THIS! THIS is what sets behind that Love Locket from yesterday, guarding the entrance to the Downtown Container Park on Fremont Street East, in Las Vegas. Quite possibly my most favorite thing in town at the moment. A 150:1 scale exact replica of a female praying mantis by aerospace engineer turned artist, Kirk Jellum.
Photos were taken on three separate occasions over the past 9 months, give or take (the gloomy skies on the first visit made for a great "impending doom" backdrop). I have always wanted to drive the Weinermobile, but I would KILL to drive THIS! Set atop a military looking Humvee (one of the old, BIG ones), this thing actually drives - considered a "Street-Legal Kinetic Mobile Fire-Art Vehicle" - yes, it's been to the Burning Man Festival!
This was constructed by Jellum as a first wedding anniversary gift for his wife - my husband is SO lame!
When fully extended, the Mantis measures 40' tall X 30' wide.
Every night, at sundown (weather permitting), the Mantis is awakened by a "Call to the Mantis" Drum Circle Celebration (so, see - you don't even have to go as far as the desert of Burning Man to enjoy some of the "special uniqueness" of that whole event).
This gal burns approximately 50 gallons of liquid propane each night, with flaming antennae and color changing eyes. In other words, she's LIT (as may be some of the drum circle participants). Who needs Colorado or Oregon? Mind-blowing without the edibles, and a lot cheaper, too - like FREE, man! Plus, no paranoia or munchies afterwards. Win-win!
Jellum and a team of 20 built the Mantis in 2010 - 500 hours of design work, and over 3,000 hours of labor are invested in this creature. She also has a built-in 4,000 watt surround sound system, can speak 20 different languages (I just gathered info off the sign in front - don't ask me how a bug speaks 20 different languages), and takes a team of four trained/licensed professionals to operate (I can only assume they all have special "Kinetic Mobile Fire-Art Vehicle Operators Licenses"...my driver's license is SO lame!
See for yourself - she sets behind the Love Locket, in front of the Downtown Container Park (more about that tomorrow), and next to the Vortex Dome on the corner of Fremont and Seventh Streets (or 707 Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas, to be exact). I love her!
It's a whole new world, this world of yours! Here in smalltown New England, we mostly have the ubiquitous Civil War memorial on the Town Common.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that thing might make me think that I'm hallucinating. LOL! Lord, I would have nightmares, for sure. But to think about the artist and how much went into this.....well, that makes me say, Awesome!
ReplyDeleteWow! What a hoot!
ReplyDeleteWhen you get your Mantis license, please, drive by my place and pick me up!
pretty dang cool, who knew? I will have to go check her out
ReplyDeleteWOW,
ReplyDeletemy goodness, I think I would have other wishes for my first anniversary, sorry Tanya -lol- but this very big sister, to her, in life sisters, seems a bit frightening for me, and I would rather see one tiny Mantis alive.
That said ,it is an amazing work, of a car, sculpture and must be really something to see, with the lights on. You truly experience fantastic things, I would never see here, in little Denmark :-)
HUGS & KISSES
Oh man! That is crazy! Zack would freak out. He hates bugs. And after seeing what praying mantis' are capable of, they kinda freak me out, too. I watched a video of a cat having a fight with one. And another video of a praying mantis catching a hummingbird. Whoa! What? Yeh, they are so freaky.
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