Ursa Major 2016

—pennies, steel, Styrofoam, and concrete; Collection of Judy and Steven Gluckstern —

Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson met on a dance floor at Burning Man in 2008 and fell in love. Though she lived in Canada and he in the U.S., they began a long-distance romance and artistic collaboration, inspired by the DIY, can-do attitude fundamental to Burning Man. The couple was married at Burning Man in 2011 and Lisa moved to California in 2013.

In their working relationship, Lisa, a filmmaker, develops a concept for a piece while Robert, a welder, determines how to execute it. Their work with pennies began in 2013 as the Canadian government began phasing out the coin. The durability and metaphor of the penny appealed to Lisa, as did its metaphorical connection to her journey, so she designed Penny the Goose, a Canada goose made of Canadian and U.S. coins. The Fergusons, with the help of friends, went on to create the much larger, penny-covered grizzly bears Ursa Major (2016) and Ursa Mater (2017). Ursa Major integrates 170,000 pennies and takes its name from the constellation, inviting those standing below the sculpture to look up at the night sky. The tactility, whimsicality, and absurdity of these painstakingly constructed sculptures have inspired a sense of awe and delight in Burning Man attendees of all ages.


The placement of these outdoor sculptures and related programming



are made possible by the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District in collaboration with the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Support is provided by Lyft.

#NoSpectators #GoldenTriangleDC GoldenTriangleDC.com

Do not climb on sculpture


[Aside:]
NOSPEC
TATORS

Beyond
The
Renwick

From the Desert to DC

This sculpture is one of six outdoor installations presented as part of No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man, a takeover of the entire Renwick Gallery that extends into the Golden Triangle neighborhood.

For a map of artworks, artist interviews, and more information go to:

AmericanArt.si.edu/BurningMan

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