Perils of the Prize – The Weird Review interviews ArtPrize Entrant, Henry Brimmer

“Gravity Matters Little” but persistence counts for much!

Henry Brimmer is a college professor at Michigan State University, a photographer, and and artist.

This year his ArtPrize entry is called “Gravity Matters Little.”

Henry Brimmer’s ArtPrize 2012 entry “Gravity Matters Little” now hangs over Monroe Center and Ionia

It is a sculpture constructed of welded Steel, styrofoam, and fiber glass that was then painted.

It is now hanging on a wire suspended over Monroe Center and Ionia in downtown Grand Rapids.

“Gravity Matters Little” can be seen from the “S” curve as you drive through Grand Rapids, Michigan

Via email I arranged to meet Henry at the top of the Select Bank where he was installing his ArtPrize 2012 entry at 5:30 a.m.

I neglected to share my phone number and he neglected to tell me that a pass code/key is required to get above the third floor.

I attempted to get to the roof by elevator and stairs as well as by inquiring with the folks that were hanging around the building with no luck.

The building across the was was, however, open to the roof where roofers were at work.

Viewing “Gravity Matters Little” from the roof across from Select Bank

After surveying the options I concluded that there really was only one option for ascending to the top of the Select Bank, and that was by climbing across the cable that they had strung between the two buildings.

As a kid I used to scare my mother by climbing to the tops of trees and waving to her as the top of the tree swayed in the breeze.

Later I worked on roofing two to three stories up and by then mom was over the fear of my falling.

That, however, was a couple decades and 100+ pounds ago and I have since developed a healthy fear of falling.

So I did the next best thing and left Henry a note on his windshield and he called me a few minutes later.

Henry Brimmer with “Gravity Matters Little” over his shoulder

Here is the interview with the man who provided the city of Grand Rapids with its own Man of Steel (also fiber glass and styrofoam) to watch over ArtPrize 2012. The code for voting for “Gravity Matters Little” is 52603.