HOME Installation for 2010

[tbabenyc]

Think enourmous: walk in, fabric home. Think life size, multi room: HOME will feature a completely hand cut and sewn patchwork fabric exterior as well as a faux grass front yard of patchworked greens with a faux gravel pathway to the front door; a tree made of mostly recycled materials including wood, fabric, and cardboard; a faux swimming pool in the backyard to lounge about on faux rocks (pillows covered in patchwork greys). The house will feature an indoor wall covered in safety pins and scrap fabric encouraging people to draw, write a message, etc, and assist in the creation or more art inside.

http://burninghome.blogspot.com/

Would love advice from people who have brought large scale installations to the playa. I've read everything I can online, I'm applying for an art grant, but there are always unanswered questions. This will be my third BM and its about darn time I bring some art! I made a MUCH smaller and easier version last year for local festivals so I'm optomistic about this, I've got my roommate who's an architect drawing up the actual plans for the build. Obviously I'll need a lot of assistance out on playa.
Questions questions, questions...

Opinions?

[Ugly Dougly]

Will it come with a faux dysfunctional family?

[tbabenyc]

You offering to gather up some performers and make that happen? could be hysterical!!!

[EspressoDude]

Complete with the cast from "Leave it to Beaver"



or at least showing reruns on a boob tube

[CapSmashy]

Will it come with a faux dysfunctional family?

Sounds like an excellent opportunity for some impromptu performance art to me.

[sputnik]

There was something that sounded just like this on Esplanade in 2009.

[Ugly Dougly]

There was something that sounded just like this on Esplanade in 2009.

You mean dysfunctional families? Most camps, I think.

[fbcota]

Sounds like a really cool idea. I wish you the best of luck on the entire project.

After building a large installation last year my advice is plan to have about twice as many people as you think you need and be ready to spend allot of time on your project. As you know the conditions are unpredictable at best, but its amazing how hard it can be to build large structures out in the open playa.

Take your time with the grant, but accept that a very small percentage of artists recieve grants. It seems like you need to prove yourself before they will give you money. All the Artery people are super nice though, so as the project matures don't be afriad to contact them with questions.

My project this year is another large scale project, and I am going to try to make sure that I have to do as little building on the playa as possible. For last years structure we used pre-made walls that bolted together, that part worked really well as it only took about 6 people and a night to built most of the super structure. We ended up spending a ton of time trying to complete the "art" on top of the structure. We found that the wind was our biggest enemy, and with all the fabric you will wan't to take some serious time to make sure it is all attached very well.

Good luck.

[Shambala]

I love the idea of a fabric home. The creative possibilities are endless. Keep in mind those 50 mph winds that can last for many hours or many days. Flapping tarps and fabric can (and will) shred in the strong winds. Allow provisions for for the wind to pass through the home and make for quick release of the fabric so sides can be rolled up. You may also consider two solid wood walls like a "t" for the center of the structure and build everything off of that.

[tbabenyc]

Thats the goal, to be build most of the walls here in ny and send them out to the playa and just bolt them together. Glad to hear from someone who's made it happen with a large scale. Desperately hoping I get the grant, at least partial. Would love to make it happen anyway but I really am a young struggling artist.
I was brainstorming the 'windows' idea. It seems like the safest idea would be to have a peice peice every row in different locations for the wind to blow thru. Mostly terrified the whole thing is going to fall over. I've been working with builders recently and picking their brains but I would love to see the floor be just the playa without building a setting to put it on, everyone agrees that it wont work because it wont be even. oy vey.

[Shambala]

I would love to see the floor be just the playa without building a setting to put it on, everyone agrees that it wont work because it wont be even. oy vey.

The playa surface is for the most part flat, flat, flat! You may have to move some of the loose dust around for a bit of leveling, but the surface of the ground should not be an issue.

[tbabenyc]

thats what i said, i was like, 'no, you dont understand. the playa is a wasteland. it is flat'. they said that things might be on an angle still. and that it would be easier to be stable with rebar. the structure isnt going to be that heavy, a main, proper worry. And i want to avoid guy wires.

[AntiM]

If you have areas which will be covered with a solid piece, you can hide guy wires if you guy in an X. Nothing to trip over.

Uncovered:



Covered:

[Shambala]

The extreme flatness comes from this being a dried, prehistoric lakebed. The entire playa is the silk and muck that was at the bottom of this lake and therefore is as level as the water would have been---except for the dunes formed by the extreme wind conditions. I hope this clears things up for you!

[Fire_Moose]

well ya that, and all the nuclear tests they did there in the 70's

[Ugly Dougly]

Unless of course, there has been uplift since the lake was drained.

[theCryptofishist]

Unless of course, there has been uplift since the lake was drained.

You try scrubbing, you try soaking and still you have "Uplift since the lake was drained."

[Shambala]

You try scrubbing, you try soaking and still you have

Ring around the playa.........

[fbcota]

Don't rely on getting a grant. Plan to build the entire project on your dime and stay optimistic about the grant. The grants are not easy to get, and it kinda feels like you need to have an "in" for the best chance.

The playa is damn flat. We had a level out for about 10 minutes checking the built side. Flat. Flat. Flat.

[Ugly Dougly]

You try scrubbing, you try soaking and still you have

Ring around the playa.........

Aw, shaddup.

[Tamino]

Sounds like the Malcolm in the Middle episode except they used an RV but they did use fake grass. I like the idea of an entire house.