Flaming Lotus Girls is a volunteer-based group of artists who make large-scale kinetic fire art. We began in 2000, as a group of six women and two men who wanted to learn the skills and knowledge to create large sculptural installations. Since that time, we have grown to over 100 members. Over half are women, but we welcome all genders.Our work stands at the intersection of sculpture, kinetics, robotics, pyrotechnics, and electronic technology. We create interactive large-scale fire sculptures that are both visually stunning and engaging, inviting people to become part of the art. Our sculptures are made of steel, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, glass and wood – and their sizes range from pretty small to really, really large. We make fire that blazes from 2 inches to 150 feet.
We approach our collaborations through a unique design methodology with a hyper-fluid organizational structure. In our open and supportive cultural environment, FLG promotes creativity, education, volunteer contribution and leadership opportunities. We work together in an egalitarian fashion, accepting input from anyone who participates. All creative decisions are made collaboratively, and our pieces are designed, built, repaired, packed, and installed by a crew of passionate volunteers.
The storyline for 2014 is that we are bringing parts of sculptures from years past into the city, to the 3 o’clock plaza. We have completely redesigned and fabricated a new Merope (Merope II), which is a star of the constellation Pleiades and part of our 2004 installation “The Seven Sisters.”
It is a large seven-pointed star made of intricately filigreed stainless steel, with continuous fire and an inwards-facing actuated fire effect (“poofer”) in each point. It also has a fiery heart in the middle of the star that has a sparkle poof effect.
All flame effects are interactive and participant controlled with the push of a button! In addition to this spectacular new piece of interactive fire art, we are also bringing two interactive fire feathers from 2005’s “Angel of the Apocalypse”
and the wooden benches from inside the burning stump of last year’s “Xylophage.”
Together, these pieces will create a warm and welcoming environment for the weary playa traveler, as well as a fun place to play with our flame effects and interact with FLG and BRC denizens.
Earlier works include the amazing Soma, being prepared for a yearlong installation at Pier 14 along the San Francisco waterfront.
Our 28’ high x 40’ long sculpture, Soma, made entirely of stainless steel, was originally created for the Burning Man event in 2009. This sculpture is a representation of two neurons connected by an axon bridge.
A soma is the cell body of a neuron, which consists of branching dendrites projecting away at different angles, and an axon, which conducts the nerve signal electrochemically to its neighboring cell. FLG’s Soma translates the anatomy of neurons into metal, fire and light, magnifying the microscopic world to an epic scale — while beautifully demonstrating the conjunction of biotech, technology and art that so defines life in the Bay Area.
In this urban installation, Soma features interactive LED lights to create a spectacular daytime and nighttime experience. The LED units, capable of producing 1.6 million colors, are individually controllable. The public will be able to interact with Soma’s computer-controlled LED system directly by pushing buttons that will activate a simulation of the trans-synaptic action.
Another fantastic creation, Tympani Lambada is a sculptural embodiment of the structures by which we hear and balance, combining fire, vibration and sound to create an experience rich with visceral sensuality. The bone and membrane of the inner ear’s vestibular system is transformed into steel and fire. Tympani’s steel arches are transformed into the appearance of bone by a custom paint finish, giving the surface a unique tactile experience. This sculpture takes the seldom seen structures we depend on every day and shows them off at a stunning scale.
Two steel arches reach up to 33 1/2’ high, giving the sculputure a strong visual impact even from afar. A third arch is suspended in space, glowing with LEDs that will illuminate the area at night after fire. The interior of the piece is described by gracefully extending tubules, connecting nerve clusters, and a spiraling cochlea. Sheets of fire burst off the tall arches, activated from below by buttons driven by participants.
The vestibular system arches create a dramatic backdrop for the spiral of the cochlea, manifested as a 13-foot high, 15-foot wide liquid fire fountain. A graceful flow of fire spirals down the delicate interior of the cochlea, occasionally rippling from sound vibrations emanating through the sculpture. The fountain provides a visually stunning yet calmer, more grounded area within the overall sculpture.
Find the Flaming Lotus Girls at Burning Man 2014 at the 3 O’ Clock Plaza.
And check out more of their works at http://flaminglotus.com
There are SO MANY wonderful things happening at Burnng Man! Tell your friends to send us their photos, their projects, their dreams!