Click here for Fluffer Tales (stories from the playa)

"Fluffer" is a mobile art installation for Burning Man 2009.  A sumptuous,  interactive experience with auditory, visual, olfactory, and physical sensations enhanced  by hypnotic trance.

Click photos left to right by Amy Winder, Zuki Akula, Geralda Miller (with "Mike the Fluffer King"), and Chrissipe

Who was a good doggie?

Who gave fluffy love at Burning Man all week long?

Who waited for daddy in the desert when he broke down at the end?

Fluffer, that's who!

Click photos from left by Baudot, Geralda Miller and Zuki Akula

Big belly-scratchings to all who participated in the Fluffer Project! I'll post more pics on the website once I scour permissions from Flickr.com and such.

The juxtaposition of receiving your warm, fluffed coat/hat/whatever on a cold, dark desert night had exactly the effects I was hoping for- those of comfort, love, joy, surrender, and happiness as evidenced by the faces and subsequent hugs. After a while, I learned to suspend the clothing above your head so you could feel the heat and smell the fabric softener. After your anticipation, and that of those in line swelled, I let it slowly trickle down onto your head and face, then stepped back to watch the magic.

Many admitted going into a trance state, thanks to Lucifer, our hypnotic consultant. Something tells me it will change the way a few do laundry for a long, long time.

At Sunday's final "Fluffer Farewell" at the 12:00 trash fence, I was delighted to be greeted by many enthusiastic followers of the project, including "Mike the Fluffer King" who was back for his third fluffing with soft coat, pants, hat, gloves, and even 3-D glasses!

Fluffer will be at the Reno Decompression on Saturday night, October 17th. I'll post some details here when their new website is up.  We may do the full hypno-experience, but I also think it would be funny to run it just as a "coat check".  What do you think, Fluffer crew?

Do you have a Fluffer experience/story, video or photo to share?  Please send to me at
sinktrap(at)charter(dot)net    (sorry for the cryptic stuff, trying to avoid spam-bots).

Now let's talk about the magnificent Fluffer Crew...

Bernie Bauchamp: Present with me on the playa in 2008 when the initial idea struck.  Insightful and trusting of my sick vision as it came into focus.  Supportive in word and deed.  Sometimes just his smile would get the rest of us through.  His vast background in puppetry helped us see the dog head as an entity that could be loved and played with, so the voice in the headphones did not anthropomorphize it.

Connie Hansen: All the way from Denmark, Connie's patient embrace of el wire sewing surrounded Fluffer's "bone cozy" which framed the interactive screen that participants came closest to as they touched it.

Dave Cherry: Final touch-up paint on the hypnotic spiral.  Good with a brush, good in a pinch!

Dusty Bacon: Aside from the very welcome embrace of tedious tasks like 1000 zip ties to LED strings, Dusty helped me stay on track with the global vision of what we were doing and why.  He could see the effects on people before they happened, cognizant of what he called the "click" in their eyes when he explained the "thermal hypnotic" experience they were about to open themselves up to.

Kernul Killbuck: When I could not figure out how to bring the dog and spiral together for mobile deployment, Killbuck took a napkin and pencil and whipped it out over breakfast!  This gave us the visual direction we needed to start fabrication in earnest, then his final artistic rendering helped others to dig our direction.  His fiberglass/chicken wire ideas and sculpting skills came to bear in lovely and enduring ways.  A little touch up with his spray cans, and Fluffer stopped looking like a bunny to become our beloved doggie in the desert.

Lightnin': Having gotten to know her better after her sensational photo expose of last year's Zsu Zsu project, Lightnin' picked up the gauntlet with sorely needed sewing skills and detail work, including pressing her mother into service for finishing touches like the "F" flags.  None looks cuter in the white uniform, and watching participants surrender to her cheerful will even before sitting down made for some delightful moments indeed.

Lucifer: Hypnosis consultant responsible for the words heard in the headphones as participants fell into varying states of trance.  Excruciatingly articulate and intelligent, with an eye to the big picture that helped us get inside the heads of potential participants.

MiKo: Originally arriving as a guest of Dusty Bacon, Mico rolled up her sleeves and jumped into tasks with great vigor. Her zeal for enjoying mutual company and strange music while embracing a tedious job set an example for many of us.

