Temple of Moon
A memorial art installation: a bridge with spiral staircases forming an infinity symbol, built with no prior large-scale art experience.
The Temple of Moon was built in 2011 for Apogaea, Colorado's regional Burning Man event, in memory of Moon — a founding member of the Phoenix Asylum makerspace — and her unborn child. Moon was lead artist on CANO's Circus of Fear. The temple was designed as a bridge with spiral staircases on each end, forming an infinity symbol when viewed from above. Each spiral had six steps, symbolic of the tattoos on Moon's face.
I had no prior large-scale art experience. I designed with poster board sketches, clay models, and SketchUp renderings, drew on carpentry skills from helping build my family's home in high school, and organized volunteers through Facebook before the art grant was even submitted.
At the burn, hollow center posts for the spiral stairs — intended for airflow — superheated when I forgot to drill air holes in the base, creating accidental 14-foot flaming torches. The Temple of Moon was later featured in an official Burning Man calendar.