ARTIST CREATES SKYLINE FROM STAPLES

BRIGHT GLEAMING SKYSCRAPERS DOMINATE THE SKYLINE OF THE CITY, BUT THE IMPRESSIVE METROPOLIS IS PAINSTAKINGLY MADE OF TINY STACKS OF STAPLES. ARTIST PETER ROOT CREATED HIS URBAN SPRAWL BY CAREFULLY PLACING TOGETHER OVER 100,000 PIECES OF THE TINY OFFICE ACCESSORY IN BUILDING-LIKE STACKS. CALLED EPHEMICROPOLIS, IT TOOK HIM 40 HOURS TO MAKE THE 20ft BY 10ft WORK ON THE FLOOR OF NORTHERN TRUST ATRIUM IN GUERNSEY. THE PART-TIME LECTURER BROKE THE STACKS INTO SIZES VARYING FROM FULL STACKS OF ABOUT FIVE INCHES HIGH DOWN TO SINGLE STAPLES. AND, UNSURPRISINGLY, HAVING A STEADY HAND WAS IMPORTANT. 'AS THE STACKS ARE FREE-STANDING AND VERY CLOSE TOGETHER, THE OBVIOUS CHALLENGE WAS NOT TO KNOCK THEM OVER', ROOT SAID. 'TO BUILD THE MORE DENSE SECTIONS OF THE WORK TOOK SEVERAL HOURS AND, ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS, GRAVITY DEMONSTRATED ITS SEVERE LACK OF SYMPATHY BY UNDOING THIS WORK IN MILLISECONDS.'