Over the past 18 years, artist Gordon McHarg III has overseen the production of approximately 10,000 painted rocks, or “Gonchans,” that line streams and foot paths, incidentally becoming a symbol of the Fuji Rock festival. 

This year, his team collected and painted 632 rocks from a river that runs directly through Fuji Rock. Gordon says annual production each year is roughly equivalent, give or take a few rocs. 

In the early days, he would sign each one with his Japanese name, “Gonchan, and after a while, these colorful rocks became known as “Gonchans.”

He says each one is special because they come from Fuji Rock. “I ask people how they got a Gonchan, and everyone says they got it from the festival. In some way, each one is a special memory of the festival. 

A few years ago, Gordan began to wonder what happened to the 10,000+ Gonchans he and his team had produced. That’s why they created a poster that noted Gonchan’s are “wanted,” as Gordon was interested in learning the whereabouts or status of Gonchans. 

To facilitate, Gordon just set up an Instagram page this year as well as a website. He promises to make regular updates about Gonchans that have found good homes. He hopes each one is well looked after, either placed on a windowsill, set out in a garden, or perhaps, an extra bit of weight for a turntable. 

Gordon says the idea came to him spontaneously as he was looking for a way to decorate the festival back in 2006. And with some extra paint lying around, he began experimenting to see if it would work. Around that time, Fuji Rock also had a rock-stacking artist, and he simply thought about placing the Gonchans in the river. 

Later, the local government asked him to decorate some of the large boulders lining the boardwalk, which he describes as the single longest boardwalk in Japan. A few oversized Gonchan also line the parking lot and help remind many about Fuji Rock throughout the year. 

Gordon admits to doing a bit of touch-up work on each large-sized gonchan every year. “We will do some touch-up work and paint, as we always want to keep them up to date.”

Gordon bristles when asked if Gonchan is like the “pet rock” of the mid-70’s, where smooth rocks were marketed like live pets, requiring little, if any, attention. “Those were just rocks put into a cardboard box and are nothing like Gonchan.”

Gordan firmly believes in the concept of no rules and the personal freedom to do whatever you want with your own gonchan. He notes some new innovations have been made in recent years, such as Gonchan winking with one eye, while others have “x” for eyes, indicating inebriation.

As for how many Gonchans he has at home, he says he definitely has enough, with many scattered about his residence. “The main point is to have fun, and this is what makes me happy.”

To contact Gordon with a status update on your Gonchan, feel free to visit the Instagram page Gonchanart or visit the website www.gonchanart.com

Additionally, Gordon is having a gallery show in Tokyo until August 3. For more information, please visit the above website.