CREDIT CARD OFFERS? GIVE THEM VALUE! BM 2006 ART PROJECT

[alexamonkey]

we are fashioning a tree, perhaps a forest, depending on how many participants we get, out of credit card offers. Wire Frames, non-toxic tape, & all the credit offers we can get. One word of caution; SOME offers will have sensitive info printed on them (lord knows why the credit companies are allowed free access)... unfortunately, I've had first hand experience for the past two years that there are some unscrupulous mutherfuckers coming to burning man these days, so I warn to check the offers and black out any personal info, such as SS#, etc. I don't forsee this as a huge risk at BM, but just a reminder...
If you are like me, you get at least 3 offers a week per adult person per household. Start saving! The larger our forest, the larger the impact of our statement!!!!
tanx.

PS- DID I MENTION BURNING?

[robotland]

I'm envisioning fluttery paper leaves on these trees- Do you have concerns with the high potential for ashy, flaming MOOP?

[alexamonkey]

thanks,
yes, I have thought about moop- I'm working on some ideas- like chicken wire cage & non-toxic tape- It certainly won't put out more fiery pieces of ash than the burn barrels;
I know we will be able to pull it off without too many moop concerns- I don't know if it's going to be acceptable to burn it, though. Hey, if we can't burn it, maybe I'll bring it back every year & it can grow and grow.... (have plans to create safe and endless 'branches')- if enough people are on board, maybe it can morph into a small forest!

tanx

[roguefem]

This is a great idea. I get at least three a week and would love to have them put too good flaming art!

[HughMungus]

I open them, stuff them into the return envelope, and drop them back in the mail.

[Gravity Mike]

Personally, I prefer the mortgage refinance offers. They usually send you a 'check' for $20k, $30k, $40k...

You could make a tree full of bogus marketing kilo-buck checks.

Again, have to possibly black out various bits of personnal information.

I like the idea of sending the credit offer back, to make them pay for the postage. It reminds me of the 'Fallwell game' in college, started by some fanzine, meant to clog up his 800 numbers. We also used to glue postage-paid military recruiting cards to bricks and drop them in the mail. Don't know if they ever got delivered.

Gravity

[we0ne]

I get a lot of these too. Do you want them mailed to you ahead of time or brought to the playa?

[alexamonkey]

OUr tree has morphed into a forest; we will be inviting people to participate with contributions of paper, or there own tree! I have preliminary confirmation that we can burn the paper, & as soon as the guidelines are threshed out for the tree construction I will post them. No MOOP concerns; the trees will be chickenwire frames & branches with burlap tops- will will stuff them! We can use any help we can get, physical, transportation, materials (chickenwire & burlap- I don't think we'll have a problem gathering enough paper!) Hope to set records with group participation on an art project... much more later!!!

any thoughts, questions, ideas, bananaphones?

alexamonkey

[alexamonkey]

To answer your question (a bit late, i think)- we can do both- arrange for pickup or drop off (sf) or take them on the playa...

We do not have the 'official' word yet, but we are also inviting people to make & bring their own 'paper trees', or bushes, or whathaveyou. We are getting a few different 'theme' trees together (our focal point will be our Credit card offer tree-) but we're branching out on the theme to include any paper waste: a Resume tree, a 'free newspaper' tree, a Thesis tree (Anyone? We can always make it a 'bush' instead)- which brings me to our 'burning bush'- which will consist of various religious writings and pamphlets.
If anyone has intrest in contributing in any way, please let me know ASAP!!!!!!!!!

I will post a general 'idea' for the construction just as soon as I get the ok- we are planning to burn them- (we are using mostly heavy cardboard tubing & chickenwire)- & light them, up until the burn. I'll post more soon,
love you all