Apogee Photography

The Nautilus submarine from Oakland North on Vimeo.

Deep in West Oakland, a collective of artists called Five Ton Crane (5TC) is hard at work tuning up their submarine. Although it doesn’t go underwater, there seems to be little else this lifesize vessel can’t do—it even defends its perimeters with a water spear gun and bumps tunes from its built-in iPad technology. It’s structured with all the romantic details of retro-futurism–that is, modeling art after old school design, and then amplifying it with futuristic technology. When the artists, who recently returned from Burning Man, need to take a break, they head inside the sub to a spot they’ve dubbed “the make-out room” and sip from a vintage bottle in the mini-bar.

“We aim to be, rather than to seem,” said Sean Orlando, one of the lead artists of the Nautilus, who says his favorite spot is in the captain’s chair. “It’s important for us, with these large projects, that they remain immersive and interactive, and that people can climb around in them, drive around in them.”

This is the third large-scale installation Five Ton Crane has made. In 2007 they constructed a Tree House, and in 2009 they built the Raygun Gothic Rocketship, which is currently on display along San Francisco’s Embarcadero waterfront. The group gets its funding from private donations, and the staff are volunteers, making their childhood dreams of tree houses, rockets, and submarines a reality.

“All the things that people see in print but actually can’t imagine—we flesh them out,” Five Ton Crane artist Jay Kravitz said. “We make big toys for adults to play with.”

Designed in 2007 as an art installation for the Burning Man festival in  Black Rock City, Nev., the home and 40-foot metal tree it sits in were  created almost entirely from recycled and reclaimed materials by 60 volunteers in Oakland, Calif. (Five Ton Crane Arts Group)

Created “to explore the relationship between our rapidly changing  natural world and the persistent human drive to connect with it and one  another,” the 15-by-12-foot home cost approximately $60,000 to construct  and contains a wood-burning stove to keep it warm, a telescope for  bird-watching, and a steam calliope for creating music. The surrounding  metal “tree” is equipped with LED lights in the branches (giving it a  post-apocalyptic firefly effect) as well as a steam generator for spooky  effects at night.

While the Tree House doesn’t have a kitchen or bathroom, it does have an  amazingly Jules Verne-ian interior complete with stained glass windows  and Tim Burton-esque furniture. Both the house and tree have taken up permanent residence at Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Del.

Click HERE for the full article

The Steampunk Tree House, Delaware

I’m walking along the waterfront and the energy is powerful, fresh and uplifting.  The images and happenings flowing by me now feel like the whole world is lifting off in joyous flight. The Raygun Gothic Rocketship from the 2009 Burning Man festival has landed in a prime spot near Pier 14 – and looks ready for a new adventures.   Just as I take in the scene a beautiful, romantic couple ride up to me and ask me to take a picture of them on their bicycle in this expansive setting. They circle a couple of times and photos are made. It’s a lovely moment. Ben and Katya have been sailing for several days and Katya tells me that Ben is leaving town the next day. I can feel the love and happiness in this shared space. Its not just ordinary happiness, but a strong magic born of clear intentions and open hearts.

at the Tidal Plaza near Pier 14 at the foot of Mission Street

Regarding the Rocket: Thanks to the Black Rock Arts Foundation and the San Francisco Arts Commission for bringing the art of Burning Man back to the City where Burning Man was born. I first saw this piece perform in all it’s explosive glory in the vast space of the Black Rock Desert last year around this time, and am happy to see it again so close to home. The interior, (when accessible), and periodic performance and conceptual aspects, are all part of the experience. The creators of the Raygun Gothic Rocketship say this about their project: “The Raygun Gothic Rocketship is a roccoco retro-futurist future-rustic vernacular between yesterday’s tomorrow and the future that never was, a critical kitsch somewhere between The Moons of Mongo and Manga Nouveau”-  perfect for the energy of the day.

For more info go to www.raygungothicrocket.com/

Click on photos to see full view.

at Burning Man 2009, Black Rock City, Nevada

On August 20th, we received the following request for any plans or sketches of the rocketship that we would be willing to share.

I am thinking of trying to build a small wooden (six foot tall) version with
my 11 year old to teach him about construction.
Are there any plans or dimensional specs that could give us a start on
planning.  We could scale accordingly.

-Phil Battat

We were intrigued… so we sent Phil and his son the following plans:

Well… Phil and his son Andrew have been busy and it is now my turn to be impressed and inspired.

We received an email from Phil today with a photo of their little RGR inspired “project”. This father and son team studied our blueprints and re-created our 40′ tall steel and aluminum retro- futuristic  rocketship… out of wood… in only ten days!

Nice work Phil and Andrew! Cool lookin rocketship ya got there…

Thank you… I am truly humbled…

-Sean Orlando