Levitated Mass

It’s not a bird! It’s not a plane! It’s Super Rock! LEVITATED MASS, a sculpture of monolithic proportions 40+ years in the making, was conceptualized by Californian artist Michael Heizer and finally realized with the transportation and arrival of its key component, a 340-ton granite boulder. The seclusive Heizer is known for his land art and “negative” sculptures, using the earth’s natural landscape to create illusions. The journey of this visually minimalistic piece took a mammoth group effort and years of planning, culminating in an 11-day journey—unearthed from the desert and carted 105 miles through 22 cities at a pace of 5 mph to its current home at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Even the logistics of the rock’s pilgrimage was a work of art—custom building a 200-wheeled transporter, removing traffic signals and streetlights, and taking down electrical wires in order for it to fit down the streets. LEVITATED MASS isn’t just a rock; it’s a tribute to the dedication and perseverance of an art project, no matter the size. —A.L.P.