Thursday, July 21, 2011

Fundraising

We are just now finishing construction. I have finally been able to take the time to do some simple accounting projections. It looks as if I will go over budget by about $2000.

I've started a series of small Kickstarter fundraisers for $500 and an Indiegogo fundraiser for $1000.

Your donation will be gratefully accepted and will help pull me out of a financial hole.

Nelumbo Nucifera on Kickstarter
Nelumbo Nucifera on burningman.com
Nelumbo Nucifera on Indiegogo

There are perks for your contributions:

PLEDGE $5 OR MORE
My/our undying love

PLEDGE $25 OR MORE
You will receive a unique piece of lotus art/bling constructed by myself and my crew.

PLEDGE $50 OR MORE
You will receive 2 unique pieces of lotus art/bling constructed by myself and my crew.

PLEDGE $100 OR MORE
You will receive 2 unique pieces of lotus art/bling constructed by myself and my crew. And if you can get a short 3-min piece of video footage of your eye to us by August 7th. We will splice it into our video footage which will be projected all night onto our 6 lotus petal projection screens!

Monday, July 4, 2011

This is the project for 2011...

Hi, I'm Michael Emery, an artist based in Santa Cruz, California. My crew and I are constructing a 70 ft. lotus flower to be installed on the Black Rock Playa for Burning Man 2011, with funding from a grant provided by the Burning Man organization. I am constructing this installation in response to this year’s theme for the Burning Man Art Festival RITES OF PASSAGE.

This installation uses steel, wood, mirror, fabric and light to suggest a lotus opening up and through the mud playa floor. By night, six of the lotus petals become screens upon which we project a variety of video images relating to rituals of passage. (This is where you come in, see above.)

As we all move through life we encounter a multitude of seeming trials, traps, disappointments and exhilarations. Life presses upon us various potential rites of passage, various opportunities for growth. In order to traverse skillfully through these opportunities, our wakeful mind becomes a powerful ally to guide our steps.

The Lotus flower has for millennia been a symbol of the quiet center driving the human process of evolution and awakening. This symbol is potent because the graceful opening lotus has its roots in the dark, rich unconscious muck and mud of real life. Our own graceful opening is possible because our roots sink deep into our animal source. Perhaps our task, with feet planted in the rich mire of monkey reality, is to open lotus-like into the full consciousness of interconnected mind.

With this installation we endeavor to provide a quiet resting place for Burning Man participants, a place to reflect and contemplate, to find the steadiness and trust within as we traverse the raucous playground of the Playa.