Fire Island
Specifications
Interactivity
Fire Safety
Set-up and
Clean-up
Diagrams
Budget
Schedule and
Timeline
Who are the
Flaming Lotus Girls?
Fire Island Art
Inventory
Fire Island
As you peruse the floating world
of Burning Man 2002, we invite you to experience the oasis of Fire Island. Likes moths to a flame, participants
will be attracted from all over the playa by flames emanating from Fire
Island. As they approach, they
discover a world surrounded by white sea foam clouds, vegetated with flaming
flowers, cactus and trees. Once
they have set foot upon the island, they can be initiated into the world of the
Flaming Lotus by traveling the terrain, playing with the flowers and playing
with their very own bursts of flame.
As participants travel within the
island they discover boat benches, inviting them to pause, relax and
contemplate the floating world of Burning Man. They can daydream and rest while gazing into a floating
flaming lily pond and firefall, overhung by a flaming weeping willow tree.
But, Fire Island is not without
(controlled) danger and excitement.
Whilst exploring the landscape, a field of copper flaming flowers to the
East and shadow light cactus garden to the West, unbenounced to the traveler
unaware, the agave fire cannon may suddenly be ignited by another participant
in a 10 foot burst of flame just out of harm’s range, giving them the
Flaming Lotus jolt of a lifetime.
At night, with a 6 chambered Fire Fan and Flaming Lotus Senior we will
give participants a great show as well as an opportunity to operate lovely yet
dangerous devices. It’s fun!
Specifications
We plan to create a 100 X 100 foot
fire sculpture and flamethrower installation. The installation consists of
three sections: the flower garden (including floating lily pond and firefall,
weeping willow tree, copper flaming flowers, shadow light cactus garden and 2
propane fire cannons), a fire fan featuring 6 50ft flame-throwers, opening and
closing in a midi-controlled sequence, and a kerosene cannon, the Flaming Lotus
Senior. Fire Island concentrates on the flame effects in several formats; from
propane jets to compressed kerosene.
The island shore will be suggested
by white fabric stretched between rebar, like clouds or wisps of sea foam. At
night, the periphery will be lit by sparkling starlights, which surround the
island.
There are three boat benches for
people to sit and gaze at Fire Island. The benches are old rowboats that have
washed up on shore and are buried in the playa sand.
We plan to operate the Island from
sunset to 3.00 AM from Tuesday through Sunday. We will also operate different
devices spontaneously during the day and night.
Our flamethrowers are designed to
be operated by Burning Man participants. We offer many levels of interactivity
from safe and passive, to operation of 50 ft. flamethrowers facilitated by
Flaming Lotus Girls. Operators can
duel against each other creating a fire show of unheard-of proportions. We
emphasize the ability of any Burning Man participant to operate our machines
and join the Flaming Lotus Girls. The smaller flowers and propane belchers will
have a control box and large buttons for any person who wishes to ignite them.
The larger flamethrowers will be operated in conjunction with a Flaming Lotus
girl to coordinate fire safety and machine safety.
This installation requires every
participant to create the experience for themselves and others, to bring Fire
Island alive. As participants interact with the devices, they also interact
with their fellow participants, creating an organic sequence of flames. They
are able to move from passive viewers to affecting other participants in the
immediate vicinity, and even to affecting the entirety of the Burning Man
community, creating spectacles that can been experienced by thousands.
As a participant, not only are you
inside the art, but you are empowered to operate the art as well. This is a thrilling moment, when a
person realizes that they have transcended their normal environment, no longer
being told to stand back, don't touch, sit down and watch as other people do
amazing things. At Fire Island, the participant doing amazing things is YOU.
Not only that, but everyone who
plays with the flamethrowers get stickers! YAH!
Fire Safety
Our liaison with the pyro safety team will be mizpoon (Pouneh Mortazavi). She will be available to answer questions and take action on any questions or concerns that the Fire Performance Safety Team may have.
After testing, we will meet with the Fire Performance Safety Team before allowing the public to enter Fire Island. (See schedule)
Gas supplies will have quarter turn shut off valves and be located in a shed 40ft from any open flame source and the participants. All propane tanks will be compliant with new federal guidelines (OPD devices).
Two fire extinguishers, one Co2, one DryChem will be stationed here, as well as an attendant charged with operating the main valves. In case of an incident, this attendant will immediately shut down Fire Island.
A Flaming Lotus Representative operator will also be present inside Fire Island to interact and instruct participants. They will act as the first line of fire safety. They will have two fire extinguishers, one DryChem and one water, Also wet blankets will be kept on hand, as well as a burn oriented first aid kit.
Our record of fire safety is excellent, in three years as a group; the Flaming Lotus Girls have never burned a single participant!
Most of our designing and setting
up is done before we leave for the desert. Flowers and wiring are all packed
down into a truck for transportation. We assemble onsite, it will take us a day
to assemble and test.
We intend that we create a leave no trace environment within Fire Island and surrounding areas. Cleanup occurs everyday. We will clean the installation, making sure that garbage is removed every day.
At the end of the festival, we
remove all machines and art; pull out ground stakes, scour the entire
installation and surrounding area for debris and pollution and work to ensure
that we LEAVE NO TRACE.
