Granite is widely viewed as a sustainable material, both because it is abundant in nature, and because is easier to recycle than other natural stones. It is these prominent features that inspire many an artist to feature granite in their works. One such an example is American artist Matt Byrd’s collection “Howard,” influenced by granite’s ecological properties. The artist, who was inspired by familiar elements such as animals and inanimate objects, used various interlocking granite pieces whilst creating the collection. Byrd looked to his surroundings when it came to obtaining the materials, salvaging raw granite from creek banks, empty lots, and train tracks in and around his native North Carolina.
Environmental Friendly Design
Sculptor Matt Byrd states that traditional masonry techniques are what triggered the birth of “Howard” launched in 2020. “All the pieces [in my collection] are made up of two to four separate ones. It is very important to me that each stone sits on top of each one without any [chemical] adhesion. Whether it is physical or visual, balance, guides a lot of what I do.” Each sculpture, ranging in height from 30 to 40 centimetres, bears traces of the traditional art of dry natural stonewalling. The pieces within the pieces maintain their equilibrium by transferring balance onto larger pieces with the help of circular edges, winding cut outs and ledges or divisions.
Granite Sculptures with Character
Even though every piece the collection is made from granite, every piece of stone has its own unique characteristics; Byrd listened to those. “You never really know how a stone is going to react once you start ripping into it. Sometimes you get surprised with a pretty vein of quartz, and sometimes you find a secret crack and the whole piece splits in half. Even though I basically use the same type of stone for every piece, they are always so different, depending on where they are quarried.” Each sculpture in the “Howard” series is named after the actions or objects they evoke a memory of. For instance, “Cuddle” has two L-shaped stones that are interlocked in a sort of a “cuddle”. Similarly, Factory includes two distinctive rectangular bases with cylindrical pieces that jut out from the top and the sides, alluding to an abstract factory image. Taking great care to preserve the distinctive features of granite, while the artist gives the pieces separate characters, he delivers them all in all their nakedness in terms of both form and colour.
