Jamie
Burmeister
Sun Tower
2007
Solar Powered Bicycle, Solar Panels, Batteries, Tent, Light, Mail Box, Car Hood, Electronics, and Found Wood.
Sun Tower was part of Fontenelle Forest's Elements: an environmental arts exhibit. Sun Tower is a site specific sculpture installation/performance that explores the artists relationship to energy, electricity, transportation and wilderness. The artist's goal for the piece was to build a functional solar power system using only human and solar power. Jamie built an electric bicycle that was charged with solar power. This bike was used to transport the artist and all materials for this piece form his studio in Gretna, Nebraska to Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue, Nebraska. This was approximately 50 miles round trip. Jamie made five trips to the forest on his bike to construct the piece. At the forest Burmeister used fallen trees and branches to build a tower that would bring the solar panels above the foliage and into the sun. A battery was connected to the solar panels. This battery provided electricity to a small hut found on the board walk. Inside the hut photo documentation of the process of building the piece was lit with the light powered by the solar system.
