o f n atu re.
T h ro u g h d iscu ssio n s w ith w rite rs and m u sician s, G ra d e began
to v ie w sc u lp tu re le ss as a sta tic o b je c t and m o re as a c o m p o sitio n
w ith n a r ra tiv e s w e e p . “ M y e a r lie r w o r k s d is a p p e a re d in to
c o lle c tio n s , and see m ed to b e fin ish ed w ith in a c o n te x t o f p re se r-
v a tio n ,” e x p la in s G ra d e . “ B u t th is is an a rtificial sen se o f clo su re .
T h e p ie ce s a re n ’t re a lly fin ish e d , and th e y ’ll e v e n tu a lly d e g ra d e ,
a lth o u g h th e re ’ s n o lo n g e r an o p p o rtu n ity to w itn e s s th is sp e cific
d e g ra d a tio n .” S o h e se t o u t to d ire c t and re c o rd th e p riv a te life
o f ag in g sc u lp tu re s, b e c o m in g an im p re sa rio o f e n tro p y . In th is
reg a rd , G ra d e ’s o u td o o r w o r k s can b e see n as va rian ts o f p e rfo r -
m ance art, rath er than as en viro n m en tal or land art, to w h ich th e y ’re
o fte n com p ared . In stead o f en listin g h is o w n b o d y as p e rfo rm e r,
he recru its his c ra fte d su rro gates to b e ravag ed b y n atu re , and then
p re se n ts th e a fterm ath fo r p u b lic d isp la y.
S u ch is th e s to ry o f
Collector,
2006-8, G ra d e ’s b re a k th ro u g h
w o rk . A w o o d e n arm ature resem b lin g a p air o f large tu sk s,
Collector,
as th e title im plies, w a s d esign ed to glean d ata from th e w ild . T h e
scu lp tu re ’s itin e ra ry in clu d ed 1
6
m on th s o f su b m ersion in a P acific
C o a st b a y , w h e re it g a th e re d s e a w e e d , o y ste rs and o th e r m arine
life . It w a s th e n tra n sp o rte d to th e so u th e rn U ta h d e se rt, w h e r e
birds cou ld feast o n th e aquatic cru st and the sun cou ld roast it dry.
F o llo w in g th e stru ctu re ’s seclu d ed ad ven tu res, it w as p u t on ex h ib it
w ith d o cu m en tary p h o to s so v ie w e rs cou ld fath om th e d e-evolu tion
Below and right: Grade
intended /
lost,
200”,
as a sculptural bird feed-
er. Made of cellulose,
seed, ripe pulp and cap-
sicum, 1 x 12 x 12 ft., it
was installed in several
different sites in the
Kaibab National Forest,
AZ,
until success was
achieved-birds were
attracted and other crea-
tures deterred—in a
birch grove.
o f th e fo rm . H e n c e fo rth , G ra d e w o u ld
c re a te scu lp tu ral p ro ta g o n ists th at w o u ld
b ra ve th e elem en ts and retu rn w ith tales
w r it large on th eir p lu n d ered b od ies.
Collector
also re p re se n te d a n e w p a ra -
digm fo r G rad e: n atu re b ecam e a c o lla b o ra -
to r , n o t ju s t a m u se fo r h is art. In k e e p in g
w ith th is alte re d m od u s o p eran d i, G rad e
also ch an g e d his c rite ria fo r c re a tiv e su c -
cess. A su c ce ssfu l w o r k w a s n o lo n g e r on e
th at fit a p re se t fo rm al n o tio n . C o n tro l w a s
n o w co m m in g le d w ith ch an ce. A s G rad e
e x p la in e d a b o u t a re c e n t p r o je c t, “ It w ill
b e a su cce ss w h e n th e re is e v id e n c e o f a
c o m p e llin g b ala n ce b e tw e e n w h a t I h a ve
a n ticip ated and ch an ce e v e n ts th at a ffe c t
th e w o r k in u n e x p e c te d w a y s .” H e ta k e s
p le asu re in p re d ic tin g h o w fo rm s w ill re -
sp o n d to a g iv e n c o n te x t and w h e th e r th e ir
c o u rse w ill u n fo ld as im ag in ed . “ Y o u let
g o o f a certain am ou n t o f c o n tro l, ju st n ot
all o f it,” G ra d e co n ce d e s.
T h e a rtist’s re v ise d re c ip e fo r su ccess
w a s te sted b y his n e x t n atu re-b ased w o r k ,
Host,
2007. T h e ratio o f in ten t and a ccid en t
in
Host
w a s less than d esirab le, req u irin g
a d ju stm e n ts d u rin g its w ild e rn e s s stin t.
A c irc u la r stru c tu re , 12 fe e t in d ia m e te r,
w a s c a st in c e llu lo se and c o v e re d w ith
seed s to fo rm a scu lp tu ral fe e d e r. G rad e
e n v isio n e d b ird s as c o -c o n sp ira to rs, w h o
w o u ld d e stro y th e p ie ce as it d isp en sed
its fa re . D u rin g its first tw o sitin gs in an
A r iz o n a fo r e s t,
H ost
p r o v e d m o re a ttra c -
tiv e to in s e c ts and ro d e n ts. In its third»
oct/novio american craft 055
