GALAXY, part 4

Even though the ABORTIVE ATTEMPT #1 was the first idea that popped into my head, the fact that I would need to build/fund this in phases led me to establishing the spiral end of #3 as GALAXY’s Phase I. Not only could it stand alone as a hippie trap, but its (putative) success would make it more likely that future phases would be funded.

So I did a little math:

The math for the rings was to allow me to begin calculating how much this was going to cost. EL wire runs between $1.00–1.50 a foot, so it was critical to know what I was up against. For one thing, if Phase I alone were going to cost $5,000 or something ridiculous like that, then I was prepared to ditch the whole thing.

The ABORTIVE ATTEMPTS on the spiral were instructive as well. Positing a total width of 32’, I played with two different versions, one with 4’-wide paths, the other with 3’. As I scribbled on the page, I decided to go with the 4’ paths: fewer lights to build, more room for hippies, and less time commitment to explore (with only three circuits of the spiral rather than five).

Then I did a quick ABORTIVE ATTEMPT sketch on a stand for the rings:

It’s a one-piece double stand, staked to the ground with ground staples so that the rings don’t fall over. (Remember that we’re elevating the rings so that if it rains, the reflection in the water becomes part of the art.)

Next up: How many rings is this going to take?