I am planning an interactive art project for Burning Man 2006 and need a sizable quantity of playa dust to realize it's greatest potential. I need about a pound or so (???) of playa dust -- more would be even better so I can experiment and get everything right.
Maybe you are part of a theme camp whose gear trapped tons of dust that's just waiting to be harvested? If I can't find one large dust donor, I will be happy to collect smaller samples to build up to what I need. If you have some dust on offer, I'd be happy to tell you more about the project I have in mind. Dust donors will be invited to collect a nice gift made with the dust when they arrive on the playa next year.
Playa dust wanted for BM 2006 art project
-
wedeliver
- Posts: 1871
- Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:10 am
- Burning Since: 1998
- Location: Tionesta, CA
- Contact:
Re: Playa dust wanted for BM 2006 art project
I got lots of Playa Dust.. want it mixed with snow? Quality shit. Certified Black Rock/High Rock. (just wipe your feet)zoltan wrote:I am planning an interactive art project for Burning Man 2006 and need a sizable quantity of playa dust to realize it's greatest potential. I need about a pound or so (???) of playa dust -- more would be even better so I can experiment and get everything right.
Maybe you are part of a theme camp whose gear trapped tons of dust that's just waiting to be harvested? If I can't find one large dust donor, I will be happy to collect smaller samples to build up to what I need. If you have some dust on offer, I'd be happy to tell you more about the project I have in mind. Dust donors will be invited to collect a nice gift made with the dust when they arrive on the playa next year.
we think alike kilngod. i am wanting dust to use in ceramics as well! what pieces have you made so far with the playa clay, or what do you have in mind? have you experimented yet to see how much you can add to the clay without compromising its integrity? i'm using porcelain clay and am guessing it can probably take as much as 25% dust, but that's not a very well-informed estimate. if the dust supply is scarce though, i would probably cut down the percentage just to stretch it out and make more playa clay. i have also wondered how the chemistry might play out, as i understand playa dust is very alkali (?). i don't know if that would impact the clay, but i imagine it could interact with some glazes perhaps. i'm pretty new to ceramics, so these are merely guesses. in any case, if you have dust to spare i would gladly pay for shipping costs!
I tried making some small figures one day just sitting out at the Crappucino Bar. It's pretty sticky when it gets wet. Did you see the big horse that was coated in the stuff?
I'm really more interested to see what the alkali properties will do in a glaze, like a salt firing. I haven't gotten much interesting yet, but really havent tried this scientifically. There are some elements that
There's an e-playa thread from this past year on the "chemical composition" of playa that's actually kind of interesting. I don't know how to link to it -- run a search above.
Let me know if you get interesting results.
kg
I'm really more interested to see what the alkali properties will do in a glaze, like a salt firing. I haven't gotten much interesting yet, but really havent tried this scientifically. There are some elements that
There's an e-playa thread from this past year on the "chemical composition" of playa that's actually kind of interesting. I don't know how to link to it -- run a search above.
Let me know if you get interesting results.
kg
Z -- What's your "interactive project"? A friend of mine and I were talking about building a large piece on top of a firebox (shielding the playa surface, of course), then wrapping it in ceramic blankets and firing it (low fire temps, raku clay maybe). I've read some articles in Ceramics Technical on this and it sounds like the perfect dramatic event for Burning Man, especially if you could incorporate playa substance into the piece. It could become a pretty big project, and the more the merrier. Any interest in a long-distance collaboration? Of course, if you want to pursue your own idea, that's cool, and I'll look forward to seeing it.
kg
kg
I've read a bit about Raku and it does sound like a good match for BM. After you fire it, aren't you supposed to put it in some flammable material (newspaper, sawdust, etc.)? Maybe that part is optional.
Anyway, my idea is to mix some playa dust in with clay and make at least 100 identical medallion/pendants for necklaces. I'm working on a necklace design that would tie one of these pendants in the center and allow for beads to be added and removed on each side of the pendant by the wearer.
Then I want to recruit a bunch of ceramic, glass, wood, metal, etc. artists who would be asked to design their own beads within a specified style guide and make them in quantity. Each necklace would be strung completely with only one type of bead, but the bead varieties would vary as much as possible from necklace to necklace. Perhaps each artist would make a given bead design in enough quantity to string five necklaces.
