Build an Urn in Your Community
I. INTRODUCTION
Over the years we have built many fire sculptures and tried each year to get people to participate by placing their shared visions, memories, losses and wishes into the piece. Here are some images from previous years:
CLICK THUMBNAILS TO VIEW LARGER IMAGE
2002
2003 (photos by Brad Woodcock)
2004 (photos by Susan K. Tiss & Adam Cooper-Teran)
While these proved to be gradually more effective, we found the creation of large-scale vessel(s) was the most appropriate and direct way to accomplish our intention.
In 2004 we built the first urns. They were carried by two ushers at the front of the parade and were very full upon the final preparation for their destruction:
(photos by Krishna Bright & Susan K. Tiss)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO CAPTURE from the Brothers Cooper short.
These were made entirely with paper-mâché and worked wonderfully- getting filled to the brim from participants and onlookers of the parade.
This was the inspiration for the Urn Project.
The Urn we constructed for 2005 will be stored and redecorated with a new performance and aesthetic to be created around its presentation each year.
Please feel free to use and disseminate any and all of this information contained on these pages.
II. FIRE REGULATION
Flam Chen and associated have enjoyed a relative acceptance for the actions related to the All Souls Procession and other fire-related events.
We cannot say wholly that your local officials will or will not approve a similar plan for your community, but the worst that can happen is not having the approval of your local fire department.
Our advice is to be prepared to disclose specifics, schematics, and time for inspection for your Urn. Please refer to the Flam Chen Fire Safety Guidelines for basic info for starters.
It also helps if a local fire fighter is present in your group or at least a fire performer or two that have dealt with your local fire department. We can vouch for the process of keeping the action of burning the Urn safe and consistent.
III. HOW TO USE PAPER MÂCHÉ
INGREDIENTS
Water: 3 parts
Wood glue: 1 part
Flour: thicken to taste
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Read “Come Build a Puppet,”
A brief guide to puppet-making by Sarah & Matt Cotten
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE (in PDF Format)
END NOTES (in PDF Format)
If you are going to store it, spike with Tea Tree oil or another essential oil to prevent the rotten smell…. Flour is optional -it just makes for more body. Pieces that you want to light from the inside benefit from a water glue method and no painting at all. The ratio of the water glue method is about 1:1
The first Urns were built using large balloons as the initial base the forms were made on.
IV:BULDING THE URN
STAGE 1
The Urn we constructed for 2005 was built from these materials:
-200+ feet of 3/4” square tube-11 gauge
-200+ feet of flat steel strap-1/8”thick-sizes ranging from 2” to ¾”
Each vertical was constructed from 3 pieces to ensure a graceful and elegant curvature. In the end, 2 pieces would have been sufficient to make the bends.
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STAGE 2
We then used ¼” hardware cloth and bailing wire to secure the cut and formed pieces to the frame. We made sure all the ends were tucked and that there were no sharp edges on the exterior. App. 150 ft of 3 ft wide ¼” hardware cloth and 3 rolls of tie/bailing wire.
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STAGE 3
We used a machine pallet that was made to hold a half-ton. We had to ensure that the URN could make it beneath the underpasses -the lowest point was marked 9’. The finished height of the Urn was 7’3”.
The pallet with the industrial pneumatic casters on it was 15” making the finished height of the Urn approximately 8’8” and the width was 8’
DIAGRAM
The front casters were swivel and pneumatic-rated for 280 lbs. each.
The rear casters were stationary-solid rubber and rated for 520 lbs each.
The pallet actually weighed more than the Urn, which came in at around 200 lbs.
The cart that carried the Urn through the Procession weighed approximately 270 lbs.
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STAGE 4
We used the paper-mâché formula, using white cotton sheets instead of paper to line the interior of the Urn.
(photos by Tony Novelli)
For additional images, visit Michael Shack’s gallery.
The Urn needed to be turned upside down and right side up a couple of times to get all of the interior covered.
Our suggestion is to keep all of the burnable contents inside of the cage. We however counted on fine weather and placed large scale portraits of some of the participants in the Ancestors Project
And we also used hell notes and gold paper.
Lastly, a piece of expanded metal was secured in the bottom to ensure that the bottom of the URN remain intact since the most fire would be in that area for the longest amount of time.
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STAGE 5 (ongoing throughout)
The Spirit Group worked 2 nights a week for 6 weeks to create the movements and general presentation of the Urn. We created the costumes and the entirety of the actions and intention as a unified group.
PREP
PERFORMANCE
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STAGE 6
We used 1.5 gallons of Kerosene for the bulk of the fueling (in a pump up garden sprayer)
After that initial dose, we placed eight 8-oz packages of flash cotton with 1 oz of sparkle additive embedded inside of each, then wrapped in 1 sheet of flash paper and adhered to the top of the vessel along its circumference.
We left four 20-ft strands of flash paper out of the portholes so that the stilt creatures could ignite the URN as it was lifted.
Before it was lifted, we doused the interior with a little less than 1/2 gallon of white gas/lamp oil mixture in a pre-pressurized steel sprayer. Lastly, 4 mesh circles were wired onto the portholes and a large piece of mesh was placed on top of the contents to prevent any flaming debris from getting blown out by the internal currents that are created while it is burning.
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STAGE 7
We used a 34-ton crane with a 100 ft boom to lift the URN. We also used the crane to lift in a group of aerial dancers to represent descending Spirit in the beginning of the actions.
Initial sketches of finale stage (photo by Mike).
Click here to view a featurette of the Urn live at All Souls 2005 (video by Chris Clennon)
An Urn can be burnt in many ways. Our eventual plan is to construct 2-35 ft. freestanding towers that will allow the Spirit group to lift the URN by human power alone.
A pedestal would do… A clear empty lot could be made as grand as anything.
V. FINAL NOTES ON RESPONSIBILITY + INTENTION
The Process of building community ritual can be both enriching and terrifying. Let us stress that creating a movement like the one described above is not an entirely feel-good-process.
If you take responsibility for a project like this or any other creative ritual you have the immense responsibility of setting the intention of creating a safe space for your fellow community members to release their grief and participate in what is essentially an immense funeral.
Some people may wish to place things in the Urn which are not in the service of the intention. Your job and responsibility as co-creator/guide, is to energetically and wholly infuse the process with pure intention and protection for all of those participating. This in and of itself should be enough to safeguard any misuse.
The Spirit Group also was there to ensure everyone’s safety and their ability to participate. We performed prayers in the building of it at all of its stages. We also placed a grid of rare earth and ceramic magnets around the matrix of the steel frame that were set to repel any negative intentions that may be hitting the URN. I would also add any additional prayers that may heal any hungry ghosts of lost souls that may be attracted to this ritual so that they may find release.
Namaste, Amen, Selah, Salaams
