Page 61 - Demo

The variety and aesthetic appeal of the displayed stones is a strength of this book and deserves fur- ther comment. Some stones reflect North American themes. The Sitting Bison (Figure 4) depicts a theme of importance especially to the Native Americans of the Great Plains. Arch at Rattlesnake Canyon (Figure 5) represents a North American location—Rattlesnake Canyon in Colorado—that contains nine arches. It is located within the area known as the Black Ridge Can- yons. The stone is displayed in a distinctively modern- ist, minimalist fashion that in no way competes with the ruggedness of the stone. Other stones represent Asian themes. A Thousand Cranes (Figure 6) presents a dis- tinctively Asian theme. The title has double significance as it may refer to the fabled displays of one thousand origami cranes. It also is the title of a novel by Yasunari Kawabata that contributed to his receiving the Nobel Prize for literature. Field of Peonies (Figure 7) is a river stone from the Colorado River yet it bears a striking resemblance to Asian Chrysanthemum stones so aptly chronicled in Tom and Hiromi’s earlier book.
There is quite a striking form of synergy found in the book. It is a form of synergy that Richard Turner points toward in his essay that elevates the harmony between a viewing stone and its display to the level of compelling art. It is a form of synergy that is much more than simply additive. Consider the copper ore stone and its cast bronze display depicted in Figure 2. The powerful artistic impact that Rick Stiles has cre- ated derives both from the stone and from its display to be sure; however, it is the harmony, the synergy
between stone and display that elevates the combina- tion to high art. The whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts. I find the same harmony and synergy in the Arch at Rattlesnake Canyon (Figure 5). There is a unity between the stone and its modernist display that, at one and the same time, creates artistic depth and marks the combination as distinctively North Ameri- can. The good news is that the jury, which, with Tom, chose the stones for Viewing Stones of North America have created a treasure trove of viewing stones at their most artful.
Figure 5; Arch at Rattlesnake Canyon
South Park, Colorado
Larry Jackel Collection
5.5 x 8 x 3.5 inches (14 x 20 x 9 cm)
Figure 6; A Thousand Cranes, Northern California. Peter Bloomer Collection. Figure 7; Field of Peonies, Colorado River, Colorado. Paul Gilbert Collection. 8 x 6.5 x 4 inches (20.3 x 16.5 x 10.2 cm) 12 x 12 x 5 inches (30 x 30 x 13 cm)
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