Ancient Sumerian myth and legend tell of Enki, the god of The Great Abyss, who stepped forth onto this world and created Eridu (the first human city on Earth) some seventy one centuries ago.

The playa already has a wide range of amazing sailing ships and spacecraft, so in building an art car Trilo and Pani took a slightly different approach. They constructed an inter-dimensional cruiser called The Great Abyss. While this is the first time Pani and Trilo had created a mutant vehicle together, both have experience bringing large scale art to the playa (Pani previously worked on the Manatee Love Society's Spinnin' Anemone Carousel, and Trilo worked on the Space Wench as a part of Space Island).

Click here to see the video!


The idea was to build a moderate sized vehicle. Something that can accommodate a dozen or so passengers comfortably. Anything larger would require not only greater expense and resources to build, but be more difficult to store/use during the rest of the year.

Click here to see pictures of construction





Construction Timeline


  • 8.23.07 - Side walls painted and clear-coated. All major systems complete.
  • 8.22.07 - Generator box complete. Last of the LED lighting arrives.
  • 8.21.07 - Side walls cut to size. Final hardware/supply run made for the ship.
  • 8.19.07 - Final upper deck and outer hull test build complete! Nose cone fabric measured and cut. Upper deck flooring done.
  • 8.18.07 - Upper deck and outer hull test build. Began measuring, cutting, sewing, and grommeting fabric for outer hull. Rope ladder finished. Speaker covers finished.
  • 8.16.07 - Successful upper deck and outer hull test build. Wire safety/support rigging measured and cut to size.
  • 8.14.07 - Additional LED lighting fixtures ordered.
  • 8.13.07 - Audio rack set up and wired, and sound system tested successfully.
  • 8.12.07 - Reworked conduit for outer hull to resolve design issues.
  • 8.11.07 - Upper deck and outer hull combined test build. No failures, though design issues raised. Rope light for wings cut to size and tested successfully.
  • 8.09.07 - Outer hull test build 1 complete. Outer hull length 26' 10" and width 17' 6" actual.
  • 8.08.07 - Upper deck shade structure test build complete. Rope ladder construction continues. Outer hull fabrics arrived.
  • 8.06.07 - Rope and wire rigging arrives.
  • 8.05.07 - Rope ladder steps painted & clear-coated. Test build on upper deck shade structure.
  • 8.04.07 - Add eye bolts to upper deck roof rack for rope ladder.
  • 8.03.07 - Expansion foam work stops, design re-worked.
  • 8.01.07 - Rope ladder steps cut, drilled, and sanded. Expansion foam work on interior begins.
  • 7.31.07 - Rope ladder and generator box designs re-worked. Interior woodwork project finished.
  • 7.30.07 - Polycoating complete! Red and silver fabrics ordered, and expansion foam purchased.
  • 7.29.07 - Interior deck redesign finished. Polycoating upper deck begins. Rope & wire rigging ordered.
  • 7.28.07 - Polycoating vertical poles inside van is finished. Interior deck design/construction being modified to accomodate.
  • 7.27.07 - Finished cutting upper deck shade structure poles to size.
  • 7.25.07 - Roof rack fabrication is complete!
  • 7.24.07 - Construction on the roof rack begins. Grinders and chop saws and welders, oh my!
  • 7.23.07 - Steel for the roof rack purchased and cut to size. Shopped fabrics out to additional suppliers.
  • 7.22.07 - Upper deck shade structure conduit purchased. Cutting poles to size begins.
  • 7.20.07 - Outer hull bending complete.
  • 7.16.07 - Structure and hull hardware arrives. Conduit for outer hull being cut and bent to spec. Purchased acetone & poly-coat for roof rack.
  • 7.15.07 - Design adjusted/improved yet again (it will never stop)
  • 7.14.07 - Trilo finally got a grinder! Also picked up ratchet clamps and some of the outer hull conduit.
  • 7.13.07 - Bins purchased for conduit hardware.
  • 7.11.07 - Fabric for mattress covers and pillows on upper and lower decks has been ordered. These should keep everyone warm and snuggly through the cool evening.

