a discovery

I made an interesting discovery last night as I was building another pattern - this one based on a rectangle. The previous patterns were generated using either a triangle or a hexagon at their center resulting in a symmetrical and equal expansion as they grew. Being four sided, the rectangle can expand symmetrically as well as bilaterally creating a long linear form. More experimentation is required!

Other news -

I've acquired a few 4 x 4's and will start building some full scale mock ups in the next week or so.

I got a call from a guy at the Discovery Channel who works on a show called Daily Planet that is interested in documenting the project for inclusion in a series of "science meets art" stories premiering this fall. Fun!

Bells, bells, bells

http://www.imakebells.com

I found a great local craftsman that makes bells out of recycled gas tanks! I plan to contact him and see if he can help me make our bells for Burning Man 08. Stay tuned....

bigger model 2

JRS announcement

The Burning Man news letter, Jack Rabbit Speaks, came out yesterday with a list of the funded projects for 2008, and due to the presence of a little analysis widget on my website, I'm able to see where visitors to the site are coming from. The site got over a thousand hits yesterday from all over the world! Japan - Germany - Peru - Columbia - France - Sweden - Poland - England - Australia - New Zealand - and a majority from the US. Exciting!

bigger model

I started another series of study models at a slightly larger scale. They're really starting to feel like 4 x 4's now.

So far, I've discovered some really critical things.

One, the proper and accurate alignment of these pieces is essential to making a large pattern. With out the proper alignment the pattern quickly degenerates into chaos.

Two, that lashing the connections during the assembly process will make keeping the pieces aligned much, much easier.

And three, this pattern is going to us more than one hundred twenty poles - I'll need about 40 more.

The action figures are about the right scale.

Funded!

While I was out in the Southern New Mexico desert last week, I received a call from Lady Bee telling me that harmonic geometry will be funded! I am psyched!

I'll continue developing the idea thorough physical models for the next month or so and when the weather improves, jump up to full scale schemes using 12 foot long 4 x 4's.

2008 Grant Proposal

Here are a few images from my Burning Man grant proposal for 2008. Yes, this is a completely different idea than the last one I was working on . . . It's based on an interesting structural system discovered by Leonardo Da Vinci and later by Dutch sculptor Rinus Roelofs.