THE GUARDIAN OF DAWN
By The Iron Monkeys
The Iron Monkeys are a Seattle based metal-working collective that has been building public art since 2006. This year we undertake our biggest project ever, The Guardian of Dawn, a 75 foot by 45 foot fire courtyard made out of steel which serves as a community gathering space during the cold dark nights of Burning Man.
The Guardian of Dawn confronts a primal human fear: Darkness.
We need your help to bring her to light.
What Is The Guardian of Dawn?
The Guardian of Dawn is the Iron Monkeys’ contribution to the mythology surrounding the fear of the dark. She is not a goddess, but a guardian protecting us from the night. She offers shelter - a hopeful and warm place to regroup, recalibrate and resume your journey. She is the light in the darkness, a break from the chaos.
Built with her back to the dawn, the Guardian watches impassively as the day breaks, her wings furled and flames unneeded. With the onset of the darkness she is called to her purpose and her wings open, beckoning the wanderer to her flames and shelter. Part cargo plane, part dragonfly, she meshes nature and machine, representing our human desire to find structure in the inexplicable. The Guardian walks out of the dark prehistory of myth, bringing fire and light to assuage the fear inherent in her people. To the seeker, she offers hope, flame, kinship.
The Guardian has propane flame effects outlining her wings and fire travels through her torso to climb up and backlight her compound eyes. A six-foot-wide Zen Garden sits 10 feet in front of the Guardian, serving as a place of gathering and invocation.
To further shatter the oppressive night, surrounding the Guardian are eight acolytes frozen in poses of exuberance and joy. Monks to the Guardian, the acolytes embody her spirit of protection by holding in their hands either fire or light, warming and enlightening those in the space. Their human forms hold back the darkness by being in constant celebration; perpetual worshippers. Mentors to us on the ground, they help us see how we can fight our own darkness.
Won't you come in out of the dark?
Be Part Of This Glorious Insanity!
To make big fire art, we need big money.
We are grateful to be Honorarium Artists for Burning Man this year, which granted us a good chunk of the total funds we need to build the Guardian and all of her Acolytes, take them to the desert and light them on fire for 50,000 people to enjoy. Now we just need to raise the rest of our budget.
Our goal for this Indiegogo campaign is to raise $10,000, and with your help we can make it happen.
Every dollar counts. Whether you’re a caviar swilling 1-percenter, a dusty hippie, or a general supporter of amazing creativity, the Iron Monkeys are empowering you to help make the world a better, weirder place through art. We’ve come up with a whole smorgasbord of reward levels to thank you for your donations.
Here are some tantalizing examples:
$5 - Our undying attitude... and Jole won't hug you!
$80 - Get the T-Shirt!
$130 - Iron Monkey Disguise Kit
$1000 - Be an Iron Monkey for a night at Burning Man
Check out all of our reward levels to see where you want to fit in.
Your Impact
The Iron Monkeys are intrinsically a community based art crew. We are proud to represent the art of Seattle to the world and we would like to invite you to come along with us. Your support of this project will help us buy steel, welding wire, rent trucks, pay for propane...and rivets...and bolts...and our sanity. Ok, just kidding on that last one. But it does take a lot of material to build a 75 foot by 45 food flaming courtyard. And that is why we are asking for your help.
This isn't our first rodeo, either. We have been granted Burning Man artists in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011. We love this work, know how to do it, and always bring it.
Other Ways You Can Help
We don't just need money. Could you help us with our upcoming fundraisers? Do you love to stamp and mail things? Are you a bad-ass social media person? We are looking to get as much of our community involved in this project as we possibly can. That means you!
Would you, could you share this on Facebook?
Would you, could you bring some friends to our fundraising events?
Might you be willing to help us mail rewards?
Maybe say nice things about us when we are in the room?
If financial contributions are not where your resources are at the moment, but you would love to help us, send us an email to info@ironmonkeyarts.org We will be sure to put your good graces to work.
Stay Up To Date With The Iron Monkeys
We will be updating this Indiegogo campaign with our progress, but if you would like to keep close track of The Guardian of Dawn, our upcoming fundraising events, or our sanity levels you can find us on the web:
http://www.ironmonkeyarts.org
On Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/IronMonkeyArts
Thank you for supporting us! We honestly could not do this without you.
