Levitated Mass

So we had another art related adventure last weekend (hence the delay in getting my project of the week posted)!  Now, in case I haven't mentioned, I live right down the street from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).  And I try my very best (with variable success) to keep up to date on what's going on in the area.

Fortunately, I stumbled on this amazing event a few days before it went down, and in case I hadn't my wonderful boyfriend Steve was on top of it as well, suggesting that we go to it before I'd even mentioned it to him!

I'd been hearing about this for a while, actually.  I'd get an email from the museum, or some snippet from the news.  And what I heard was: There's this big art installation going up at LACMA soon, called Levitated Mass.  They weren't kidding when they said it was big.

We ran into a cluster of food truck supporting the event (I had some delicious waffles) and some individuals from the museum who were handing out bookmarks (I've included both sides in this blog, since one has a sweet sketch and the other has some additional details on the piece.) 

Around three on Saturday morning, we caught up with the convoy coming down Wilshire Blvd.  (I'd already devoured a waffle from one of the food trucks on the walk down to see it.)  We'd heard it would be hitting the museum at 3:30 am from the Twitter feed, and gone out walking to meet it, but it had slowed down while we were on foot, and we met it out at Lucerne Blvd.

In case you wondered about the scale of this thing, here I am in front of it.  (Also, in case you're one of those "pictures, or it didn't happen!" people.)  All photos were taken by Steve as well.

A closer view of the hauling rig.  Impressive, huh?

Probably the best view of the boulder itself.  Certainly the best lit.  Steve scored this shot after the rock had run into a little trouble and stopped.  Look at the upper left of the photo.

See that street light there?  Now look to the right of the photo:  That's the rock.  On a level with the street light.  And on the very left?  That's the crane they pulled up the street light with.

I kid you not.  This was a serious undertaking, and we stood and watched it for half an hour or so while they wiggled and lifted the streetlight enough to squeeze the rock underneath.

We weren't the only ones out in the wee hours of the morning watching this go down either.  Quite a crowd for that time of night, and we all cheered when they got the rock past this streetlight!

Having made the journey and seen the rock en route, we dragged ourselves home, passing the rock on the way.  Apparently it had stopped while a tow truck came out and moved some cars out of it's lumbering way.  (I'm pretty sure that rock could have taken them though.)

The rock made it the rest of the way to LACMA, and we drove past it Sunday sitting behind the museum.  They've put the security fence up now, and the next time we see it, it'll be enshrined in the actually installation:  Levitated Mass.