"Conscious Contact"

karlonwheels · Post by **karlonwheels** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:00 pm

Hi.

We are planning a piece called "Conscious Contact". It is a ten-ton stone meditation chamber inside a forty-foot high, steel-beam pyramid.

http://makingconsciouscontact.com/

I'm Karl. I came to Burning Man 2009 for my first time. I am a sculptor.
here's my site:
http://rocksolidsculpture.com/

We are now creating budget and transportation plans, looking for trucking companies, and an engineer.

Most clues also welcome.

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:32 pm

Contact long-time engineer/burner Bob Stahl.

He will clue you in as far as everything you'll need.

karlonwheels · Post by **karlonwheels** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:40 pm

Thanks,Iso!

Found him here:

http://www.geocities.com/potatotrap/tech/bluetarp.htm

looks like a damn good lead.

Cheers.

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:50 pm

That's a mighty fine idea. I want to go inside and just listed to the acoustics!

karlonwheels · Post by **karlonwheels** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:00 pm

Thanks for that, MJM, it means quite something, coming from you!

It should be extraordinary in there.

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:27 pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simeon_Stylites

I LIKE IT!

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:47 pm

Kinda reminds me of that "simon of the desert" flik.

I see why you approve.

Fire_Moose · Post by **Fire_Moose** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:10 pm

can i spin fire in there?!

Love the idea, hope it comes to fruition

karlonwheels · Post by **karlonwheels** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:49 pm

Thanks, Simon, thanks, oneeye.

37 years! We are trying to create about a five-minute-per-burner experience. Maybe I should re-think it.

Fire Moose, you could, with short cables. There will only be about a six foot round area in there.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:50 pm

Simon of the Playa wrote:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simeon_Stylites

I LIKE IT!

Is someone going to stay in there through the whole event?

thisisthatwhichis · Post by **thisisthatwhichis** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:21 pm

karlonwheels wrote:We are trying to create about a five-minute-per-burner experience. Maybe I should re-think it.

Yes, I love the idea, and also hope you can make it happen..... but even 5 min per burner is gonna be way too long...... shoot for 1-2 mins, or the lack of interest in the lines sends a lot of peeps away........

karlonwheels · Post by **karlonwheels** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 8:02 pm

Natch, Thisisthat. My lady and I passed on the rocket tour for the same reason. Consider that one an out of the park clue. Thanks!

We have an upgrade in conversation right now, to a circle of stones in the bottom of the sphere which will drop down on a winch cable, pick folks up, and vanish back into the ball with them. No steps needed.

UD... not per se. Many people will enjoy time in the sphere.

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:25 pm

i'll sit up there all week and hassle people with a bullhorn.

i can do that, you know.

[youtube][/youtube]

littleflower · Post by **littleflower** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 8:55 pm

amazing work, Karl ... i'm very excited to see this one ... !

karlonwheels · Post by **karlonwheels** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 9:34 pm

Thanks, Little Flower! I am no less excited than you, and hope we meet in or under it.

Simon, I have no doubt that you could, and would certainly enrich the lives of those within earshot. Nice clip!

karlonwheels · Post by **karlonwheels** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:06 am

Does anyone know what the soil bearing capacity is on the playa?

Fire_Moose · Post by **Fire_Moose** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:35 am

ya, it's 27

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:40 am

karlonwheels wrote:Does anyone know what the soil bearing capacity is on the playa?

Is this the first time you have worked with blocks of this size?

It may go on record as the heaviest art yet.

karlonwheels · Post by **karlonwheels** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:57 am

Fire Moose, is that 2700 psf? Thanks for the info.

UD, yes and no. If you scroll down on the blog to "Why this will work", there is a five-ton ball inside a metal frame, and a similar ball with all the metal works inside.

I've also constructed an eight-foot cube in stone, its about 2/3 down on this blog:

http://rocksolidsculpture.com/

I love heavy work! But this will be a stretch for me, no mistake. Friday morning I go into pre-engineering meetings to decide details on the beam sizes and foot sizes, so we can get an engineer to ok initial specs, so we can get fabrication and shipping budgets started.

It is seriously exciting.

karlonwheels · Post by **karlonwheels** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:55 am

Hi!

We are making a model, 22" high, in aluminum, steel, and stone. Burners in this scenario will be depicted at roughly 3" tall and under, the scale is two feet to the inch.

