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Fluffer Tales
Stories of the Fluffer Mobile Art Installation at Burning Man
2009
Photo by Geralda Miller
"Jellyfish!!!"
"Jellyfish!!!" I bellowed from across the playa. It was to be
my third fluffing and I yelled with excitement as my sureness grew
that it was indeed the Fluffer out in the middle of the deep playa.
The first time I stumbled upon this wonderful little pup was
about mid week. My friends and I were wandering the desert walking
from shiny light to shiny light and just happened to stumble upon
him. Intrigued we approached and found two willing participants
sitting cozily in front of a large open spiral mouthed pooch. Their
ride had not started yet but they looked extremely comfy sitting in
the fuzzy chair with a warm fuzzy blanket. I was excited and coaxed
my team into waiting for me to take a ride.
My turn, I enter in my state of mind and whether I'm allergic
to Laundry products (weird). The good humor man takes my coat and
escorts me to the fluffy chair with a warm blanket (what a
gentleman.) Seconds into my ride I become fully absorbed into the
Fluffer. Everything else disappears and I am absorbed into this
beautiful spinning mouth and music. The single spiral splits into
two and starts melding together to the music. I was blown away. As
the first song faded away and I found myself sitting in front of the
Fluffer again. Not fully understanding what just happened and that
my partner is not on the same ride as I. I yell "that was f******
awesome!" and just as I did the second song starts and I get to do
it all over again. I was in love. It wasn't the end though. After
my ride the good humor man returns my jacket. Wow, its all warm and
smelly how perfect is that. Awesome, absolutely awesome.
Later that night, as the evening was turning to morning and we
start making our way back to camp I decide I'm going to go get
fluffed again. It would be nice to go home all warm and cozy. But
where is it. I swear it was right here. "hey you over there have
you seen the Fluffer!" Their reply "what's the Fluffer?" What its
got to be here even if it is shut down we should still be able to
find it. It was right between the temple and the slid. It's here it
has to be here. But it was no where to be found. "I think it was
an art car." Says my friend Ben. What, no. It couldn't have been.
It had a little fence and a computer screen around it. It was an
instillation, wasn't it?
Determined the next day I scoured what, when, where. Sunday, I
found it. I don't see it anywhere else but its going to be there
sunday near the fence.
Some time later one late night my girlfriend and I were about to
turn in for the night maybe walk the esplanade home. Hey look over
there. Do you see that little red sign on top of a small
whitish art car heading down 10. I think that might be the Fluffer.
Lets see if we can catch it before it gets away. Sure enough it was
the Fluffer and we got to meet Mister Jellyfish plus a bonus round
Fluffer ride what a perfect evening.
After the Temple burn... Sure, I lucked out and got to get
Fluffed again but why wouldn't I want to get Fluffed back to the
default world. Come on gang I know where it's going to be this
time.
It brought me moments of serene beauty and calmness in the chaos
that is the city I love and a piece of the default world that I
leave behind every year to go home. It was a great adventure as
well as my favorite experience this burn. Thank you to all that
made it possible. It has inspired me to complete a project I have
wanted to bring to the playa since my first burn. I love you all.
Smoke on,
Mike aka "The Fluffer King"
"My fondest memories were of being the Fluff-greeter, filling in the
flufferific details of what I told them was a "thermal-hypnotic"
experience and seeing the click in their eyes as their awareness
expanded to encompass the possibilities of an unknown experience
they were about to open themselves up to. I also loved hearing
about how much they loved and missed their dogs. I can only imagine
how the Fluffing altered their interaction and anticipation of being
reunited with their own poochie poo. I think we easily take for
granted the FACT that animals can love less conditionally than most
of us can. Ultimately it is the love that comes from within we must
open up to..."
-Dusty Bacon,
Fluffer Crew Member
"I walked out to the trash fence after the
Temple burn cursing Jellyfish, 'Why did he have to choose a spot so
freaking far away?! He could have done it right here. He'd better be
there or I'm kicking some poochy tail.'
Along the way, some folks were hollering,
"JELL-EEE FISH!!!" I responded with, "SMOOCHES!!!" When I caught up
with them, we did not know each other; we were instead connected by
Fluffer and they were heading out there to experience Fluffer yet
again.
