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We
did it!
Here
is the first playa photo of the Mutant Vehicle. Freezing the
lighting with a disposable camera is tough. I'm glad
"Striper" lent her feline glow.
Thanks
to Morgan from New Zealand for the great shot below. I remember
that moment when I was crouched over gooping a foam clock on to the
wheel right before driving it to the DMV (Department of Mutant
Vehicles) for their approval.
What
I learned:
As
a virgin to the event, I did not fully know what to expect. If
you are new to Burning Man and thinking of building a Mutant Vehicle
for next year's event, here are some insights I could only gain after
I got the beast to the playa:
-
The
best part was turning over the keys to other pilots and setting
the thing free so I could be free as well.
-
Artistically,
the people who "got it" really "got it".
-
Interaction
brought the most joy. Especially participatory things like
the big hourglass that people could play with.
-
Some
people thought it was a taxi cab service, no matter how I tried to
explain the Space Time Serendipity Drive.
-
I
was so wrapped up in the details like el-wire and pilot training,
that I forgot to check the important stuff... like oil! I
thought the
Time Tractor seized on burn day due to my neglect, but it was the
transmission that locked up and I could have fixed it faster if I
spent more time doing diagnostic than taking things apart.
-
The
stuff all looked cool as we built it in the garage. I think the
night time concept was better than the cluttered look of it in the
day time.
-
The
art was less cohesive than other art cars. I admire less detailed
vehicles with great welding skill that outdoes my nuts and bolts
method of construction.
-
The
open frame construction allowed me to drive next to the water
truck and get all the passengers soaked. Better too for less
wind resistance on a taller structure. 2nd Story next
year? Forget it!
-
A
voltmeter would have helped with knowing the battery charge
levels.
-
Police
spotlights with congo blue filters were cool but sucked too much
power. Keeping jumper cables aboard was smart.
-
El
wire is the pasta of the gods!
-
Any
time I started to get show-offy, I made stupid mistakes.
-
The
radio station was a cool idea. Keeping it on full time and
moving it to my camp would have been better.
-
Newbies
like me who over-study may have been more prepared to meet the
Department of Mutant Vehicles (DMV) requirements than veteran
burners who think they already know it all.
-
Anything
that wobbles will break. That includes wire.
-
Swimming
noodles are cheap for a reason
-
Outdoor
"Goop" brand is still the best adhesive
-
Driving
on wet roads cakes the wheels with playa
-
The
waterfall table top suspended by springs so it bounced around was
a happy accident, yet people loved it. The fact that it
could rest in the middle when people sat on it allowed us to load
more people on it.
Success
is its own reward, I suppose. So many people to thank, many on
the progress page. Raising a glass of
playa dust to
the pilot squadron including Lars, Metatech, Pier, Diarmaid, Duke, Josie,
Tony (where's your hat!?), Mike, and others I am to stupid to recall
right now.
The
International
Time Vault
"Time
is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so." -Douglas Adams
Mission
Statement:
Passengers
in the Time Vault are not driven by their past, but
pulled by the future... in shady splendor! The Space-Time
Serendipity Drive takes them less where they want to go, and more
where they need to be: Fully present in the moment.
Memories flash and tumble , manifested in the Wheel of Time trailing behind. A shift occurs in the perception of time for
both riders and observers of our passage, ablaze with light, color,
and whimsically interactive timeplay.
Special
thanks to Giora for this graphic rendering!
Hi
Mutant
Vehicles, formerly known as Art Cars, have become an important part of
the Burning Man experience. Hi. My name is Mister Jellyfish,
the Camp Mutant Vehicle Coordinator for the Black
Rock Burner Hostel under
the gentle guidance of "Hageyman".
I
was a Virgin
to Burning Man so I may have had unreasonable expectations of the event or
made stupid comments from time to time... kindly bare with me. To
my credit, I have explored the playa and surrounding hot springs a few times. Living in the
Reno/Sparks area sure has its advantages!
If you would like to
contribute resources, work, ideas, or a donation to this project,
please click the appropriate link on the left and sign the guest book
to share your vision. Be sure and check back often to the Progress
page for pictures and updates.
Cheers!
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