Tower pix

I'm back from Burning Man and most of the dust has finally settled. The Tower was a big success - we estimate maybe 10,000 people climbed it as it seemed like it always had people on it or around it.


Thanks to the crew: Rigger, Bapu, Bluebeard, Nacho, Cheers and Roller for all the help building and taking down the art on-playa. And thanks to all the many donors: with your generous financial contributions and the Burning Man grant we raised about 80% of the costs!


Here are some photos from the playa:




Before the dust started. Hey, it looks a lot like that photoshopped image of the model above!

The Artist:

The crew:

Night:

 The Octopus art car that shot fire balls from the arms and head:

 Sunset:

Sunrise:

 The Man:

The Temple - largest temporary wood structure in the world at 140 feet tall:

One of my favs:

Ourobourous:

Ready to Go!

The trailer is packed and it all fit! A few days to get everything else ready and then we're off to the playa. Packing for Burning Man is like packing for the moon - you have to bring absolutely everything you need since it's in this completely barren desert and nothing is bought or sold there.


Consulted with Steven aka Rigger tonight regards who's bringing what... extra bolts, two sets of tools so we can run two crews, camp gear,etc., everything down to the cable ties and  wire nuts!


btw, over $900 has been donated to our Kickstarter site but its all or nothing and only 6 days left to go to reach the $2,400 threshold for the funds to be released... pass the word, and thanks to everyone for their support!

Donation Opportunity ( ! )

Set up a donation site on Kickstarter:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1757936152/the-tower-of-transformation?ref=email

Check it out and please pass the link on to fellow burner friends, art supporters and rich uncles! Getting the word out is critical to getting Kickstarter support. Thanks!

DONE! (mostly)

The Tower is mostly done! Looked good for the party last week ( or so I thought) and now is being disassembled for transportation to the playa. Just a few minor items to finish and then on to all the logistical details to get this packaged so that we can remember how it all goes together when we're in the middle of a playa dust storm... Here's a photo of the completed tower:

Hey, howdy! It looks a lot like that photoshopped image of the model above!

ARTIST MEETS ENGINEER (or vice versa??)

Paul and Rex came over yesterday and we assembled the hyperboloid. That's the middle part of the sculpture and the piece I have had the most worry about getting right because there is a lot of math involved in getting the dimensions all to work out. We tried to bend the ribs ourselves but it was just too much work with our little machine, so I got a fabricator to do it. Cost some $ but they did a great job matching my pattern. We did bend the step rings ourselves and yesterday I was thrilled that it all came together as the math predicted. It has been pointed out to me that even though I am aspiring to more explore my artistic dimension when I retire  I couldn't have gotten this built without some engineering background. Well, hopefully my brain can accommodate both the artist and engineer....

Here's a picture of Paul and the hyperboloid. His experience as a climber was a big help this morning using Z-rigs and rappel brakes getting the hyperboloid lowered and raised so we could get the top on.

Here's a guest blog from Steven Wright aka "Rigger" my main man for help both on and off the playa. Couldn't do it without you Rigger!

"Seattle is a good place to find rusty chain and Rigger when he’s not on the Playa.  Jim Dwight of Bowhead Transport  connected us with Rasmussen Marine Supply. He also convinced them to let us “borrow” 200 feet of rusty loggers chain for a few months to install at the base of the tower. The chain is all twenty foot sections of 3/16 to 3/8 steel link chain, used to tie down huge diesel powered winches, windlasses, and lash massive spools of tow cable to decks of barges and tugs that ply the Salish Sea. So this week we went down to their yard to pick it up.

Here is a picture of Jim standing next to ten sections of chain after helping to load them into Rigger’s car, listing a bit to “aft’ under the extra load! All measured about 350 pounds of chain will help dress the base of the Tower once it’s assembled on the Playa. So another piece of the assembly is now ready!"

ON A PIPE BENDER...

