...but it will do just fine.
I am excited, bewildered, and grateful.
What if tiny playa denizens suddenly danced in the sky on a
scale that is similar whales?
"Of a Temporary Nature" presents a
giant brood of fairy shrimp to celebrate the magic and beauty of these usually
unnoticed, indigenous inhabitants and the simple celebratory lessons they may
impart.
The stylized sea monkeys first appear as a ghostly dance of
mysterious forms. From a distance they may entice one to wonder what lies ahead, as the school of similar shapes appear vaguely familiar and
possibly yet foreign.
As we draw near they may now appear as intriguing possibilities,
and we may even recognize them for what they represent, the anostracan genus Branchinecta,
the indigenous fairy shrimps of Black Rock Desert.
This year the flooded playa
gave rise to an enormous emergence of these miraculous creatures, and these
enlarged residuals may remind us of our own preciously fleeting existence.
These fairy shrimp are constructed of rip-stop nylon and
fiberglass rods, and float as fixed kites from bamboo poles. This installation
is specifically created of creatures from the playa for creatures on the playa
to be hopefully engaged through visual enjoyment and environmental interaction.
During the day they sparkle in the sun shine while at night they glow with the
light of a continuously changing spectrum.
The simultaneously sinuous action of the similar forms
creates a sense of immediate community and cooperation. They dance in unison
with the wind, similar in direction and undulation, and invite us to join in
the flow. When there is no wind, there is simply limp rest, and maybe some
slight shade to sit within. There is no function here other than to be, to
exist in our fullest for the time being, and to appreciate.
They rise and pivot above our heads to function as unusual
windsocks that transcend into anostracan clouds, placing the scale of nature in
reverse, as humans now stand under the domain of the lowly fairy shrimp.
We are
all of a temporary nature and we may yearn to live like fairy shrimp – to
simply eat, mate, dance, and enjoy each other’s company as much as we can
before our pool dries up.
Supported in part by a grant from Burning Man
Introducing the 2017 Black Rock City Honoraria
2017 Art Installations
Special thanks to
Priscilla Van Tries
Parker and Ian Quinn
Jean Quinn
Jim Dattilo
Noah Count
Brody Scotland
All those at Burning Man who make this happen:
Mr. Harvey et al., Katie Hazard, The Artery, DPW,
Lamplighter Village, it goes on and on ...
The Webb School - Bell Buckle:
Administration, students and colleagues
Webb's Class of 1967 and Marion Marks
Joel Hausler
Anita Van Tries
Amy Van Tries
Zack Hyde
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