It’s hard to be an artist! Read this heartfelt and painful open letter from Ross Asselstine, the designer of the Temple of Descendants, on why he felt he could not move forward with the project for Burning Man 2014: temple2014.net/ Ross also included a message that struck home. To the photographers and videographers of the Playa, he writes: “When you see art on the playa you really like, take a picture, but then ask who is the artist, who was the crew, what is the name of piece, how was it built, why was it built, and ask how can you thank them for their work. I guarantee you, that experience will be more fulfilling than just taking a picture and moving on. Artists that do work you like….…are amazing people, they made the piece to get your reaction and recognition. Recognize artists. Their name is not in a photo caption.” It’s “artist:” and maybe after that its “photo by:” Our art project for the past nearly three years has been making and then releasing a feature film about Burning Man and the dreams and challenges of the artists and the organizers. We can relate to the countless late nights and weekends, the sacrifice of time with family and friends, the stress and uncertainties, and the extreme financial burdens and risks that Ross Asselstine describes. We experienced those challenges ourselves, more than anyone needs to know. And we found that to be true of many of the artists creating large art pieces for the Playa. It’s not easy to take an idea burning in your imagination and make it happen in the world. The difference, however, is that our art, in the form of our film, only became possible because of the visual and performance artists and their crews who were making the event come alive with their work. Our films have received plenty of recognition, and we have a long list of credits at the end, but I’m afraid we didn’t do enough to recognize the artists who’s work lights up the screen. We want to fix that. Stay tuned for our “Artist Recognition Gallery” with photos and screenshots of art featured in our films. With your help, we surely can identify the artists and their crews, and include more of their story. Their art has always been a gift, and no one has been asking for recognition, but we want to recognize the creators so that we can say “Thank you.” Steve Brown Director / Producer Spark: A Burning Man Story
Posted on: Wed, 14 May 2014 07:22:00 +0000