Magic Carpet

A cast-off piece of red wrapping paper and a few pieces of scrounged tape create a surprisingly poetic work in the artists home. At 67 degrees the furnace comes alive and the paper begins to billow, lifted by the warm air from the vent. It flutters for a moment until the thermostat clicks and the hum of the heater fades, then the red paper slowly collapses against the wall and shrouds the vent.

Grant is fascinated by the democratic nature of the Italian Arte Povera movement and often incorporates very humble materials into his work (also, he is 4 and doesn't have a wallet so oil paint really isn't an option). The beauty of "Magic Carpet" is that there is no illusion in the work. We see the materials and method for what they are; cheap and obvious, yet arranged by Grant's hand they provide us with a sublime moment.