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!
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.
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!
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??
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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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!
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 ( ! )