Paul came by today to help with bending the ribs and rings with the new pipe bender. Although it can bend the 1 1/2" pipe it is so tedious and difficult we gave up on that and just worked on the 1" pipe step rings. We got about half of them done. So it's back to getting a commercial outfit to bend the ribs...


Here's a photo of me with grease on my face. It was a tough day. We think we could sell this bender to a gym - it was quite a workout...

Base Finished....

Finished the base in between thunderstorms today. Took about 4x as long as I estimated. This should be no surprise - I always underestimate... I don't know if that's because I'm optimistic or naive. Probably the latter... Anyway, 4 busted  drill bits,one busted rivet tool and two weekends and now  I'm mostly done with the base.


Now on to getting those hyperboloid ribs bent. That's the last big thing on the "to do" list.


btw, the ravens have fledged. The three young ones and two adults sit in a snag overhead and advise me on how to proceed with their squarks. Yes, they must be my totems.


Here's a picture of the base. It's a bit shiny at the moment but half an hour on the playa will cure that!

MOST AWESOME SEAMSTRESS EVER!!

Seamstress extraordinare Carla brought the outer petals by today and they all fit perfectly! Not close - perfectly!! Thanks, Carla!! and btw, the inner petals that are being reused were sewn by Carla for our 2009 project.


This is such a huge help, not only to have Carla's help on the actual sewing but it's a huge psychological lift too since I'm sagging a bit on the energy after spending most weekends and even most weekday evenings on the project for several months now. The good news is that the predictable energy sag is coming with plenty of time left (as opposed to August on past projects when I still had lots to do and little time left). I need a couple more good weekends to finish most of the remaining work. Things are really coming together and it finally feels like summer after a very wet and snowy, cold,windy spring.

2 steps forward, 1 step back...

Paul and Rex came over Sunday to help with bending the ribs. This is a crucial step for the Tower as the ribs form the hyperboloid frame and are a major structural and visual element. Things went fine for a few passes through the tubing roller, then a crunching noise and the bearing broke. Bummer... Ordered a new one, hopefully stronger than the last. We'll try again soon.


Paul and Rex stayed on to build a level platform for erecting the hyperboloid once we do get the ribs bent. This will be critical for getting it all level and plumb.


Despite the setback I'm still ahead of where I need to be at this point. Here's a photo of Paul and Rex hard at work!

RAVEN CIRCLE

Well, here I am making sparks, grinding away...seems to be my life these days... cutting and welding and grinding. Some days I am reminded that I am no longer in my twenties. (imagine that!) Ibuprofen is my friend.... 

For company I have a family of ravens in a nearby ponderosa. Every time mom or dad returns with food, the babies squawk their little heads off: "feed me! Feed ME!!


So the old street sign above my shed door "Raven Circle" seems apt for my yard... maybe they are my totems??

PROGRESS....

Making progress despite the continued winter-like weather. Finished the base frame today. It may not look like much but this was a big portion of the work. Lots of cutting, grinding, fitting and welding.


Also, I received my first check from Burning Man! I'm thrilled to be part of their art process. There is tons of support for the grantees and it has been fun to interact with the other artists on the online forums. The other day I was on a conference call with artists from Hungary, England and Canada.... fun!


Here's a picture of the base frame.

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WELDING IN THE SNOW

The good news: I got the top spire and platform out of my living room (I finally reached a saturation point of dust and debris in my house). The other news: I'm working outside now and it started to snow as I was finishing up welding the attachment points for the top petals. Here's a photo of the inner petals loosely in place on the top platform.


Next up: bend the outer petal frames and order more fabric!

Burning Man Art Grant

As I mentioned yesterday, I am a proud recipient of an Art Honorarium grant from Burning Man! The $ will definitely help and will certainly takes the edge off of worrying about being able to afford this insanity. But more important is the cred and validation that comes with it. Validation that someone else thinks this is worthwhile, and the credibility that comes with the bragging rights. Maybe in a perfect world artists would create whatever they want without worrying about costs and whether their art has merit, but I'm not there yet, so this is a huge affirmation for me.


