Art and Design Work
Much of my work has been in close collaboration with large-scale artist and design studios helping to develop ideas from concepts and sketches into 3D renderings designed for fabrication.
Michael Christian
Designer, Engineer, Fabricator
Berkeley, CA // 2012 – present
- Brainchild || Burning Man, 2015
- Tentacles|| Electric Daisy Carnival, Ghost Ship, 2015
- EPOD|| Burning Man, Electric Daisy Carnival, Ghost Ship, 2014
- Drifts|| Burning Man 2013
- XOD|| Electric Daisy Carnival 2013
- Almost|| Burning Man 2012
- Omma|| Electric Daisy Carnival 2012
Sol Design Lab
Designer, Engineer, Fabricator, Instructor
Austin, TX, and San Francisco, CA // 2010 – Present
Solar Charging Station design and fabrication for international festivals, universities, and urban centers. Design and installations for Austin Energy, Stanford University, SXSW, University of Texas-Austin, Sierra Club, TEDx Persidio, Whole Foods, Smart Car, Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Sasquatch, Skillpoint Alliance, and Hampshire College.
One Hat One Hand
Designer, Fabricator
San Francisco, CA // 2010 – 2015
Industrial design and fabrication for One Hat One Hand, a custom set design and fabrication studio, with clients such as Zynga, NBC, Sales Force, Dwight Qualnomm, Outside Lands, Adobe, Ouya, Infiniti, Red Bull, Hermes and the Monarch bar in San Francisco.
Tellart
Designer, Fabricator
San Francisco, CA // 2015
Industrial design and fabrication for
South by Southwest
Designer, Sustainability Consultant
Austin, TX // 2010 – 2014
Industrial design and fabrication for festival green projects from idea to execution, staying within the budget and meeting project goals
Art Scene Alliance
Production Manager
Austin, TX // 2009 – 2011
Facilitated all aspects of art festival event production from site layout, mapping and scouting, to event infrastructure, team management, transportation, heavy equipment operation as well as on and off-site administration.
Marco Cochrane
San Francisco, CA // 2012 – present
- Bojon Art Car, Burning Man 2012 + 2013
Zachary Coffin
Atlanta, GA, and San Francisco, CA // 2010 – present
- Flock (forthcoming)
- Universe Revolves Around You, Burning Man 2012 + 2013
Sustainable Waves
Designer + Fabricator
Austin, TX // 2008 – 2010
Designed several solar powered stage lighting and sound systems, portable solar power units for sound and lighting and converted a fire truck to a mobile solar stage.
Artful Shelter
Chief Designer and Fabricator
Asheville, NC // 2002–2008
Oversaw design, engineering, finite element analysis, fabrication and deployment of over 20 unique large scale tensioned fabric structures from custom, site-specific designs to portable shade for weddings and festivals.
Charlie Smith
Atlanta, GA // 2006 – present
- Piggy (a.k.a. Hammageddon), 2012
- Fleeble Flobbler, Burning Man 2008
- Triple Bypass, South Africa, 2007
- Wandering Arrow, Bonnaroo 2008
Teaching
Portland Underground Graduate School, Instructor
Portland, OR // Spring 2016
Course: Basics of Design Process: Bringing Ideas into Reality
Stanford University, Instructor
Palo Alto, CA // Spring, 2013, 2014, 2015
Facilitated Sol Design Lab Design + Build Workshop Series, in collaboration with the Solar and Wind Energy Project (SWEP). Worked with students to come up with a design for a solar charging station.
University of Texas at Austin, Instructor + Designer
Austin, TX // Spring 2013, 2014
Collaborative design classes working with students on solar charging station design/ build.
Hampshire College
Adjunct Professor: Urban Eco-Design: Solar Charging Station Design/Build for Campus
Lemelson Center for Design, Amherst, MA // Jan-term 2011
- Developed curriculum for design, art, and science majors to build a solar charging station
- Raised $8,000 in cash and in-kind donations to underwrite project
Art Institute of Chicago, Artist-in-Residence
Chicago, IL // spring 2011
- Developed hands on solar workshop for professor Tiffany Homes’ DIY Ecotech class in the Art and Technology Department
- Taught portable solar charging station design and fabrication skills to students
Media
Chris Heller, “Wacky, Wild Art From This Year’s Burning Man Festival”, Smithsonian, September 8, 2015
“The desert festival’s coolest cars, happiest campers and most mind-blowing art installations”, Rolling Stone, September, 10, 2014
Shawn Gaynor “A Seed From Space Lands in the Desert”, The Outsider News, July, 20, 2014
Mitchell, Beverly, “Sol Design Lab Installs Awesome Charging Stations at UT-Austin” Inhabitat.com, July, 2014
Noriega, Christina “Two solar-powered Charging Stations Installed on Campus” The Daily Texan, July, 2014
Trew, James, “The green issue: It’s never been easier” Engadget, Nov. 2013
KQED News, “San Jose’s Art, Technology and Digital Culture Biennial” Sept. 2010
Spies, Brad “SolarPump Makes Its Way to Lolla” sxsw.com, Aug. 2010
Proficiencies
- Software: Adobe Suite, Rhino 3D, Grasshopper, CInema 4D, Corel Painter, Office suite
- Studio Arts: sheet metal, machining, EDM, CNC 2-4 axis machining, model making, photography, woodworking, analogue electronics, video
- Topological data analysis, 3D metrology