and final se ttin g , w ith in th e fo r e s t’s b irch
g r o v e (an d w ith ja la p e fio fla v o rin g to d e te r
all b u t b ird s), th e scu lp tu re liv e d ou t its
in te n d e d sce n a rio and w a s co n su m ed b y
fe a th e re d aides.
G ra d e ’s la te st s ite -s p e c ific p r o je c t,
Circuit,
2010, sp ran g fro m a v isio n th e a rt-
ist h ad o f d a rk fo rm s a sce n d in g a s n o w y
m ou n tain . T h is p o e tic im age h as c a ta ly ze d
a p r o je c t o f e p ic p ro p o rtio n s . T o sta g e
th e a d v e n tu re o f th is fiv e -to n sc u lp tu re
req u ired co u n tle ss h o u rs o f p lan n in g and
lab o r, fiv e paid w o r k e rs , 30 v o lu n te e rs
and an a d d itio n a l 150 h e lp e rs to lu g th e
p ie ce s up a slip p e ry slo p e . C o m p o se d o f
c e ra m ic, g y p su m , resin and n e ttin g , all
o f w h ic h are b e n ig n m a terials w h e n th e y
d eco m p o se , th e m on u m en tal w o r k w ill
re sid e fo r th e le n g th o f a y e a r o n a m o u n -
tain in th e P a cific N o rth w e s t.
P rio r to its re m o te p la c e m e n t o n th e
W a s h in g to n C a s ca d e s, in J a n u a ry 2011,
C ircu it
w a s e x h ib ite d in N e w Y o r k and
S e a ttle . A t th e C y n th ia R e e v e s G a lle ry
in N e w Y o r k C it y , th e p o d -lik e u n its
w e r e a rran g e d in an e llip s e , w ith a lte rn a t-
in g co n c a v e and c o n v e x p an els. V is ito rs
cou ld n e stle in th e o v e r -life -s iz e ch am -
b e rs, w h ic h o ffe r e d th e sh e lte r o f sh a llo w
c a v e s. C o n s tru c te d o f n u m ero u s c o n -
to u re d sla b s, ea ch g iv e n a v a r ie d su rfa c e
o f n o d e s, th e y n o n e th e le s s lo c k to g e th e r
to fo rm a c o h e re n t w h o le . W ith in th e
g a lle ry , th e se h an d so m e stru ctu re s seem ed
e x p e c ta n t and h u sh e d , w a itin g in th e
Above, below and op-
posite: Grade’s latest
work,
Circuit,
2010,
glazed ceramic bonded
with gypsum-based
polymer to corn-based
resin embedded with
marine netting, 9 x 24
x 24 ft., will have an
indoor and outdoor life.
First shown at the
Cynthia Reeves Gallery
in New York City,
the five-ton sculpture
will be exhibited in
Seattle before being
placed in different sites
on a mountain in the
Washington Cascades
for a year.
w in g s b e fo r e th e ir g ra n d p e rfo rm a n c e in th e la rg e r w o r ld .
In k e e p in g w ith G ra d e ’s o w n e v o lu tio n ,
C ircuit
e x p a n d e d the
v a ria b le s o f h is a rtis tic a p p ro a c h . F o r th e fir s t tim e , a p o rtio n
o f his scu lp tu re w ill b e h e ld b a c k fro m th e w ild and retain e d fo r
c o m p a ra tiv e p u rp o se s. G ra d e aim s to p u rsu e th is a v e n u e fu rth e r,
e x p lo rin g th e e ffe c t o f m u ltip le site s, rath er th an ju st o n e o r tw o
se ttin g s, u p o n th e sam e fo rm . In th e case o f
C ircuit,
th e e ig h t m ain
un its w ill b e set at d iffe re n t e le v a tio n s and in o p p o sin g d ire ctio n s.
E ach p ie c e w ill b e g iv e n a d is tin c tiv e lo c a le , e n a ctin g G r a d e ’s
n o tio n th at “ e v e n th e slig h te st va ria n ce in c o n te x t can h a ve such
a h u g e im p a ct.”
W h e n sp e a k in g w ith G ra d e , it so o n b eco m es cle a r th at h is fa -
v o rite w o r d is “ a n tic ip a te ,” a term th at assum es n ea r-p h ilo so p h ical
o v e r to n e s . A n tic ip a tio n is G r a d e ’s p r e fe r r e d sta te o f m in d and
on e th a t h e se e k s to a ro u se in b e h o ld e rs: “ W h e n I p re se n t th e se
stru ctu re s b e fo r e th e y g o in to th e w ild , e sp e c ia lly i f sh o w n a lo n g -
sid e p ro je c ts th a t h a v e a lre a d y b e e n e x p o s e d to th e e le m e n ts, it
is an in te re stin g e x e rc ise fo r v ie w e r s to a n ticip a te and p re d ic t w h a t
w ill h app en n e x t.” G ra d e ’s ch o reo g ra p h e d su sp en se w o u ld id eally
sp u r us to re a lize th a t n o th in g is “ fin ish ed ” and e v e ry th in g ch an ge s,
h o w e v e r m in u tely. W e ju s t n eed to k e e p attu n ed to th e se su b tle
d e v e lo p m e n ts . A n d w e m u st s u re ly s ta y tu n e d fo r
Circuit: The
Sequel
and fo r fu tu re ep isod es o f G ra d e ’s g rip p in g saga o f scu lptu ral
fo rm e n d u rin g th e fo r c e s o f e n tr o p y .
.. +
Suzanne Rantljak, a w riter, curator an d art historian, is currently
editor
o /M e ta lsm ith
magazine.
056 american craft oct/nov 10
