Iron Monkeys: 2008

September 26, 2008

Cauldron on TV Free Burning Man

Hot. Cauldron. Footage.

Lighting Ceremony

Originally uploaded by javith

Crimson tossing in the flame for the maiden (and, barring the hazing pranks of BRCVFD, week long) burn of the Cauldron.
A pile of wood is (ir)regularly restocked to encourage passersby to stop and feed the fire thus adding the participatory element of nourishing the flame.

One night, Brian, Stuart and I went out in search of the Sparky the Fire Truck Posse by way of Center Camp. At the Cauldron, we found a guy dangling a stick with a hot dog skewered on the end into the fire. Brilliant! We took his picture, wildly praised him for his ingenuity and self-reliance, and gave him one of our gift scrolls. He was pleased; we were delighted.

Reno ManGrove Flyer

If you're heading to Reno before mid-December be sure to visit our Tree.

Opening Reception for the ManGrove
Originally uploaded by affinity1

Mangrove Tree by Night

Mangrove Tree by Night
Originally uploaded by Rob~Simpson

A lovely photo of the upper half of the Tree against the sky mural. The larger branches are made of lengths of pipe that have been textured by repeated rounds of heating and hammering. Smaller branches consist of round bar that has been tapered, scrolled and deformed for a more organic look.

September 23, 2008

A Tree Grows in Reno

As Burning Man 2008 ended, most of the Iron Monkeys headed north, returning to life here in "reality camp." While we were buying vinegar in bulk and reminding ourselves to wear clothes and not drink before noon, an elite team of Monkeys was dispatched to Reno where they lounged by the pool, stormed the casino at the Peppermill, AND installed one of our trees in a temporary sculpture park located in downtown Reno. The Mangrove - Reno, a nod to the collection of recycled material trees from Burning Man 2007 of the same name, sits on the bank of the Truckee River. Tony, Jannette, Tabasco and Kay - I think I speak for all the Monkeys when I say "hey, thanks for going to Reno." We raise our BRetford-crafted beers to you.

Other press about the Reno Mangrove:
The Mangrove Reno Art Installation Downtown Reno

August 10, 2008

Community Tree Spire: Rainier Vista, Seattle

From the beginning of the tree building process, all of the Monkeys have been committed to the idea that ours was not a project destined for the dusty land of forgotten Burning Man art. We want these trees out in the world, taking root.

In time for Arbor Day 2008, we permanently installed one of the trees at Rainier Vista. We were able to do this through a grant from Black Rock Arts Foundation (BRAF) for the creation and placement of of a community driven art piece, support from Ignition NW, plus additional cash and in-kind donations by Seattle Housing Authority, individuals and local businesses.

Detail of seat back echoing images of the Whirligig story including the full text. Quality plasma cutting courtesy of 2K Metal Works.

Seat back detail. Etching and stainless steel courtesy of Acu-Line Corporation in Fremont.

August 9, 2008

Tree Spires: A Retrospective

For Burning Man 2007 we received an art grant for our project, Tree Spires, four 15' tall steel trees the trunks of which are encircled by octagonal wood and steel benches.
Installed in the Mangrove, the Tree Spires were located at the cardinal points and provided passersby a place to sit, rest and reflect.

The "bark" of the trees is made up of 4' long strips of 2 and 4-inch wide mild steel. Tabasco created a bark texture template that, when used with a really big power hammer on hot steel looks, well, very much like bark. But better. 'Cause, you know, it's steel. Okay, real bark is pretty cool, too.

On the playa, we encouraged visitors to leave evidence of their time at the trees. We busted out our Sharpies™ and left some starter graffiti; the resulting "vandalism" ranged from touching to funny.