Month
|
Summary |
Task Description |
|
March |
Send proposal to Burning Man |
Complete proposal and budget for Burning Man |
|
April |
Design cycle |
Design new flowers, weeping willow tree, fire fan flamethrowers |
|
May |
Purchasing cycle Create more copper flowers |
Purchase materials, tools, shop and storage rental fees Locate valves, pressurized tank and mid controller for Fire Fan Create more copper flowers Reserve small generator and truck |
|
June |
Create cactus garden & weeping willow tree |
Create cactus garden and weeping willow tree. Create one large cactus flamethrower Make control boards for all participant operated devices Fuel Supply orders (propane, kerosene, nitrogen) |
|
July |
Create fire fan and propane wiring harnesses |
Build and test Fire Fan flamethrower Make propane wiring harnesses for cactus garden, flower garden and flamethrowers Assemble fire safety equipments, co2 & dry chem fire extinguishers Fire Safety Training Session for all Flaming Lotus Girls |
|
August |
Upgrade existing machines Create paths, benches, propane shack etc Testing cycle for all |
Test and upgrade existing machines Create paths, perimeter fences, benches, propane shack Testing cycle for all machines, testing cycle for controllers Sanity check Assemble equipment for installation in the desert Formalize Emergency Plan of Action and assemble Material Safety Data sheets |
|
September |
Burning Man |
Burning Man 2002 |
Week of Burning Man 2002 Schedule
Sun Aug 25 |
Arrive at Burning Man, set up power grid and lights |
|
Mon Aug 26 |
Installation of paths, fences, flower garden, cactus garden, weeping willow and lily pond Testing of flower garden, cactus garden, weeping willow and pond |
|
Tues Aug 27 |
Installation of Fire Fan and Kerosene Canon ( Flaming Lotus Senior) Testing of Fire Fan and Flaming Lotus Senior Performance Safety Team Technical walkthrough for gardens, weeping willow, and pond so that we can operate this section of Fire Island Fire Island Partial Performance 9pm – 3am |
|
Wed Aug 28 |
Performance Safety Team Technical walkthrough for Fire Fan and Flaming Lotus Senior Fire Island Full Performance 9pm – 3am |
|
Thurs Aug 29 |
Fire Island Full Performance 9pm – 3am |
|
Fri Aug 30 |
Fire Island Full Performance 9pm – 3am |
|
Sat Aug 31 |
Fire Island Full Performance 9pm – 3am |
|
Sun Sept 1 |
Fire Island Full Performance 9pm – 3am |
|
Mon Sept 2 |
Cleanup |
|
Tuesday Sept 3 |
Cleanup, truck packing |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Flaming Lotus Girls are a
loose-knit collective of female fire artists (ages currently ranging from 10 to
60) who came together in 2000 to create the Flaming Lotus fire cannon. We have been going and growing ever
since, creating installations at Burning Man 2000 and 2001, and showing work at
various functions around San Francisco.
Our fire art blazes from 2 inches to 50 feet. Women are encouraged to
participate and join the Flaming Lotus Girls by helping to design, build,
operate and play with the machines.
Flaming Lotus projects encourage
females with novice to expert-level experience to develop various art-making
skills such as design, copper sculpting, operating various metal working tools,
soldering, welding, and actual fire-device construction. We also encourage other flamethrower
designers to install and operate their machines within our Island.
We hold “Flamethrower
Tuesdays” every Tuesday night in the CELLspace metal shop to make our
pieces and introduce newbies to metal shop etiquette, machine fabrication and
flamethrower design skills.
Flaming Lotus Girls include Pouneh
Mortazavi, Lynn Bryant, B'anna Federico, Sherri Scott, Kirsten Henricksen,
Tamara Li, Tasha, Ariel, Polly Pandemonium, and many more girls who have
created flowers, grinded metal, welded steel, and set off the flamethrowers
Flamethrower technical design by
Dave X
Technical Advisor: Charlie Gadeken
Shackletons Feast Jan 2002 Flower
garden installation
(The Shipyard) 10
copper flowers
Decompression Oct 2001 Flower
Garden
(Inspected and approved by
the SFFD) 16 copper flowers
BurningMan Sept 2001 Flower Garden - A flaming environment of propane and kerosene fueled devices.
24 flaming copper flowers
Engine block
flowers 1 20ft Propane Belcher (Mini Mega Junior)
1 30ft Kerosene Cannon (Flaming Lotus SR)
Fire dance performances
Mechanical Cabaret July 2001 Flower
Garden (CELLspace)
flaming flowers
Burning Man 2000 Flaming
Lotus 1 30ft PINK GLITTER
(no more glitter)
Kerosene
cannon (Flaming Lotus Senior) Fire dance performances
*24 copper flaming flowers
--Propane jet flowers spurt flame
multiple times. Flames range from 1” to 20”
--2 interactive stations,
controller boards for participant operation
2 Shadowlight cactus plants
--3’ X 5’, steel,
illuminated by flame within, fueled by propane
Weeping Willow Tree
--Naptha and water flowing through
steel & copper tubing
Lily pond with Firefall Fountain
--4 foot diameter, shallow,
9” – 12” water-filled, copper lily pads with blossom fountain
of water and cascading flames
*Engine Block Flower Bush
--Blue burning propane/air flames, always ON
2 propane vertical flame-throwers
--1 steel 4’ X 3’
agave, 20’ propane bursts
--*1 steel 3’ X 4’
flower, 20’ propane bursts
--Large controller board, visible
and accessible to all
*Flaming Lotus Senior
--The Flaming Lotus Senior is our
first flame-thrower from Burning Man 2000. We compress nitrogen and use
solenoids to push kerosene out and upwards, through a pilot light to create a
massive explosion. Flames of40 to 60 feet. Daytime shots also produce stunning
smoke rings rising through the air.
Seashell Kerosene Squirter Fire
Fan
--New fire fan consists of 6
kerosene squirters, activated by a mid-sequencer. Flames range from 50 to 60
feet. 6 squirters fed by a central kerosene reservoir under pressure.
Copper and Steel Grass Clumps
Benches – designed to look
like small rowboats
Rebar and white fabric fence
Propane, generator and fire safety
shack
flaminglotus@yahoogroups.com
415-509-POON
tamara li
tamara@cellspace.org
415-401-7666