For the last seven years, a Vancouverite by the name of Kent Avery has been balancing stones on English Bay. Thousands – if not millions – of people have photographed his amazing and delicate work, yet the man remains elusive. Gliding like a ghost over his work, he is talked about but seems rather content remaining outside of the direct spotlight. Talking with passers-by on the Seawall, you’ll hear that some have seen him work, others even say they know him.
In any case, his art is what matters. He endlessly stacks rounded stones in gravity-defying little towers that last only as long as nature will let them. A high tide, a storm, and the sculptures are thrown down, and Kent must get to work again. People stop and stare, amazed by the grace and audacity of the whole idea. It seems as if the stones were glued together or stuck on a central pole. But they are only balanced on top of each other and held by nothing more than patience and intuition, ephemeral masterpieces granted a life of a few days, or maybe a few weeks, of pure glory…
