A weeping willow tree towers 30 feet in the air as a giant oasis on the horizon. Made of steel with brilliant copper leaves, it will dazzle its viewers by day reflecting sunlight dancing out across the desert. Once in her draping branches, AURORA provides a place to meet and commune in the cooling shade. It will also offer benches to sit on and exchange conversation.
At night, AURORA transforms into a place of light and color with 15,000 3-color LEDs embedded into branches that depict seasonal changes: spring, summer, fall and winter.

Charles is a founding member of the Flaming Lotus Girls and has helped the group create their fiery art for the last 7 years. Charles creates beautiful sculptures that incorporate mixed metals, interactive and kinetic elements, and light and fire. All his sculptures change and enhance the environment in which they are shown, and invite the viewer to not only behold the art as spectacle, but also engage in it as a sensory experience.
We are asking the Burning Man community to help us with our supplemental fundraising efforts to help bring this spectacular piece to the playa and beyond.
Please visit our Kickstarter page: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aur ... the-willow
Heartfelt thanks and gratitude,
The Aurora Team
WIRED article: http://www.wired.com/underwire/2011/06/aurora/?pid=4160
Charles Gadeken : Aurora: http://www.charlesgadeken.com/art/aurora
Aurora Home Page: http://aurorathewillow.com/