Jessica Levine Interview: Internal Exposure

Here is an inside look at Jessica Levine's Project: Internal Exposure which made its debut at Burning Man 2019.

1.How long did the project take to build?

The project to 7 months to build

2. What was the inspiration behind the project?

Internal Exposure represents the concept of a “planted seed” in the mind–germinating, and blossoming into a full-fledged idea. It correlates with the blossoming of the self, into a full-fledged “human.” We all started out as ideas, and then we are born and have ideas implanted into our minds, which create our perceptions. By weeding through these preconceived notions and creating our own ideas, we can (re)construct our whole selves, exposing who we actually are.

3. What is your favorite part about the project?

My favorite part about the project is the face made from squiggly steel lines because it was extremely challenging and I questioned if it was even possible at times. I am really happy with the way it turned out--I love it when something really seems impossible but it ends up working--it’s the best feeling. Nothing is truly impossible which is the whole point of making art (for me). My other favorite part of the sculpture is the teleidoscope eyes--people may go inside of the head and look out the eyes, seeing the distorted/fractalized external reality representing the distortion of perception. My friend Emily Thomas did the glasswork in the eyes.

4. How many people were involved in the building process?

About 12 people were involved in building it.

5. Were there any complications in building the project?

Sculpting the face was very complicated. I was free sculpting it (like freehand drawing), and I had to re-do it many many times, each time re-thinking my approach and coming back to it in a different way.

6. What are the materials involved in building the project/ where did you get the materials?

The sculpture is made of steel and came from Sacramento, CA

7. Any fun/unique stories surrounding the project?

I had an amazing crew of people who were incredibly dedicated, talented and willing to learn. I needed part of my crew to take over the build of the two remaining giant petals while I was still working on the head. I had constructed one full petal, and then I asked them to replicate it. They looked at me like I was crazy. The petals are very geometric and have tons of complicated lines going many directions. The engineering also wanted us to triple up bars on many of the pieces which took so much longer to build than originally expected. My crew was hesitantly like, "Okay, we will try for you jess." I also wasn't really sure what would happen when I set them loose, but they needed to take the reigns in order to finish the project in time. They ended up crushing it--they developed their own system of building it, and they got super into it, and I was so impressed and surprised. It was amazing to see these people become sculptors and their care and attention to detail were just incredible. I am so grateful and fortunate to have had them involved in this project and in my life.

8. Were there any complications at Burning Man?

The bump stop mechanism my crew came up with that allowed for the petals to rotate around only partially ended up having a fail point if the petal was pushed too hard. When we tested it at Burning Man it broke (before the event started), and we had to modify the stops out on the playa. We didn't have the proper material on hand but ended up cutting apart a trailer ramp and using that to fix it. My crew was incredibly dedicated and talented problem solvers and we spent all night fixing it, and it worked without problem for the whole event.

9. How has the public reacted to your art after Burning Man?

People seem to like it. The sculpture was just installed at SnowGlobe music festival and it was fun to see so many people interacting with it at the event. I have seen a few people sketching/painting the sculpture, both at Bman and SnowGlobe, which is really awesome. I love art so much so its really cool to see more art being created. The head of the sculpture is living at the Reno Playa art park right now.

Engineering Spotlight :

Working with Jessica Levin on Internal Exposure, a kinetic art sculpture was an absolute pleasure, she has the best attitude and energy. Also, she is one of the few female Burning Man artists, not only that, she #designs, cuts, welds, and builds her sculptures (mainly by hand and sort of freestyled). Yes, she rolled and welded all those beautiful compound curves by hand. One of the challenges of the project was figuring out how to engineer an art piece that is free styled and organic with many compound curves, so engineering without proper #dimensions (mainly angles), sketches, and drawings. Through pictures and many long calls, we were able to build our structural model and size the members. Another challenge was to find the cheapest and most efficient system for the mechanical system. She recommended a product that didn’t have the proper ratings mentioned in the data-sheet, so we ended working closely with the manufacture to make sure the product has all the needed ratings. Overall we are #proud to have been a part of this amazing creation.