Rock Shoulder, composed of 35 tons of glacial river rock, a bi-product of the last great ice age, remained in Kingston, New York as a site specific installation from 1997 until 2003. The stone, round and inviting, is native to the Hudson Valley Catskill region of New York State.

The Hudson Valley is awash in stone. The area is replete with historic bluestone houses dating from the eighteenth century when the area was a key player in Revolutionary War. By the nineteenth century, bluestone quarries provided a main industry in the region, supplying Manhattan, and other major cities, with the building materials for its thoroughfares and sidewalks. Farmers became dependent on bluestone strewn throughout their fields as a means of creating corrals for their animals. Today, in some places, bluestone is protected as a historic treasure.

In one way or another, the area is caressed by rock. The steep cliffs at New Paltz bring rock climbers from around the world to try their daring do. The area, especially Woodstock, is home to some of the finest rock musicians in the world.

Rock Shoulder, shaped like a giant crescent, embraced the viewer in much the way the stone itself embraces the area.

The piece was situated around a lone tree, with planting exaggerated by a circular landscaped area edged by brick. Rock Shoulder dissected the diameter of the circle. It stood over five feet tall and measured more than 60 feet width. Three large rocks were placed within the centerfold of the work. When the viewer sat, he or she was enfolded in the soft embrace of these hard rocks. Their smoothness invited the viewer to touch and take a favorite as a reminder that we are all united in this rock solid planet.