Respecting and loving the beauty found in the people who attend, we want the figures of people for our model to be wildly diverse. Want in?

Make a figure! (Or tell us where else to post this.) Figures should be self- reliant, and stand up on their own. That's the only requirement.

Please mail a figure to

Conscious Contact Project
Saliter/Moore and Company
149 Popple Swamp Road
Cornwall Bridge CT 06754

Your figure might prove a turning point for some investor who will later fund us. Your figure might make a model builder happy to work extra free hours. Your figure might come alive and climb the pyramid, and start a new dimension on its own. So how about it?

Deb Prothero · Post by **Deb Prothero** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 10:39 am

This is interesting. I wonder what materials would be best for a figure. Could a clay figurine work? Or do you want more durable materials like metal?

lonestoner916 · Post by **lonestoner916** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 12:23 pm

Karl this looks like a great project, albeit a tremendous amount of work. Best of luck!

I know that AntiM does miniatures maybe she'd like to do a figure for your model?

Post by **AntiM** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 12:35 pm

I do make miniatures. 2 inch scale, you say? Mine are all one inch or 1/2 inch scale or smaller, but I can give it a shot. I don't normally do figures, so that will be interesting.

Three inches tall doesn't sound right ... that sounds more like half inch scale (three inches = six feet). Do you mean 1/2 inch scale? Two feet to one inch? Half an inch is a foot? Two inch scale would be two inches is a foot. At three inches, your people would be a foot and a half high in RL. The scale is "backwards" unless you're a miniaturist.

My 1/2 inch scale dollhouse:
http://maggiemayday.deviantart.com/gallery/#Fantasy-BnB

Deb Prothero · Post by **Deb Prothero** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 3:52 pm

What do you make figures out of AntiM?

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 7:21 pm

Hm. I wonder if I could...

Are you aware of the Art Doll movement? (Maybe "movement" is the wrong word, it's not so organized.)

(I like the "Don't Box Me In" dolls the best.)

Wikipedia Stub

Here's how somebody did three. I don't know how to remake them so they would stand, but there's time to figure that out.

These are not dolls, they are robots. And they are a lot more than 3 inches high. But they are wonderful and witty and charming. Good inspirations for going the mixed media route.\

New book on making mixed media art dolls. Lots of good stuff here.

karlonwheels · Post by **karlonwheels** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 7:37 pm

Hi Deb, great question.

We are after figures to be made in a wide variety of materials. Last week at artgarage, one student made one of clay, I made one of sawed off lions feet and coat hanger wrapped in yarn, with a jack of hearts face glued on his head.

I believe the model will be displayed indoors only, so the figures do not need to be particularly durable.

Thanks, Lonestoner! Not least for mentioning Anti M.

Anti M, the scale is in fact two feet to the inch. It is unconventional, based on preference for tabletop presentation, and the "beams" we used. They will represent beams one foot wide, and they are 1/2" wide.

Thanks for playing with me! I am very happy with the work we are doing on this: it will be a beautiful piece.

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Dr. Pyro · Post by **Dr. Pyro** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 7:40 pm

Have you ever thought about the relative merits of having them done as Barbie dolls? Then you could contribute them to BDC&WB and become immortalized in some weird ironic fashion. Besides, that would be one less thing that I would have to do.

You wouldn't want to disappoint the ol' Doc would you?

karlonwheels · Post by **karlonwheels** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 7:40 pm

Hi Crypto!

I was composing and missed your post. Excellent looking figures!
The mixed media idea is perfect for what I'm seeing. I'm eager to watch what happens with the different interpretations of "figure". Three inches is kind of crucial, all else is open.

And having said that, AntiM, your miniature work is stellar. I particularly like the blue room on the site you put up. The details rock!

I posted an image of the model in process just now.

The cool studio is also a church: we live here!

http://makingconsciouscontact.com/

karlonwheels · Post by **karlonwheels** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 7:47 pm

Doc are you the genius behind BDC? I have a lot of respect for that amazing camp. One of our resolutions for 2010 is to bring barbies with clothes we made.

I love the idea, and with the artists permission, will indeed burn the little rascals, but isn't three inches a little little? Perhaps we could burn them as figures which, by virtue of looking nothing like Barbie, embody "Fringe Midget Barbiness", that most rarefied of Barbie air.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 7:55 pm

I'll see what I can do tonight...

"Conscious Contact"

"Conscious Contact"

3d model report and request