Yes, I know what this picture is, and yes I am aware of the irony in using it here.

You’ve probably never heard of Stefan Zweig.

I only discovered him recently.  He wrote this book, you see, back in 1942.  An autobiography.  It’s called The World of Yesterday.

All of a sudden, people out of nowhere were recommending it to me.  An old college professor.  A friend’s wife.  My mom.  My freaking mom asks me on the phone “Have you ever read Stefan Zweig’s autobiography?”

So I call up a local independent bookstore.

“Green Arcade books,” says the man on the other end of the phone.  “How can I help you?”

“Yes, hi.  I’m wondering if you have Stefan Zweig’s autobiography, The World of Yesterday?”

He responds immediately.  “You’re JOKING!”

I give this some thought.  “No, I’m pretty sure I’m not.”

“Okay,” he says.  “Yes.  I have The World of Yesterday.”

“Great.  How late are you open?”

He considers.  “I don’t know.”

“Well, you’ve been a great help.”

“There’s a poetry reading tonight,” he explains.  “I don’t know how long it’s going to go.”

Stefan Zweig would have loved Burning Man

The thing about Zweig is, he was once a world famous author.  You’ve probably never heard of him … I’d never heard of him … but he was published in all the big literary journals for almost half a century.  He was friends with Rilke and Rodin.  He knew Freud.  He knew Borgese.  He knew Yeats and Pirandello and Gorky and Ravel and Joyce and Anatole France.  He was kind of the pre-WWII Johnny Carson.  He was a big deal, is what I’m saying.  I kind of want to be him.

The thing is, he saw that whole world wiped away by the Nazis.  Gone.  Obliterated.

This had actually happened to him before.  (Yes, yes, I know:  I’ll get to Burning Man eventually.  Stay with me.)   Read more »

Otic Oasis Concept Drawing (click to enlarge)

Now and again, amongst the incredible things that are headed to the playa, something particularly interesting comes across our radar, and we like to bring those to your attention.  The Otic Oasis fits the bill. Its planners write:

“The Otic Oasis is not an art installation or theme camp, it is our community defining a need and all of us contributing to make it happen!  During our residence in Black Rock City, we all experience the ubiquitous thump/thump of the deep bass beat of the electronic/trance/Burning Man branded music 24/7. This year, there’s a new installation that intends to bring citizens an audio antidote by providing an alternative of peace and quiet. The OTIC OASIS will be the first structure in a cordoned off wilderness area in the City, a part of the City where no motorized vehicles are permitted and large scale sound systems don’t penetrate – deep in walk-in camping. At last, a wilderness retreat where the aural options are in keeping with the indigenous stillness and aesthetics of the Black Rock desert.

If embraced by the community, the OTIC OASIS is intended to be a perennial structure: to return each year, as the Center Camp Cafe does, to continue to provide shade and shelter to weary travelers who might require a bit of tranquility in order to recharge.

Read more »

This is Chris “Kiwi” Hankins, leader of the 2011 Temple crew, with a scale model of the Temple of Transition. Those of you who visited the Megatropolis installation in 2010 will recognize its colorful silhouette, which should give you a point of reference. Yes, that’s to scale.

Another point of reference: three times the height of Marco Cochrane's "Bliss Dance".

This year, a largely international Temple crew will construct a circle of six structures: five 58-foot-high outer temples, and a 120-foot-high inner temple. The temples will be connected with 60-foot-long walkways. The entire installation will have a diameter of 200 feet, and will be taller than the Man.

To build something on this scale, as Burners well know, you need an impassioned leader. Enter Kiwi, an experienced builder who’s been constructing the Man at Kiwiburn (New Zealand’s regional burn) for several years, and who has also lent a hand to build Black Rock City as part of the Department of Public Works.

Kiwi’s latest achievement is Megatropolis, which he and the International Arts Megacrew built last year.

“Before we were even finished building Megatropolis, I was already thinking ‘what are we gonna build next?’” Kiwi says. Later, as Megatropolis burned, a friend turned to him and asked, “What do you think?”

“I think I want to do the Temple,” Kiwi replied.

Read more »

Flying Solo Exhibit
Featuring Laura Kimpton
Opening Reception
McLaughlin Gallery 49 Geary (corner Grant). Suite 200
San Francisco
Thursday, June 2, 2011
5:30pm to 8:30pm

View new works of collage, assemblage, and sculpture by Laura Kimpton.

Works on exhibition from June 2nd to July 30th, 2011. This solo exhibition of 2D and 3D recycled mixed media creations draws upon Laura’s spiritual connection to birds and her own need to tear down societal constraints that keep us from discovering and celebrating our inner core.

