Well we are finally here. The Snail is a BIG hit and everyone loves it. Our DMV shifts helping people register their cars went so smooth and visiting with people there is one of the highlights of my trip. The dust is bad, but one of the best nights was riding around with Kyrsten and Merrilee on bikes and running into wonderful snapshots of playa life that faded away with the next brown out and rain. Everyone out seems happy and ghost like alive in their dusty best.
Photos
The Girls loved the snail. Merrilee has story time in it each afternoon.
Our camps round up of Art Cars.
Kyrsten and I dusty and happy burn night
Moths caught in our 500 watt spotlight. We’re having so much fun lighting up everything with it!
Fire!
Morning on the playa
See you at home, back in West Oakland!
One of my favorite Art Cars at BM was the Rustang Sally & Franken Wagon made by the group Mutoid Waste Co.
Zolie and I got to hang out with them in their temporary state side shop in Petaluma (thanks to their friend Scotty). These are people I instantly knew were family and we hope to see them return again.
Ruby Blues, Zolie and Joe on the Rustang
Alex getting ready to play in SF
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This post was written by Form & Reform on September 8, 2008
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This photo says it all for me. Our faces are clear and somber and the snail is a little shaky.
It’s now 4am on Sunday (our plan was to leave on Sat. am) we are loaded and have manage to add some of the little things that later in the trip we will all be glad we took the extra time to do. The upgrades include: the palanquin, a chain to keep the door in the open position while driving, a 1 watt radio station, stairs/ladder to get into the palanquin, a rear view mirror, 500watt Navy spot light, a dash compass, and the Sound of the Golden Mean. The car looks great, drives amazingly well, and everything seems to work. Most of us have not slept more than a few hours for the past 2-3 days and we have just finished a 18 hour work day.
Off we go with high hopes of reaching our camp late Sunday am.
A few miles into our trip and the rear tire on the van blows and throws rubber all over the freeway. Our only spare fits the front, so we change the front tire, place it on the rear only to discover the other rear is flat too. We manage to drive a 100 feet more before gravity takes over. AAA arrives just after dawn to tow us to a station. It’s Sunday and the only tire store that will be open is Firestone and they don’t open for 2 more hours!
Firestone was not helpfull and honestly rude about our now tire less van on their door step. I did get a chance to use their bathroom and make a call to West Oakland’s J&O tires.
James hooked us up with a new set of Firestone tires (the ones Firestone said they were out of), and did it in style, completed by hand, and heavy Metal rock (full blast) right in front of Firestone and Sears at 10am. The flag on his truck was a reminder of the real “Spirit of America”. Security made a few stops by to see how long we planned to camp there, and we assured them we would be gone by weeks end. Yes we were home!
One more stop in Reno. Right in front of the worst section of cement lined hwy the van blew another tire. Lauren saved the day, using all of her race experience, and steered a front tire blow out though an exit. More rubber flew, this time right into our windshield. The second we stop Kyrsten was on the phone with Pep Boys arranging tires, Christopher was unloading the spare and I had the front tire off. We were a well oiled crew. The adrenaline was still flowing when we hit the road and headed for Pep Boys. 5pm
With 4 new tires we finally pull off the freeway at Fernely to get gas.
We arrived at Gerlach at 9pm, 17 hours on the road! We loaded up Christopher’s trailer, got water and dropped the snail at our friend Don’s house for the night. We thought the next part of getting though the gate into Burning Man would be easy. Turns out that the passes we and most of DMV got, had no bar code on them. We were sent though the line 3 times. Each time being told that what ever the last person said was wrong, and what does this mark on your window mean? We resorted to Jedi mind tricks and started telling everyone the mark meant we could get in. It worked! and after 4 hours, with a early arrival pass, and our 2 year old (she had the best mind control tricks), we got in. 21 hours door to door.
Well almost, but we still have some details to finish before we head out to Burning Man.
Lots of late nights with little or no sleep.
more
Wired
Jon Sarriugarte, a blacksmith and fire artist, makes adjustments to the flame-emitting feelers on the front of The Golden Mean, his snail-shaped art car.
Story and photos by Emily Lang
OAKLAND, California — In a project that would make Franz Kafka grin, a 40-year-old bug has metamorphosed into a snail. The resulting creation, an art car called The Golden Mean, is a golden gastropod that glows in the dark and shoots rings of fire from its feelers. It also seats six comfortably.
Blacksmith Jon Sarriugarte, who fabricates custom home furnishings, worked with his wife, Kyrsten Mate, to transform a 1966 VW Bug into the rolling piece of art. The Golden Mean is making its debut at the Burning Man art festival this year.
Mate says she literally dreamed up the concept.
“I woke up and said, ‘We have to build this giant snail,'” she said. “It totally wasn’t planned. This whole project has been weird coincidences and math.”
The visually stunning vehicle takes its name from the golden ratio, a mathematical proportion that’s said to produce aesthetically pleasing art and architecture. The spiral in the snail’s shell is shockingly close to the ratio. Other inspirations for the project include the giant pink snail from Doctor Dolittle, giant mechanical elephant puppets by Royal de Luxe and Jules Verne’s imaginative creations.
Here’s a peek at last-minute preparations that took place in Sarriugarte’s Form & Reform shop before Golden Mean headed off for its date with the playa.
With the head now done it’s time to add a patina!
I posted more pictures here
When I have more time I’ll post about how we did the patina.
before (I hated to change it!)
During
After. Wow!
Jon was up until 6AM. Yes 6AM after we started work at 9:30AM. We’re exhausted. Racing the snail (!) to the finish line. Here’s a teaser of the head.
- moon over snail
The final week days are upon us and things are looking so good. Lauren says we now just have to get it done regardless of how. Time for me to let go of all the details and just let this amazing crew do what they have done so well these past months. I can’t imagine how I’m going to repay you all!
more pics
Snail Ale (yes we even have home brew thanks to Keith and Merrilee!)
KSNL (K Snail radio at 95.1 again thanks to Keith and Merrilee!)
The late night crew. We had over 12 people Sat. and got so much done!
Over 50 panels in all and only 7 more to do! I’ll bet Hino has them all on by the time we wake up on Monday.
Lauren with the hardwood dash utilizing actual simulated virtual wireless technology from the Oil Punk era (note gauge at top).
To Do:
Fire Effects, Head lights, Straps for head, 7 panels, trim on top panels, Patina the entire shell in coppery bronze, paint, install wiring harness, install floor, install seats, reassemble fenders after paint, hubcaps, sound system, light effects, under body lights, curtains, have a beer, load.
Yes, we need help.
It’s a wonderful thing to work on a project that amazes the builders. Every time I walk back with a new part to add I have to stop in fascination at what we have done. The sum of small details adds life to cold steel.
The Golden Mean is looking Great!
Trying out the lighting on the inside of the shell
The Shell Grows Day by Day
We had to add a split rear VW Window!
The snails body emerges
Lauren lays out the wiring
The work is progressing well and we are very excited to finish the project. Every day I’m amazed at the crews workaholic frenzy to get this beautiful machine done. Equal parts art, hot rod, BM, craft, and technology; this project has wowed everyone who has seen it so far and we’re not even done!
more pictures
more about the Golden Mean
Jon, Pavel, Kyrsten, and Lauren.
Kyrsten installing the fire wall.
Finished spiral with the start of the skin.
