All winter long, Chase has made similar artwork out of rocks and driftwood along the waterfront. Some mornings, he returns to find his towers still standing. Other times, they’ve been knocked over — by the weather or, more often than not, by some unknown troublemaker.
“As long as it makes people happy, I don’t care if the kids knock it down every night,” said Chase, 65. “I’ll just come back in the morning and keep redoing it.”
Chase is certainly a familiar sight along the Burlington bike path — he claims to have come down to his “canvas” every day but a dozen since last spring. He’s often wearing a New England Patriots ball cap or beanie, sunglasses and a black leather coat or dark parka. He sports a gray, neatly trimmed goatee and, often, a smile.
“I look at this as a daily ritual workout,” Chase said.
The artwork he creates is intricate and well conceived. Chase fits together rocks that will balance properly and oftentimes incorporates large pieces of driftwood. Visitors to the waterfront photograph the pieces or call out and compliment Chase for his public contribution.
“They just touch my heart, the ones who comment,” he said.
Chase was born in Massachusetts and recounted a difficult childhood. He spent time in an orphanage before his father moved him to Hartford, Conn. Chase found it hard to stay out of trouble and eventually enrolled in the Marine Corps in 1967. But that didn’t last, and Chase bounced around construction and welding jobs, including 15 years in Georgia, before landing permanently in Vermont. He has also struggled with schizophrenia, for which he says he now gets treatment.
Chase uses his art as a therapeutic outlet. He’s retired, so he wakes up most days and heads to the water to partake of his routine, building beauty out of the everyday.
Inside his King Street apartment, Chase’s walls are also lined with his art, be it pen-and-marker drawings or rock formations and driftwood sculptures. He recalled the things he’s found on the water’s edge: a water-laden raincoat, a racquetball, a side-view mirror cover for a car. He also takes rocks he’s found and draws faces on them or otherwise turns them into pieces of art.
Chase said City Market has agreed to let him display his artwork in the coming weeks, and he hopes he can sell some to make a few bucks.
“This is going to be a catamount!” Chase exclaimed as he showed off one rock. “Maybe a college guy will want this catamount.”
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He’s no Andy Goldsworthy.
I would like to pose a question for thoughtful consideration: is this art or is this just another way to create and leave obvious human impact? When we say “Leave no trace” – what falls under that admonition?
This is not my comment, but I share this sentiment & feel like leaving up piles of “art” in a natural environment is a bit off putting.
“I am an avid stone balancer. I teach classes on the art form and give presentations on it regularly. I published the first widely available guide book on rock and stone balancing. I love this art form and want to see it grow.
However, I am very concerned about the practice of leaving stacks of stones littering natural areas. There is a large worldwide community of stone balance artists who share this concern, and who practice a leave-no-trace approach in creating our temporary art. We build our balances, take some photos, and then dismantle. We strive especially to avoid disturbing natural and protected areas”
I might suggest that the artist consider that the people knocking over his works are not necessarily troublemakers. They might just prefer the waterfront left in its natural state.
Personally, I knock over these types artworks whenever and wherever I have a chance. I do view these artworks as an eyesore, but more importantly as interactive art and I am a deconstruction artist. By destroying these piles I am interacting with them in my own artistic way. Sometimes I dance up to a sculpture and make flowing movements as I knock it over. Other times I throw rocks at them as target practice with friends. And other times as I run by them I just push them over. There is no limit to the fun you can have and art you can create as you topple a pile of rocks and sticks! Yes, I have knocked over some of these “sculptures” on the waterfront and see nothing wrong with it.
The artist seems to have a light and cheerful attitude toward deconstruction artists like myself. There is no ill will or malice on my end, his art spurs my art. The other commenter mentioned Andrew Goldsworthy…one of his main intentions was to highlight the impermanence of his pieces. My art proves Goldsworthy’s point.
I love this work, and his attitude. Personally, it brightens my day to happen on a piece of “natural” artwork on a walk along the waterfront. I’m looking forward to the exhibit at City Market! Thank you, Bryant!
I’ve enjoyed Bryant’s artwork. It’s so nice to put a face to the artist. Thank you, Bryant, for the artwork and thanks, Sasha, for a sweet story.
This article confused and surprised me as I always thought those piles were children or teenagers playing as I did growing up. I agree it takes away from the natural setting.