If you set most artists loose in a building that was about to be demolished, you might get some unforgettable results. You’d no doubt see plenty of new paintings on the walls, some slice-of-life installations, and maybe even a gravity-defying upside-down room setting. But turn sculptor Robbie Rowlands loose in an abandoned building, and the building itself becomes art in a most peculiar way.

Nearly every artist, no matter where they are from or what medium they work in, possesses one essential trait: they can inspire people to think differently about the world, even if the shift is only temporary. Australian artist Robbie Rowlands has a particularly subtle but moving way of shifting perceptions of stability and reality.

Rowlands’ art is characterized by the distorted shapes of familiar and semi-familiar objects. From coiled crutches to deconstructed bathtubs to entire rooms missing orange peel-type segments, his work forces the viewer to take a momentary step back from familiarity.

According to the artist, his goal is to call attention to the impermanence of the things that we surround and comfort ourselves with. “In my work I transform material from the urban environment using simple processes of cutting, bending and stacking. Arranging and reconstructing the portions I search for discernable patterns to create new forms that intercept the preconceived order. Offering up the potential of a new process of thought or interaction.” Click to enlarge:

If you’re in Australia and would like to see Robbie’s work up close, his Disintegration exhibit is October 22 – November 15, 2008 at Place Gallery, Victoria.