Some stats: this year B-man got 317 grant applications and funded about 40. I think their art budget is $500,000. I read somewhere that B-man's art budget is one of the largest in the Bay Area.


Of course, getting the grant now means I have to be sure I can build this thing and get it there and get it all set up by the Sunday before the event! But that's part of the fun too - they say you know you're doing Burning Man right when you feel you're a bit over the top - will this thing stand up to the wind? Will I be able to bend the tubing smoothly or even at all? Will I be able to get it all in the trailer? etc... so I guess I'm on the right path...


Thanks to all who have been supportive. Some people have been asking whether they can participate in the construction. It's looking like I'll have a painting and assembly party probably in May. Stay tuned for details. btw, B-man will only pay for about half of the total costs - they expect the artist to match the grant funds out of pocket so donations to the cause are always welcome ( ! ) 

WOOHOO!

 Got a Burning Man art grant! Details later since it's past my bedtime, but I just had to shout it out now! 

WELDING SHOP

Good news! I have finished welding the top spire! In my living room...! That new MIG welder sure is nice - not much smoke or flying slag, but some day I gotta build a real shop before I burn down my house. Well, the spire is twelve feet high so the living room is the only place I have that can handle that height.

Anyway... the frame is done. Next up: cut and glue on the Plexiglas panels and add the rope lights.

WORK STARTED ON THE TOWER

Beautiful warm winter day so I started work on the tower. Welded the top frame and cut the plywood platform and brazed the central tube to hold the spire. Gotta say that new welder is so sweet (yeah, it's  guy thing...). 

So now the whole top platform is in my living room so I can add the bearings and motors for the starfields. Still winter so this will be something to do when it's snowing outside.

SUPPORTING THE TOWER OF TRANSFORMATION

In the past our friends have been very generous in supporting this insanity through gifts of of their time and hard earned money. Last time Burning Man gave us free entry tickets and we made the short list for getting a grant. 


This year I will again be submitting a grant proposal in hopes of Burning Man funding a substantial amount of the costs. In the meantime here's a way to contribute via PayPal:

NEW IMAGES

Here is a view of the Tower at night as well as  couple of construction sketches.

WEB SITE LAUNCHED!

Check out the my new web site:


www.toweroftransformation.info


Lots more info and photos there!

Here we go again!

Hey Kidz!


I'm back with more Burning Man craziness. This time with a 36 foot high steel and fabric installation called the Tower of Transformation. This year's art theme is "Rites of Passage" and my contribution represents the passage from the contracted world of limitations to the expanding world of possibilities. The base of the sculpture contracts inward and is covered with battered armor plating which represents our defenses, and rusty chains that bind us in self-doubt and self-censure. The top is a perfect lotus blossom that opens outward representing pure potential and possibilities.



Visitors to the Tower of Transformation will be able to enter the base chamber and climb a chain ladder to a platform. There they can choose to ascend the hyperboloid structure, climbing through a narrow passage and entering the top through an opening in the top platform. At night, the Tower base will be lit with dark red flood lights. The hyperboloid tower rings will have ascending, sequenced rope lights that will lead the eye upward to the top where the lotus petals will surround visitors. At the top, the central spire will have hundreds of counter-rotating LED lights and ascending chasing light ribs that represent pure creative potential. Viewed from a distance, the top lotus blossom and the central spire will appear to float above the playa. 


Cool, huh? Well, it must not be too crazy because already five people have volunteered to help set up on  the playa! And several people have expressed an interest in helping with sewing, painting and welding. That's the fun thing about these projects: bringing people together with a shared creative vision.


Stay tuned for more updates soon. The web site will launch soon and I'll post some more photos here too. And if you're interested in going to the event, tickets go on sale tomorrow (Weds. Jan. 19th).


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Joe