The Electric Sheepcatcher
The Electric Sheepcatcher is an art installation designed to bring together friends new and old. Suspended from 23’ in the air, a 12’ diameter display of radially symmetric LED patterns creates a ceiling of light as a gathering place. The installation made its public debut at Burning Man (themed “I, Robot”) in 2018 in the deep playa, away from commotion of the main city, where it could be discovered by night explorers. The circular frame is suspended from a steel tripod, which in turn is fixed to the ground with earth anchors. Out in the desert, the installation was solar-powered. We brought the installation back to Burning Man in 2019, as part of a larger installation called BaBaLand. Outside of Burning Man, It has also made an appearance at our friends’ bachelor/bachelorette campout, and at Camp Tasty.
Reflection
This project had two main takeaways for me: First, this project was the largest (in terms of physical size) project that I had co-led from ideation to installation. There were many practical design considerations and concessions that we needed to make along the way (eg. ensure the piece would fit in our workspace aka our living room). I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to share this piece of art with multiple audiences - each display came with its unique challenges and rewards. Second, this project provoked some thoughtful conversations about cultural heritage. The design of our art piece is a nod to the Native American dreamcatcher tradition, bestowing peaceful dreams upon its observers underneath. Hung above a bed or crib, the carefully woven web would catch bad dreams, and let through peaceful dreams. We were inspired by the design of Native American dreamcatchers, which were traditionally constructed from bent wood and sinew string. Of course, we want to be respectful and careful to avoid cultural appropriation. The dreamcatcher-inspired design has sparked some thought-provoking conversations about appropriation. Ultimately, I don’t believe that respectfully borrowing a beautiful design element is appropriation, but I am a firm believer in being open-minded and having open conversations, so I welcome active and continued discussion.
Process
The idea for this project was originally conceived as ‘portable, backpacking art’, where a group of friends could each bring a piece of the art on a hike to a remote location, for friends to enjoy, and for strangers to discover. The design has gone through several iterations since we built the first version on the floor of our living room in Spring 2017. The first version of our piece featured a PVC frame (chosen for its light weight) and debuted at a camping trip, where it was strung to a tree. There, we discovered that friction-fitted PVC joints inevitably twisted, resulting in a “taco-ing” of the once-planar frame; in addition, the initially planar net drooped into a vortex shape because we couldn’t apply enough tension to the sides of the net. In subsequent iterations, we traded light-ness for structural stability, and re-purposed a trampoline frame to provide sufficient tension for to keep our LED net in one plane. We still have aspirations of welding an aluminum frame that would be strong enough to keep its shape, but light enough to transport.
This project was a collaborative effort with Paul Laskowski, from ideation to execution. The steel tripod was the brainchild of the incredibly generous Sean Cusack over at Sheet Metal Alchemist.
