Abstract

A viewing stone is a rock that has been selected and displayed for the purpose of aesthetic appreciation. The relocation of a stone from its natural habitat changes the found object from an ordinary rock to a viewing stone that invites close examination and perhaps contemplation.In this essay, I will examine the act of "re-grounding" rocks that have been removed from nature and resettled in the soil of culture. Using examples from my collection of viewing stones, I will consider the recontextualization process in the light of our ambiguous relationship with the natural world.The Stone That Flew HereMalachite, wood, Bondo, enamel, 2017In Ming Dynasty China catalogues of viewing stones were illustrated...