Art Farm's 2008 Burning Man Proposal Wins Grant!

Thanks to all at Burning Man once again for encouraging our foolishness. Here's our up-dated sketch, front and side view followed by a repeat of our concept-(as always, click to enlarge)
"The Shrine Of Fortuna"
A painting and altar installation proposal by Art Farm (Tony Speirs-designer)
Art Farm, the collective behind 2005's "HeadGames" & 2006's pavilion installation "The Game of Hope or Fear" are back with another mixed-media painting project.
This piece will feature an 8 foot by 12 foot depiction of Fortuna, the beautiful goddess of fortune and fate. Why Fortuna? In some ways, the theme grows out of the previous two pieces we made, both of which also employed spinning wheels and some aspect of game-playing and chance. We decided to personify the element of luck and create a shrine to the goddess herself.
She will be on a raised platform, painted and inscribed with symbols and perhaps prose relating to luck. And once again, the entire surface of the painting will be covered with hundreds of drawings, all touching on some aspect of fortune, chance, and luck-- both good and bad. These might include depictions of "lucky" charms, or talismans, or animals, thought to be omens of either good fortune or bad mojo. Or perhaps the drawings will be small stories--figures (real or imagined) that tell a tale of fate or superstition(above is a detail from our "Hope or Fear" piece)
Art Farm once again invites artists to participate by sharing their own visions of what "Lady Luck" might have tucked away behind that beautiful face of hers. In addition, there will also be a large "Wheel of Fortune" in front of our goddess, (half of which descends below the platform level) and we will feature an array of, we hope, amazing and thought-provoking fortunes. (Have a favorite fortune you've been saving and would like to share?-let us know!)
Participants may also make a direct plea or request of the goddess by writing on small colorful tags that they then attach to the side walls, becoming part of the piece. Lights will be recessed within the altar's eves above the painting. (We also know that Black Rock City has some fine and original fortune tellers, and we would welcome them to use our shrine as a gathering and meeting place to ply their craft. In addition, perhaps it would serve as an ideal backdrop for some wandering performers...?) Guidelines for fortune and drawing submittals will be posted soon, or you can e-mail Tony at- fallguy@sonic.net.
Thanks!

"Bringing Back The Fire" Opening Photos-

What a great show! And what a great opening too! While this blog definitely concentrates on all things Art Farm related-ALL the art in this show was kick-ass! Thanks Zack (our North Bay Regional point-person extrordinaire!), Cliff, Michael, SRJC, and fellow artists, but mostly thanks to Lisa for curating a really great show. For more-head on over to the blog she created for the event--here
above, at the Thursday preview show. below-a colorful character at Friday night's show (photos below by Clifford Hill)the crowd
an admirer of two of Jennybird Alcantera's paintings
Petaluma artists and veteran Burners Noah Elias and Jack Haye in front of another Jennybird painting

"The Game of Hope or Fear" at SRJC Show "Bringing Back The Fire"

getting the Game Board upright and in placeMichael Coy drawing out a diagram on his favorite suface (a real "hands-on" kind of guy. sorry)

Michael McGinnis-the SRJC Gallery exhibit specialist, did the real heavy lifting as far as installing our three walls. Much thanks Michael-and to his brother Tim, especially with getting the spinning wheels up and spinning
Jennybird Alcantara and her husband John surveying the scene

Finishing Up "Hope or Fear" for new Burning Man show @ Santa Rosa Junior College

Lisa is curating a show at the SRJC's great new gallery later this month, and it's given me a chance to go back into the huge Art Farm piece "The Game of Hope or Fear" and finish up some details that didn't quite get done for Burning Man 2006. Gary Amaro did a great job in designing and then doing the preliminary painting of the birds, but it was always the intension to tighten them up and flesh them out-- now finally I have some time. Click to enlarge-especially the bottom two.



You might also notice that there's been a lot more drawings added-especially around the birds. The wheels have been re-painted too. (as always--click for more detail)