Thursday, September 04, 2008
Burning Man 2008 Art: Bummer by Myk Henry, New York, NY/Geneva, Switzerland
The Hummer or Humvee has become an interesting phenomenon in American culture. Originally the Hummer was manufactured as a military vehicle and in 1992 was introduced into the civilian market. Currently the civilian version (not much different to the military one) is largely used by families to drive around suburbia and cities, but rarely sees off road utilization. You might wonder why any family needs to drive around town in a 4.25 ton military style machine, which has been heralded as "the world’s most serious 4x4". Much of this has to do with a type of "King of the Road" mentality which is a consequence of the "all mighty, all powerful" American dream. Bummer is a super size Humvee measuring 38 feet long x 18 feet wide x 16 feet high. Half of the Hummer will be painted in military khaki and the other half a bright sporty color. This sculpture epitomizes this country's obsession with power and the Jekyll and Hyde nature of the American dream.
It is a catalyst for stimulating discourse on some of the fundamental ideals underpinning that dream. This project is not intended to condone or condemn American values but instead provoke thought on some of the most problematic issues of our time.
URL: asakomusic.com/Myk/bummer.html
Contact: Mykrodot (at) yahoo (dot) com