The necklaces would then be individually gifted on the playa. Wearers would be encouraged to seek each other out so they can trade beads amongst themselves and beautify their necklaces by diversifying the beads they have and stringing them in patterns that please them. Kind of a twist on the ancient trade beads. Because the pendant is identical on all the necklaces, the wearers will have a better chance of spotting each other on the streets and art cars of BRC. The more necklaces I can make, the better the chances people will run into other necklace wearers who they can talk with, swap beads with, and have a cool experience having interacted with. At the end of the week, maybe I'd throw a reunion party and invite everyone to show up and show off their final creations and do any last-minute trading they want before heading home.
I may try and get a grant to support the project so the quantity can be boosted beyond what my finances can provide. Necklace distribution could also be focused in a given region of BRC to increase the odds that necklace wearers will come into contact with each other.
That's the basic idea. I like your concept too because it could be a cool spectacle/performance to be witnessed. I would be interested in talking this out some more and perhaps helping each other in some way, or at least participating in each other's project playa-side. And of course, I will accept any leftover dust you may have. :-)
Anyway, my idea is to mix some playa dust in with clay and make at least 100 identical medallion/pendants for necklaces. I'm working on a necklace design that would tie one of these pendants in the center and allow for beads to be added and removed on each side of the pendant by the wearer.
Then I want to recruit a bunch of ceramic, glass, wood, metal, etc. artists who would be asked to design their own beads within a specified style guide and make them in quantity. Each necklace would be strung completely with only one type of bead, but the bead varieties would vary as much as possible from necklace to necklace. Perhaps each artist would make a given bead design in enough quantity to string five necklaces.
The necklaces would then be individually gifted on the playa. Wearers would be encouraged to seek each other out so they can trade beads amongst themselves and beautify their necklaces by diversifying the beads they have and stringing them in patterns that please them. Kind of a twist on the ancient trade beads. Because the pendant is identical on all the necklaces, the wearers will have a better chance of spotting each other on the streets and art cars of BRC. The more necklaces I can make, the better the chances people will run into other necklace wearers who they can talk with, swap beads with, and have a cool experience having interacted with. At the end of the week, maybe I'd throw a reunion party and invite everyone to show up and show off their final creations and do any last-minute trading they want before heading home.
I may try and get a grant to support the project so the quantity can be boosted beyond what my finances can provide. Necklace distribution could also be focused in a given region of BRC to increase the odds that necklace wearers will come into contact with each other.
That's the basic idea. I like your concept too because it could be a cool spectacle/performance to be witnessed. I would be interested in talking this out some more and perhaps helping each other in some way, or at least participating in each other's project playa-side. And of course, I will accept any leftover dust you may have. :-)
Don't have any playa dust but I have done something similar to what you are planning, firing playa clay. The bead trading / sharing is a great twist to gifting the pendants.
I've created pendants for both '04 & '05. Both times I used the playa dust straight without any other clays added. The pendants on the left are from '05, on the right '04. The ones that I have kept for myself have held up pretty well. The pendant on the far right I've worn nearly every day for about a year. The edges on the back have flaked off a little but other than that it's still in good shape.
I made about 100 of the '04 design. A disc was made out of a playa dust / water mix and then stamped on one side. I used an exacto knife and cut the stamp design out of a large eraser. I only had time to make about a dozen of the '05 design but the process was actually quicker. I had hand stamps made that were wrong reading (if the stamp were used, the stamped image and text would be in reverse). I pealed the rubber part of the stamp off the handle and used it as a plug for a plaster of paris mold. I then created a playa mud disc and pressed it into the mold. The '05 design is two sided. It was a bit of a problem getting the two sides to line up. Probably more trouble than it would be worth for a large volume project.
General process I used...
If you get the ratio right between playa and water you can get a mud that isn't sticky but is still wet enough that it doesn't crack (too much) when pressed into the mold or stamped. I also sifted the dust a couple times before mixing to remove small pebbles and get as smooth a mud as possible.
I let the pendants set maybe twenty minutes, till they were stiff enough that they could be handled. I then cleared out the holes using a tooth pick or pointed clay working tool.
When making the molds I initially had trouble keeping detail because of small air bubbles that formed between the rubber stamp and the plaster of paris. I got the best results by using a small brush to first paint a thin layer of plaster over the rubber and then pouring plaster over that to top off the mold. I then tapped the mold on a flat surface to force any additional bubbles to the top.
After the pendants completely dried I fired them in batches in separate small fires. I got the best results using hardwood charcoal. I've also seen it referred to as "cowboy charcoal". Basically chunks of hardwood that have been partially burned. I've done them both in small pits and directly in a fire place. Probably obvious to someone who works with clay but, I learned the hard way that you need to start cold. Set-up the coal with the pendants mixed in and then light the fire. The pendants will crack if thrown into a hot fire.
