***If we can get our Kickstarter to raise $25,000 then we can add 8 fire cannons to the ship! Yep, I said it, fire cannons.
We received an incredibly kind donation of all the supplies and equipment needed to make it happen. We just need to buy some hoses, connectors and a whole bunch of fuel!!! Of course, another $5000 won't be easy to raise. I had kind of given up on the idea, but a little glimmer of hope has returned :) ***
Last year 25 great friends came together to build a 300 foot long third world pier in the middle of the Black Rock Desert for Burning Man. We all thought the idea was pretty cool but we were unsure of how well everyone else would receive it. Much to our surprise the people of Black Rock City seemed to adore The Pier and we were asked to bring it back!
We were absolutely honored and well a little intimidated. How do we follow a beloved art project like The Pier? We didn't simply want to return with the same art unchanged. We all sat down and really tried to pinpoint what made The Pier magical. After a bit of asking around I think we found what we were looking for. The Pier resonated with people because it was a launchpad for imagination, it was a destination that was easily accessible, simple, a place where anyone could go and share in an imagined sense of nostalgia.
"How can we capture this sense of wonder and play and build on it?"
Like a ship out of the fog it came to us. "Lets ram a massive full scale Spanish galleon into the end of The Pier."
Pier 2 consists of 2 major sculptures: The Pier and The Ship. The Pier itself is much like it was last year. A massive Pier rising out of the desert, built by the hands of an imagined people doing their best to carve out a life in a hostile land. As people approach The Pier it seems unchanged, however time has a way of distorting even the best memories. The end of The Pier is mangled, the last 50 feet twisting side to side, desperately rebuilt, kept together by a messy patch work of poles and beams. At its end a mighty shipwreck towers over The Pier.
The Ship is 60 feet long, 20 feet tall at the tip of its keel and 12 feet wide. In its heyday it was a beautiful vessel, the pride of any fleet. However now, it sits cut wide open and wounded, clinging to its grand past. The hull of the ship is covered with beautiful wood work and embellishments. The mighty maiden head looks out upon the playa as if willing the ship to push forward. Tattered sails whip about in the wind suspended by the galleons 60 foot main mast.
The Ship is the harbinger of a great tale of life, exploration and death. We will populate the ship with clothing, trinkets and journals that tell a grand story. The basic idea is that as participants explore the three levels of the ship's interior (Hull, Crew Deck, Main Deck) the story of its inhabitants will come to life. Hand-written journals will present unique perspectives; maps and trinkets will speak of grand adventure; and personal heirlooms will reveal the inner motivations of the crew.
We were honored to be selected as an honorarium art project for Burning Man 2012 this year. And while we have received a generous grant we still have a good bit of money to raise. Building a full scale Spanish galleon with a rebuilt 300ft pier is not an easy task. Our crew of 50 dedicated volunteers will work close to full time for the next 4 months to built the ship, write the journals and craft the small details that will bring this ship to life. We need to acquire over 2 kilometers of rope, 3 45 foot telephone poles, 13 tons of wood, 3 skeletons, 30 laterns, 6 cannons, 20 hammocks, and all the supplies to make around 1000 props,... This is a big project.
The Pier was the first step in bringing a massive dream to life, Pier 2 is the realization of that dream. We are planning to return the ship to the real world after Burning Man with the hopes of finding a permanent public home for the sculpture for everyone to experience and explore. And we hope the connections we have all built over the last 2 years working on this project will help foster a stronger and more prolific public art community in the Reno area and the rest of Northern Nevada and Northern California.
I would like to humbly say Thank you,
Matt Schultz / Janky one of the artists of The Pier Group.
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- (40 days)