~ What art projects have you been involved with?
In '96, I showed up. I helped with Skip Wagner's serpent project in 1997 (It was part of the burn ceremony.) I created the original Space Bug for 1998. Brought her and her newly made sister back in 1999 as part of Camp Coup D' Etat. In 2000, it was Camp Coup D E'tat II, Electric Boogaloo, with my contributions including both of the bugs, the "Get Lucky Here" sign, and the kinetic sculpture known as the "G-Spot Tornado". In 2001, saw a third year of Camp Coup D' Etat, with all the above mentioned projects contributed by yours truly, and also a performance art piece titled, "Beethoven Never Did This". For 2002, I'm thinking about a jacked up golf cart, and possibly a larger interactive sculpture.

~ What inspired you to get involved?
I would have to give the bulk of my creative inspiration to Burning Man itself. I was an avid painter before ever attending BM, but afterwards, well, the horizon just exploded for me.

~ How'd you get the idea for the first Space Bug?
The idea for the first Space Bug came directly from the Town Hall Meeting for Burning Man in 1997. I was there with my friend Skip Wagner checking out the various booths and basically trying to figure out how to be more involved with the overall project. It was upon seeing the Art Car booth that Skip looked over to me and said, "We should turn that old bug of yours into an art car." I immediately agreed, and we set our minds to brainstorming.

Skip, being the religious subversive that he is, first suggested that we turn the bug into a "Pope Mobile." I responded with,"We could get a mannequin, dress it up like the pope, cover it in blood, riddle the glass with bullet holes...," I soon realized that we would be killed for such a stunt, and decided a tamer jab at the Pope would be necessary. Well after sitting on the concept for several days without a single idea coming to mind, I finally said to myself," What the fuck, what am I going to do concerning the Pope, I have absolutely nothing at all in common with the bastard. We don't see eye to eye on any issue. Hell, I sincerely doubt that we're even from the same planet." It was at this exact moment that the light bulb above my head went off. I immediately employed my lower division logic class knowledge to quickly deduce that:
    A. If the Pope and myself are not from the same planet, and
    B. I can safely assume that I am from this planet, then
    C. The Pope would have to be from a different planet, and therefore need a spaceship.

~ Where'd you find the first bug?
The first bug I already owned, and simply used available materials for an art project.

~ What was your background in doing modification work like that?
Actually, building the first bug was in fact my introduction to sculpture. Unfortunately, it really shows.

~ How long did it take to modify?
The first Space Bug took about four months to build, mostly due to the fact that I was learning as I went, and therefore much trial and error was involved. Fortunatel, my friend Steve Hosking was there for me to help work out some of the technical problems. (He's like an engineer, or TV repair man or something.)

~ When did you complete the transformation?
Let me put it to you this way, we were adjusting the headlights at four in the morning the night before we left, and the first and only road test for the new body design was in fact the drive to the desert at sun up.

~ How do you get your works out to the desert?
The Space Bugs travel under their own power. Half of the fun is driving them to the event. The rest is trucked or trailered.

~ What were peoples' reaction to the Space Bugs either on the drive to Black Rock or at the event?
The Space Bugs are by far the absolutlely most conspicuous vehicles on the road. To date, I have had nothing but resounding and supportive responses. Children, and children of all ages love them.

~ Ever been pulled over by the police?
I have only actually been pulled over by the authorities once in a Space Bug. I've gotten stares from our nations finest, and even had the plates run a couple of times, but to date, I have only been pulled over once. Ironically, I was in town, driving to work. (At the time, the Bug was my only working vehicle.) I was driving south on Mission Blvd., when I made eye contact with a CHP officer who was traveling in the northbound direction. He quickly whipped around, rushed up behind me, and threw on his lights. Upon pulling me over, he asked to see my registration and insurance, and then proceded to run through a complete mechanical check of the vehicle. " Could you please step on the brakes? Could you please turn on the headlights? Could you please..."

It was when the officer went to his car to retrieve a tape measure that I piped in with, "Actually sir, it is my understanding that the legal maximum width of any vehicle allowed on the road is 102 inches, and I can assure that this car is exactly 96 inches wide. Honestly sir, do you think that I would be driving this thing on the road if it illegal in any way, shape, or form." With that said, the officer had no legal right to detain my any further, and grudgingly said, "Thank you for your time, have a nice day."

~ How is the second space bug different from the first?
The Space Bugs are twins by design, and only have small and mostly unnoticeable differences.

~ Talk a little about the Get Lucky sign.
The "Get Lucky Here" sign was my first appropriation. I "liberated" a very large Lucky sign from a billboard graveyard shortly after the Albertsons and Lucky Corporations merged, made a few moderations to the face,and built a light box behind it. It's main purpose is to act as a beacon for myself and my camp mates, and serves as a good pun and conversation piece.

~ And what about the G-Spot Tornado and your performance piece "Beethoven Never Did This"?
The G-Spot Tornado is a kinetic sculpture that consists of a disco ball set on top of a large cylinder, with several dozen plastic fingers hanging from springs attached to it. "Beethoven Never Did This" is a direct take on the book, "Shakespeare Never..." by my hero, Charles Bukowski. I once described the piece as, "Taking John Cage's "Happenings' to their natural and final conclusion," but that is just art wank jargon for 'I took apart a piano with a fire axe.'"

~ Any interesting reactions or comments you've heard from folks as a result of any of your art pieces?
My least favorite comment concerning the Space Bugs was, "You must take good drugs." I really hate the fact that people assume that creativity must come from a drug induced state. Various members of our camp, myself included, have had sexual advances made toward them as a result of the "Get Lucky Here" sign, but to date, I do not believe that anyone has actually gotten "Lucky" because of it. The G-Spot Tornado is quite the conversation piece for simIlar reasons, and "Beethoven Never Did This" was well received as well.

~ What keeps you coming back to the event?
I consider Burning Man to be the greatest phenomena to occur in Western Civilization since the Renaissance. It is the absolute best source of creativity and inspiration I have ever encountered, and it is also the greatest avenue of self expression in the world. Upon discovering Burning Man, I found my tribe.

Photos courtesy Tomek Walas and Karen Tenebaum.

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