The fires themselves were small. Maybe two cubic feet of charcoal each and about a dozen pendants. About half of the charcoal was used from the start and the remainder fed into the fire as it burned. Then I let the coals completely cool and burn down before removing the pendants, usually over night.
I had a larger percentage of the '04 design crack when fired then the '05 design. This may be because the '05 design had a more consistent thickness. Although, that's a huge assumption on my part because of the smaller number of the '05 pendants.
If fired only with the charcoal the playa turns a reddish pink. I've used salt poured in piles next to the pendants, fine steel wool, and salt water soaked and dried rags to add deeper hues and some pattern. The dried salt rags seemed to add the most color.
A couple coats of grout sealer helps keep moisture out of the finished pendant.
Couple other thoughts...
I haven't tried it but I wonder if a play mud slip could be mixed and a pendant slip cast using a plaster of paris mold.
I've thought that maybe a mold could be made that had a higher area for the hole. Basically creating the hole as part of the mold process rather than adding the hole after. Might work especially well with a design that has a larger hole in the center of the pendant.
If I were to make them again I would definitely use the mold method verses stamping.
Hope that info helps some and you're still thinking of doing some variation of this project. If you have any questions send me an email and I'll try to answer.
I've created pendants for both '04 & '05. Both times I used the playa dust straight without any other clays added. The pendants on the left are from '05, on the right '04. The ones that I have kept for myself have held up pretty well. The pendant on the far right I've worn nearly every day for about a year. The edges on the back have flaked off a little but other than that it's still in good shape.
I made about 100 of the '04 design. A disc was made out of a playa dust / water mix and then stamped on one side. I used an exacto knife and cut the stamp design out of a large eraser. I only had time to make about a dozen of the '05 design but the process was actually quicker. I had hand stamps made that were wrong reading (if the stamp were used, the stamped image and text would be in reverse). I pealed the rubber part of the stamp off the handle and used it as a plug for a plaster of paris mold. I then created a playa mud disc and pressed it into the mold. The '05 design is two sided. It was a bit of a problem getting the two sides to line up. Probably more trouble than it would be worth for a large volume project.
General process I used...
If you get the ratio right between playa and water you can get a mud that isn't sticky but is still wet enough that it doesn't crack (too much) when pressed into the mold or stamped. I also sifted the dust a couple times before mixing to remove small pebbles and get as smooth a mud as possible.
I let the pendants set maybe twenty minutes, till they were stiff enough that they could be handled. I then cleared out the holes using a tooth pick or pointed clay working tool.
When making the molds I initially had trouble keeping detail because of small air bubbles that formed between the rubber stamp and the plaster of paris. I got the best results by using a small brush to first paint a thin layer of plaster over the rubber and then pouring plaster over that to top off the mold. I then tapped the mold on a flat surface to force any additional bubbles to the top.
After the pendants completely dried I fired them in batches in separate small fires. I got the best results using hardwood charcoal. I've also seen it referred to as "cowboy charcoal". Basically chunks of hardwood that have been partially burned. I've done them both in small pits and directly in a fire place. Probably obvious to someone who works with clay but, I learned the hard way that you need to start cold. Set-up the coal with the pendants mixed in and then light the fire. The pendants will crack if thrown into a hot fire.
The fires themselves were small. Maybe two cubic feet of charcoal each and about a dozen pendants. About half of the charcoal was used from the start and the remainder fed into the fire as it burned. Then I let the coals completely cool and burn down before removing the pendants, usually over night.
I had a larger percentage of the '04 design crack when fired then the '05 design. This may be because the '05 design had a more consistent thickness. Although, that's a huge assumption on my part because of the smaller number of the '05 pendants.
If fired only with the charcoal the playa turns a reddish pink. I've used salt poured in piles next to the pendants, fine steel wool, and salt water soaked and dried rags to add deeper hues and some pattern. The dried salt rags seemed to add the most color.
A couple coats of grout sealer helps keep moisture out of the finished pendant.
Couple other thoughts...
I haven't tried it but I wonder if a play mud slip could be mixed and a pendant slip cast using a plaster of paris mold.
I've thought that maybe a mold could be made that had a higher area for the hole. Basically creating the hole as part of the mold process rather than adding the hole after. Might work especially well with a design that has a larger hole in the center of the pendant.
If I were to make them again I would definitely use the mold method verses stamping.
Hope that info helps some and you're still thinking of doing some variation of this project. If you have any questions send me an email and I'll try to answer.