Artist shares river rocks around town

This week, residents of Palm Desert should think twice while visiting their normal haunts in the chance that they might glimpse a special kind of artwork.

Austrian artist Hans Stone will be plopping his Common Denominator stones throughout the coffee shops, bus benches and park lawns in hopes of spreading his message about how we are all connected in this world into the psyches of everyday travelers.

"I am trying to express that we are all linked in this world," he said. "These rocks are an artistic reminder to all who have them that we are one, together on this earth, doing the best we can, and all related together."

For five years now, Hans has called the valley his summer home. And for 20 years he's been working on what he calls his "social sculpture."

As he has traveled throughout the world, he places round river rocks into the public landscape that each carry their own custom graphic of a universal human being, neither male or female, holding a round rock.

On the back of these rocks is his website address where people who find the stones can upload a photo of themselves holding the stone; thus making them a special part of his message.

The stones have been found and photographed in the hands of rock stars, actors and actresses, tribal leaders, zen buddhists, village women, models, and everyday people.