Amazement awaited me. Not only was Fluffer
there but a small crowd waiting for Fluffer to start. I couldn't
believe it. I got to talk with these folks. One gent hunted Fluffer
down, scoured the Wha, Wha, Wha for it and dragged his friends out
to the trash fence after the Temple burn so they could experience it
too. I was blown away. I had no idea.
Damian, I publicly wish to thank you. For
stringing me along during the "auditions". For warmly demanding the
softness of my heart to show itself, that softness that too few
people experience. For letting me know it's okay to whisper. For the
grand privilege of impacting hundreds of people with my voice. You,
my friend, will live inside my brain and soul for all of my breaths.
Thank you for licking me from the inside."
Warmly and with Love,
Smooches, Fluffer Crew Member
"My most fond remembrance has to do with watching body language and
facial expressions during the sessions, especially those people who
found the furry side of their warm blanket, gently stroking it with
their fingers as a relaxed smile spread over their face. I don't
have to tell you that much of BM can be frenetic and fast paced when
you are trying to cram maximum stimulus into your consciousness in a
week or less; Fluffer allowed it's participants a few minutes to
escape that sprinting treadmill and move in the opposite direction.
That's why people like Mike felt compelled to return for Fluffer's
soporific reassurance.
One of my fellow villagers in Terminal City,
Oregon Red, waited patiently in line the night Jeff and I hosted the
unit and continued to remark on her experience the rest of the week;
I did not remember her from last year but I now have a new "best
friend" whom I will always be connected to through the Fluffer
experience.
You also mentioned blissful stupors. No
matter what the physical presence or attitude of the participants
beforehand, the warm sense of gratitude and satisfaction was
universal as burners, often reluctantly, left the premises for other
playa adventures.
Speaking off the top of my head(and probably
blowing smoke out my ass)I would suggest that Fluffer has a bright
future in the world of behavior modification; why not contract it
out to tradeshows where frazzled conventioneers would benefit from
the soothing mind massage of persuasive voices. It would not be the
first time an art project had a life beyond BM.
Finally, I would like to address your
personal efforts in this endeavor. The entire 2-1/2 weeks I was on
Playa this year I heard references to your personal genius/madness
from people who have benefited from your reputation as a master of
off-the-wall concepts. Their comments always condense into the same
question: where does he come up with this stuff?
My answer to them is always the same: I
respond that My reaction is always the same as theirs when I first
hear about the project de jour, but my confidence is bolstered the
more I participate even though many of the technical aspects are way
over my head. My mind is made up that your inclusive attitude is in
great part responsible for your success; that encouraging the
involvement of others polishes the rough edges of your ideas and
creates a finished product that is nothing short of an
out-of-the-park grand slam, transforming an arcane concept into a
user and operator friendly experience embedded in the consciousness
of all who participate.
I look forward with great enthusiasm to
participating in Reno Decompression."
-Bernie Bauchamp, Fluffer Crew Member.
"There was a woman who was pretty stoned or something, she sat on
the ground grumbling. When I escorted the next couple to the
chair after they answered the questions on the touch screen, she
became cross with me insisting that she was next in line and it was
my "job" to know that. "Yes," I smiled. "I can see how
this white uniform makes me appear like an employee, rather than an
artist who has brought you something special". When it was her
"turn", everything went wrong. The computer locked up, the
dryer stopped spinning, the installation simply would not play with
her negative energy.
A little secret I never had the chance to employ is what we called
the "Abba Override" button. For surly frat boys and the like,
it cancels the hypnotic experience in the headphones and instead
plays for them "Dancing Queen" by the pop group Abba-- twice in a
row. I did not have the heart to do it to the woman described
above, but there was one guy who rolled up on me when I was in
transport that I sorely wished would find us again. Upon
seeing the big "Fluffer" sign, he arched is drunken chest forward
and attempted to bisect my travels bellowing "Fluffer! You
mean Fluffer for my DICK?!". Yours in service, sir.
Those were the only two brief negative experiences I can recall.
When I stack that up against the smiles, tears, hugs, and genuine
hypnotic trance states I could see participants going in to, It
makes me realize just how much of a bulls eye we hit with this
project. I am grateful to our sensational crew, to Burning
Man, Bettie June, and to the participants that were keen to try something strange
and different in the middle of the Black Rock Desert."
-Mister Jellyfish, Lead Artist.
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