EPISODE · Dec 10, 2025 · 56 MIN
Zen and the Art of Art Making
from Burning Man LIVE · host Michael Christian, Stuart Mangrum
His huge steel sculptures have graced Black Rock City for decades, then found forever homes in cities, festivals, and private collections around the world.Hear veteran structural sculptor Michael Christian go deep and wide about his Burning Man art, from a tree of bones to a 65-foot tall tower.He shares about his installation "Down the Drain," a commentary on human alignment, or misalignment... or maybe it’s about toilets blowing kisses at each other!He talks with Stuart about the shift from a "lone artist" mindset to community collaboration, and how to get everything done despite a storm or a lost box of bolts.They tinker with the qualities of hubris and humility. They get real about why they keep returning to the collective happening in the dust.How does Michael follow intuition more than a thesis?How does he discover the meaning of his art only after he has built it?How did ‘out of the box’ thinking become a 30 year career?These questions are answered with more questions in this episode right here.https://www.michaelchristian.com LIVE.BURNINGMAN.ORG
What this episode covers
His huge steel sculptures have graced Black Rock City for decades, then found forever homes in cities, festivals, and private collections around the world. Hear veteran structural sculptor Michael Christian go deep and wide about his Burning Man art, from a tree of bones to a 65-foot tall tower. He shares about his installation "Down the Drain," a commentary on human alignment, or misalignment... or maybe it’s about toilets blowing kisses at each other! He talks with Stuart about the shift from a "lone artist" mindset to community collaboration, and how to get everything done despite a storm or a lost box of bolts. They tinker with the qualities of hubris and humility. They get real about why they keep returning to the collective happening in the dust. · How does Michael follow intuition more than a thesis? · How does he discover the meaning of his art only after he has built it? · How did ‘out of the box’ thinking become a 30 year career? These questions are answered with more questions in this episode right here.
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Zen and the Art of Art Making
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