Register For This Event http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1636854877

AFTER PARTY at the Hotel Monaco 9 pm – 2 am. Come celebrate the completion of this Solo Show.

Marin based Laura Kimpton is known for her daring and thought-provoking work; including “Celtic Forest,” a sculpture and fire site at Burning Man.

In the past two years, we saw a pretty big spike in the number of requests from artists and project collaborators requesting a voice for fundraising efforts on their Burning Man creations. Historically, all sorts of artists have done community fundraising in all sorts of ways, and we’ve shared them on various information channels from time to time, so these requests themselves are nothing new. But the smaller-world phenomenon of the internet has increased the visibility for these efforts and the creative ways that Burning Man artists, theme campers, Mutant Vehicle creators, even filmmakers and painters have been able to reach out to their communities for help to make playa projects possible.

The individual artists and collectives behind these projects keep returning with increasingly creative ways to invite and welcome contributions from other BRC citizens — reaching all of you potential art patrons who know or just admire the work of these creatives already. You’ve told us that you are happy to take part in helping to bring each year’s Temple, zoetrope, or garbage-burning 80 foot mechabolic slug to life in Black Rock City, so while we’re careful not to overload, we have continued to share these messages.

Thing is, citizens have donated to the arts in BRC for years, but time has increased the throw of their intentions. Nothing can change the bare-bones reality of fundraising for creative projects. One look at the art  of Burning Man shows that some ideas are bigger than one person’s vision, but the size of the budget isn’t really the point, for large and small projects alike have continued approaching us for visibility. How to be egalitarian about sharing these requests with the crowd when we’ve shared a thousand other “calls for help” and fundraiser event requests over the years, and when community support is such an ingrained part of our art culture? Read more »

The Black Rock Arts Foundation has been working on many new partnerships and projects and we want you to help us celebrate them!  After all, it’s our community that makes it all possible.

The Black Rock Arts Foundation is honored to be part of the effort to revitalize the Central Market area in San Francisco in collaboration with the San Francisco Arts Commission, and we love sharing and supporting  Karen Cusolito’s sculptures.

photo: Mark Hammon

Central Market will come alive for the Art in Storefronts launch celebration!  The festivities include receptions at three neighborhood galleries, the debut of two temporary public art sculptures by Karen Cusolito, live music lining Central Market, and Off the Grid food trucks. The community celebration will kick off with the unveiling of six storefront installations and five murals designed by San Francisco artists.

Join the Black Rock Arts Foundation and the San Francisco Arts Commission for this FREE Market Street Blooms Opening Recption.

Music, speeches and mural unveiling:

May 13,  5:00 pm
998 Market St. San Francisco

Read more »

In the spirit of Andie and Halcyon’s recent posts on sharing the concept of cultivation of “playa-spirit” year-round, I wanted to share the project, “I Just Wanted To Say,” a simple and engaging project that explores creating friendlier cities through the reprogramming of public transport and public seating space.

"I Just Wanted to Say" Artist Yen Trinh

This project was developed by self proclaimed, urbanist and designer, Yen Trinh, of Brisbane, Australia, with graphic design support from Steven Rhodes, also from Brisbane. It was developed in conjunction with PLATFORM, a project devised by the Public Art Unit, Project Services. It was curated by the Museum of Brisbane and the Brisbane City Council and received financial support through art+place, the Queensland Government’s Public Art Fund.

Concept mock-up of Yen Trinh's work, with graphic design support from Steven Rhodes

Design is too often seen as a superfluous and elitist preoccupation. In this project, however, Yen moves beyond the realm of logos, posters and objects and uses design as opportunity and agent for change. This project re-imagines design concepts typically found in public transport signs as an opportunity for interaction and conversation. Namely, it takes the idea of “priority seating” and adds a unique twist.

Easily accessible seats on public transport are universal. They have traditionally been designated for elderly and disabled based on both a culture of courtesy and handicap access legislation. This project uses similar visual design to create “priority seating for people who want conversation,” helping to cultivate “a culture of friendliness.”

Excerpt from the Signage:
Conversations in public spaces present endless possibilities to build connections, create community, and just make someone’s day a bit more interesting.

What makes this project interesting — and relevant to the cultivation of Black Rock City spirit — is its call for participation: anyone can download the design and make their own priority seating for conversation.

The work is currently on view in Brisbane at the RBH Busway Station until March 2011. An adapted version was seen at the Williamburg Walks in New York last June. Where else will it be on display? Well, that is most certainly up to you.  Do you know a place that could be transformed into priority seating for conversion? I just bet you do. As the project designers say: Friendliness is contagious. Pass it on.

Download priority seating signs here.