Fishy Butterfly Rocker for Burning Man 2019

About

Hi, I'm Cindy, I’m an artist and designer and I need your help to bring my art installation to the Playa this year. This will be my third burn and the first time that I’m bringing art to the playa. I made a piece back in 2016 called Rock Rock Around the Block. It was for Market Street Prototyping Festival and I was able to design and build it through help from YBCA. A lot of my work is interactive and involves cross-cultural exchange. I look at a lot of playground structures like teeter totters, merry-go-arounds, and swings and think of new ways to put bodies in motion. I'm revisiting kinetic art this year and am designing a new version of Rock Rock Around the Block. It's called the Fishy Butterfly Rocker Boat of Abundance. 

Design






This piece speaks to love, joy and play through partner movement. I’ve added some new features while keeping the same oval framework. After living and painting in China last year, I became fascinated by Chinese traditions and wordplay in the Chinese language. The fish is an auspicious symbol in a lot of Asian cultures. In Mandarin, It is pronounced “yu” which is both the sound for “fish,” and “abundance.” By creating a large-scale cut out of fish, along with a butterfly to represent metamorphosis and a lotus flower to represent purity, I hope to bring the a part of the ancient Far East traditions and give prosperous energy to everyone on the Playa. 

Interaction

This piece would be a great seating option on the Playa, where you run into new people all the time. Sitting in it alone, the piece won’t move. But when you and a buddy both sit, it will activate the back and forth movement. In the past, I’ve found it to be a fun icebreaker for strangers who are getting to know each other. People of all ages have enjoyed playing on it and I can’t wait to see how Burners will have fun with it and bring their own unique energies to the piece. 

Fabrication 

If you’d like to support the piece, please consider making a donation. Your support will help offset the costs of the CNC fabrication, which involves translating my digital line drawings into Gcode and using the CNC machine to mill out all the intricate shapes. The remainder will go towards lumber, hardware, paint, and transportation. Your contribution will allow me to complete the fabrication process and bring this piece to life. It would mean so much to me to be able to bring this piece to the Playa this year. Thanks for your support!