Mr. Fixit: Sing a song of praise for the Master of all things mechanical.  I would show up at his workshop, ready to help him fabricate a transmission from spare parts, then he would take me on a tour of the amazing and elegant mechanical elements he had already crafted before I arrived!  It is an honor to work with genius, and I will sweep his floor at any opportunity.

The Pawn: There will always be a special place in the heart of Fluffer for The Pawn.  Perhaps it's because he IS the heart of Fluffer... or the brain, I'm not sure.  Working into the night even when the root beer was gone, The Pawn toiled over his laptop to custom-build a computer program that would play the sounds, close the eyes, dim the lights, and scratch the respective bellies of participants.  His smile, intelligence and decades of friendship helped us endure the snags when I would hit the wall or have a temporary lapse of faith.

Posha: Seamstress with an eye to detail.  Based upon her concept of a duvet/cover for the folding camp loveseat that participants sat in, the furry creation lasted the entire week, providing welcome comfort essential to participants surrendering to hypnotic trance state.

Professor Munz: Robotic eyes moved with a PIC controller and bent coat hangars, Pulse width modulation from a custom-designed circuit to dim the white lights in the head and fade up the black lights on the spiral.  These and other almost imperceptibly subtle suggestions were the doings of my friend who shares a deep appreciation for my wife's cooking.  If you love Fluffer and are not sure why, the dear Professor had a great deal to do with it.

Reno Jeff: Transport god and master of the ratchet strap and chrome fender.  At the very end of the event, Fluffer's peddle-assist drive mechanism broke so I went out to the playa and stripped it for transport.  Afterward, Jeff and crew showed up at my camp with Fluffer packed and strapped for the ride back to Reno.  This was not the first time he really came through for a project in the end-- Zsu Zsu comes to mind as well!

Smooches: The female voice that licked your brain from the inside.  Not famous for her subtleties... until now!  We met every Thursday to refine and record her sultry voice.  This, combined with her coaching, allowed me to record the male voices with similar results.  As predicted, most participants chose the "female sexy" voice, making Smooches the star of the show. I dare you to repeat out loud her "...feeling so gooood... feeling so relaaaaaxed.." and not swoon a little to yourself.

Too Tall Dan: When I received an e-mail from this man who simply wanted to work on Burning Man projects, I said "sure, just show up".  Upon meeting Dan and seeing his thirst for skills and knowledge, I soon found out that he was destined for even greater things as he forged a friendship with Mr. Fixit and became a "regular" at his workshop.  Among other things, Dan is responsible for the rococo filigree and steering stabilizers.

My wife, Sharon: The REAL reason behind how I'm able to pull this stuff off for six years running without a major failure.  She cooks me yummy meals, drives the kids to dance lessons, pays the bills, cleans up my messes, (not in the workshop), and loves me like no other can or will.  This is not an obligatory nod to the woman-behind-the-whatever.  Rather, a deep acknowledgement of the problems I do not have because of the love that I do.

Special thanks to Chris Calamusa and Dave Karlenzig who showed up to help us load up the Fluffer Pup and celebrate our success with our favorite mystery ladies!  Special thanks also to Camp Nosefish who provided support, play, and an illegal land-grab attempt that finally came to blows in silly and playful ways.

Be well and do strange things,

-Mister Jellyfish

Photo by Professor Munz

  The video below is best experienced with headphones and in full-screen mode (click bottom right button to enlarge).
 Thanks for checking out the Fluffer project.  I'll be updating things over in the Progress Blog pretty regularly so be sure and check back there often to follow the progress of this strange artistic endeavor.

-Mister Jellyfish

Schematic drawn by Killbuck.

Custom "QuadraBike" by Mr. Fixit & The Crew.

Original Rendering by Killbuck

The operator's uniform look I'm going for.

The Concept:

Remember when you were a child, being handed your pajamas fresh out of the dryer?  That warm, soft, enveloping feeling combined with the comforting fragrance of fabric softener?  Imagine that same feeling magnified ten-fold through hypnotic suggestion and the fact that you are enjoying it on a cold evening on the open playa.  This simple yet powerfully pleasant experience is “Fluffer”.