Cuddle-covers

  • 7.10.07 - Order for structure and hull hardware placed.
  • 7.09.07 - We received word that we've been approved for on-playa inspection. Woohoo!
  • 7.05.07 - Outer hull framework and upper level shade structure design has been revised, which should make the outer hull sturdier and the ship easier to build on playa.
  • 7.02.07 - The van's back and running, at a cost of well over $1,000. On the bright side, at least this happened close to home and not out in some remote area where towing and repair would be more difficult.
  • 6.30.07 - Interior deck has been built, and futon bed purchased. On a separate note, suffered a setback with an apparent failed fuel pump - the van needs to go to the shop.
  • 6.27.07 - Lumber and supplies for the interior deck have been purchased.
  • 6.21.07 - The registration application has been submitted to the BM Org!

As of mid-June, we are nearing the end of phase two and the beginning of phase three. The vehicle has been purchase, and the build plans are being revised and finalized. The Mutant Vehicle Application to BRC is in process, and should be submitted within the next few days.


The Process


  • In phase one, make a laundry list of inspirations, ideas, features, and stuff. Dream out loud, and be as ridiculous as possible. Some ideas will never make it off the drawing board, and some ideas will bounce around quite a bit before eventually mutating, or making it into some future version of the art car in years to come. The important thing is to come up with as many ideas as possible.
  • In phase two, the dream starts to take shape. Start envisioning how items from the laundry list can be incorporated into the vehicle. Sketches, drawings, models, etc. At this point, Trilo will start using his project management skills to assess the skills and materials needed, and figure out what kind of work and what kind of cost is going to be involved.
  • Phase three is where things start getting expensive. The vehicle needs to be purchased, and the sketches/designs need to be adapted to the actual physical size of what we get. Other components will need to be purchased as well, and work on the art car begins.


Art-Storming



  • 6.20.07 - Trilo pulls an all-nighter, wrestling with SketchUp to finish a 3D model mockup of The Great Abyss. This will serve as both an illustration and a basic design guide for the vehicle.
  • 5.29.07 - More camp decor supplies are purchased on a Home Depot run, and the vehicle's construction plans take shape. Trilo will create a conduit frame that attaches to the vehicle, which will then be covered with fabric and lighting.
  • 5.14.07 - The fabrics for the outer hull were found on a trip to the fashion district in Los Angeles. A bolt of textured white fabric was purchased, which will be used to decorate the vehicle as well as the shade structure at the Eridu camp. The other fabrics will be purchased on a later trip, when funds allow.
  • 3.9.07 - More sketching, as time permits ... this time with the idea of adding sequenced lighting effects and projected imagery onto a skin of fabric. Also playing with a 'future primitive' design style ... playing with tribal patterns and textures.
  • 2.25.07 - Lots of ideas were thrown around, and we laughed ourselves silly over some of them! ..... Alison's butt pillows expanded to include other body parts and an idea for a "Casting Call" fundraiser. There was also mention of driver-operated vibration devices that would work with the pillows ... can't wait to start beta-testing those! LOL ..... Trilo created a scale model leaf-petal out of mettallic fabric and everyone thought they would be awesome as walls to define a chill space ..... Pani sewed up a quick 'proof of concept' mini-model of a flower pillow. next step is to make a life-sized version ...... Photos to be posted soon. Thanks again to everyone who were able to come by. It was great fun!
  • 2.18.07 - The first brainstorming session for the art car (henceforth known as The Great Abyss) was a bunch of fun. We came up with lots of new ideas and built the first series of models (what i like to refer to as the first sketches of what the vehicle WON'T look like).


600px-EriduShot03a



The Vehicle


05.01.07 Update We've purchased the vehicle! 04.11.07 Update We have found a vehicle! It's not a small step van, but rather the cargo van of our good friend and campmate, Leo. it's a good-running heavy-duty vehicle, and it looks like it will be the perfect base for The Great Abyss: inter-dimensional cruiser! plus the price is right. so we're gonna do it!
it has no windows at all in the back, which gives us the freedom to create whatever shape windows we would like to have ... that said, we are now on the lookout for someone who has a plasma cutter and mad cutting skills! i have a feeling just the right person is out there, just looking for some crazy art car project to work on. if you know of someone, pass their name along (or mine to them). Our ideal vehicle would be a small step van, or some kind of cargo van. Diesel would be preferred, as would a dual rear axle (to be able to support additional weight).