The Lonely Reef

In the spring of 2024, my friend Hayden and I were approached to lead the build of a marine-themed art car for Burning Man 2024. The car would accompany The Lonely Submarine, a sound system art car that has been to Burning Man for a cumulative decade.

Both the creative development and project management of the build fell in our hands. Upon convincing the Burning Man organization to reopen the mutant vehicle application portal, we started a 16 hour sprint to complete a 15 page submission which detailed our creative vision and how we would actualize it, how he we would operate the vehicle to ensure safety, and how the project would uphold guiding principles of Burning Man.

Inspired by our love for the ocean and scuba diving, our creative brainstorm resulted in a plan to transform a 1993 propane-powered TUG tarmac vehicle into a vibrant coral reef mutant vehicle. The Lonely Reef's purpose would be twofold: to comfortably and safely transport to 8-12 passengers around the playa, and to serve as incredible artistic immersive environment.

Upon acceptance as a mutant vehicle by the Burning Man organization, we hired Stark Raven Fabrication, a custom art and fabrication studio that specializes in sculpture, technical integration, and immersive built environments.

Throughout the build, I was responsible for guiding the creative vision, and aesthetic integrity of the vehicle and optimizing the passenger experience. I was really happy to be able to include the styles and skills of 12 local artists and fabricators to bring the Lonely Reef to life.