Charlie Smith's latest creation, 'The Burning Book of Brian', is a testament to the power of art as a medium for personal expression and community connection. This 14- to 15-foot memorial sculpture, due at Burning Man in Nevada, is a tribute to the late Brian Doherty, a Reason magazine senior editor and friend of Smith's. The sculpture is a stylized metal book, its pages pierced by a large human heart meant to pulse with fire, symbolizing Doherty's open-hearted nature and their shared history at Burning Man.
Smith's approach to art is unique, blending his own term, 'Contraptionism', with a focus on reused materials. This piece is a dynamic contraption, not just a static object. It cooks, burns, gathers people, absorbs emotion, and projects shared energy back into the community. The sculpture's creation involved more than 45 collaborators, including muralist Bunnie Reiss, fabricator Jeff Morgan, and Rosy Schechter, who weaves poetic text contributions into its panels.
The sculpture's journey began at Burning Man 2000, where Smith and Doherty first met. Their bond strengthened when Smith helped stop someone from burning another art installation, leading to a lifelong friendship. Doherty dedicated a copy of his book, 'This Is Burning Man', to Smith weeks before his passing. The sculpture's heart will be lit first by propane and then by wood-fed flames, symbolizing the burning of grief and the celebration of Doherty's life.
The Burning Book of Brian campaign has raised over $20,000 towards its $25,000 goal, with a total of $69,000 needed to complete the project. The campaign is set to close on August 17th. After Burning Man, the sculpture may be moved to Love Burn, a Miami-area event, further extending Doherty's legacy.
This project is a testament to the transformative power of art, serving as a ritual for grief and a living communal space. It invites attendees to feel love, remembrance, and permission to grieve, while also being a monument to Doherty's life. Smith's dedication to this project, working tirelessly for up to 16 hours a day, showcases the depth of his artistic vision and the impact it can have on a community.
