Burning Man 2006 ~ ~ Your ticket money spent frivilously on a mad scheme!

the OMAGINATION INSTALLATION

As the sun arcs across the desert sky, the intensity, direction and ambiance
of the sunlight continually changes, dramatically altering the face of Black
Rock City. *theme music here*
We intend to harness this phenomenon, using sunlight concentrated thru lenses
to create varying burnt designs into a large rotating wooden disc with mandala
characteristics. The speed of the disc's rotation and the changing angle of
sunlight will produce daily additions to an evolving solar artwork, which will
include painted calligraphies addressing the ideas of hopes and fears,
collected from our community.
Interactive stations will include materials for citizens to use lenses to burn words and designs onto wood, which will be integrated into the perimeter of the installation.
Attached we are including preliminary sketches of what is still an evolving design.
We intend to build a structurally sound and safe interactive installation, also
allowing for spontaneity thru-out the design and construction process. We are
veteran Burners who understand the importance of disassembly that leaves no
trace, and working respectfully with representatives of Burning Man as well as
the community at large.

Description of installation:
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A 10 foot diameter wooden disc rotates on a steel ball bearing riding shaft
and is driven by a worm gear run by a 12 volt variable speed electric motor.
The axle shaft is a precisely machined heavy duty structure supported by a metal
base and stabilized by metal outriggers. Metal stakes provide additional stability.
A series of manipulatable large magnifying lenses is suspended above the disc
to focus the changing sunlight at various times of the day onto the disc surface.
Individual lenses will come into play or decrease in effect as the angle of the
sunlight changes. The resulting scorched marks will accumulate in random
patterns of loops and spirals of dots and dashes. The mandala like effect of
these marks will interact with the painted artwork on the disc surface which will
incorporate words related to the theme of Hopes and Fears. These words will be
contributed by the community in which we live. This project will be well lit from
all sides and stakes or protrusions will be padded for safety. A perimeter fence will
prevent people climbing on the structure while still allowing access and
interactivity. Citizens will be able to contribute lense burnt designs and words to this perimeter structure. The playa surface will be unaltered and left in the original condition.
This structure will not be burnt as a bonfire, but simply scorched by the focused
rays of the sun.

Us:
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~Peter Matthews is the designer and head builder of the Omagination Installation.
A professional builder, puppeteer, and a 5-time Burner, he has been involved in
privately funded Burn projects such as the spinning Cuddlefish Chair, the Black
Rock Cable Co, and Mr. Softies Big Ice Cream Pant Parade among others. His
two-plus person tri-cyclic Dragon craft debuted on the playa in 2005.
~ Ralph Jaszkowski is the proposal writer and a 9 year veteran of BRC (plus 1 year
in effigy). I've been involved since 1996, including working on the festival funded
Aural Reef in 2002, as well as the Astral Vortex's Mobile Groove Bomb and the
Mantis Cycle in 2005.
~A small committed team of assembly, maintenance and disassembly workers has been recruited from our previous campmates.

Summary:
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We are a dedicated group of 'for-the-duration' BRC citizens eagerly HOPE-ing to
exceed our previous playa endeavors.
However we FEAR our resources will not allow full completion of this
project without some degree of financial assistance.
Any level of support, advice, or helpful interaction that the Burning Man
organization can gift us with will be genuinely appreciated, and respected as a
obligation to give back to the community.

http://tribes.tribe.net/omaginationinstallation