Tamed Flames

For my Public Art Proposal project I was inspired by my trips to Providence, Rhode Island during the WaterFire festivals. I adopted the idea with a few adjustments to account for the audience, location, and other geographical differences.

My proposal is called Tamed Flames. The name originates from a play-on-words with “wildfires”. Recently we have heard about the wildfires that devastated nearby communities. The Tamed Flames will be multiple floating fire pits placed within Lake Austin they are safe because the fires are controlled. The location is important because the fires should be seen from both the footbridge and the Congress Bridge. The festival is during a part of the year that will not affect the bat’s flight from under Congress, most likely in the late winter/ early spring or late fall/early winter. Even though it will be chilly out, fires are used for warmth and the festival will represent the connection of how we have learned to control fire over time.

The fire and the water are opposites. The water is a natural force that can control water – as humans we use water to control fire: Using nature to fight nature. The Tamed Flames will touch on our ability to control our environment to a degree, but in the end we are no match to the forces of nature. It is bigger than us, and that is a hard concept for us to grasp because we as humans don’t like to admit defeat. The human vs. nature aspect is key.

As a marketing major I cannot ignore the ways that Tamed Flames can be used to bring revenue into the city and be used to collect donations for those affected by the wildfires. Stands along the lake can be set up and restaurants along the lake will profit from this as well. Austin is very big on helping the local community and attending events outside that highlight the positive characteristics of their community. This festival will bring people together and they will be more than willing to help with donations while they share the beauty of something so potentially harmful. There is always beauty in things that cannot be completely controlled.

Unlike the FireWater festival in RI, Tamed Flames will be made up of temporary fire pits. They can be placed into the lake and removed so as to not interfere with the boats. The time of year will also be different. RI had its festivals in the mid- to late summer. The emotions the fire itself brings will be different to the Austin audience because in RI there is really no fear of wildfires.

-Kristen Bottomley