In the midst of your adventures in Black Rock City, you and your companion come upon a large, furry dog head on an odd four-wheeled bicycle.  Fluffer offers an interactive experience for participants drawn to its whimsical charm.  Glowing, white fur covers the big dog head on this mobile art installation.  An interactive touch-screen menu is mounted inside a large dog bone to present a menu of options.  Questions may include “How do you feel?"   “How do you want to feel?”  “Do you prefer a male or female voice?”  “Normal voice or sexy?” A white-clad attendant invites you to provide an article of clothing and you hand them your fuzzy playa coats.  Just before you and your friend start to shiver from the cold, the gracious servant produces a comfortable folding loveseat and supplies a luxurious faux fur blanket to keep you warm.   Then your host fits you both with a pair of stereo headphones.  You find yourself wrapped in comfort, and facing Fluffer’s hypnotic spiral mouth that slowly begins to revolve.  The familiar arrangement may remind you of watching TV on a couch. 

A seductive female (or male) voice begins to speak directly to you through the headphones.  She relaxes you and entices you to look deeper into the rotating spiral.  It almost feels as if her enchanting voice is caressing your brain from the inside as you fall into sweet, hypnotic bliss.

For six minutes, you enjoy a customized experience, based upon your answers to the previous questions.  It allows you to turn off the mind-boggling and often exhausting stimuli all around.  Deeper into Fluffer you go as you lean back into the loveseat and snuggle down into a deep and safe place, watching the spinning spiral as the hypnotic voice causes you to empty your mind and return to a less chaotic state of consciousness.  Fluffer soothes and comforts you as she opens your mind and senses for the final part of the experience with hypnotic suggestions that may include phrases such as: “…you love your coat… you miss your coat… you want your coat…

The attendant then approaches you with something familiar… your fuzzy playa coat, but something is different.  As they hold the coat for you and you place your arms in the sleeves,  you feel a new warmth surrounding you, combined with the familiar, comforting fragrance of fabric softener as you simply melt into it.  A persistence-of-vision after-effect is also apparent as the lights of Black Rock City appear to swirl like the Fluffer spiral that so captivated you only moments ago. 

Doggie Snacks

The host presents you with a real restaurant doggie bag, inside of which is the still-fragrant fabric softener sheet wrapped around YOUR OWN DRYER LINT (L.N.T. - Leave No Trace)!  The bag is also used to hold possessions from your coat pockets that you transfer prior to Fluffing.

Bonus

 An optional addendum to the experience is that of a boot-warmer device that pipes the hot air exhaust from the dryer to removed shoes for a “toasty toes” bonus experience.

Philosophical Statement/Theme Relevance: 

No species on the planet has had more forced breeding than the dog.  For millennia, humans have sculpted canine destiny based upon their ability to pull a sled or assist in hunting or protection.  In more recent history, breeding has been influenced by human pleasure factors that include temperament, attractive coats, and “cuteness”.  Although documented breeding is common, even the lowly mutt is a result of centuries of human influence on a rather “unnatural selection”.  When a species reaches such a refined level of imposed evolution, elements of a feedback loop become apparent.

Since pets are not permitted at Burning Man, many participants miss their dogs.  Pet owners over time start to behave and look like their dog.  The bond between humans and their “best friend” companions is so strong that we even follow them around to pick up their poop!  Do they now train us?  What influence over human breading do dogs now possess?  I.e. you’re not going to get to second base with your potential mate unless you at least pretend to like their pooch.

The Fluffer experience allows the participant to explore the core relationships between human and canine.  It examines the subtle reward-based imprinting dogs perform on their master’s minds through expressions of affection and desire combined with repetitive suggestion.   Fluffer is a sumptuous human experience, enhanced by familiar comforts (clothes dryer) and surrender through hypnotic suggestion.  Your fluffed coat is a reminder of how you have evolved from a furry animal to a Burner with a responsibility to your community and to the earth.  Those familiar with the use of the word “Fluffer” in the pornographic film industry may find the double entendre humorous.  Lastly, DOG spelled backwards is…

Fluffer Wants A Treat!

  Art like The Fluffer Project requires a bundle of bucks to pull it off in a way that delights peeps like yourself. Please click on the Paypal donation link below and make a contribution of any size.  Together, we'll make history at Burning Man 2009 and we'll get all warm and fluffy doing it!

Copyright 2009 By You Know Who