See the da Vinci Fish in Bombay Beach in 2021 – it's still on display:
da Vinci Flying Fish is a permanent installation in Southern California to be completed by March 23, 2019 for the start of the 4th Annual Bombay Beach Biennale, a renegade celebration of art, music, and philosophy. Founded by artist/filmmaker Tao Ruspolli, this event takes place each year on the literal edge of Western Civilization, at the shores of the Salton Sea. It coincides with Desert X, a site-specific contemporary art exhibition in the Coachella Valley, February 9 – April 21, 2019. This site-specific sculpture is being erected by a team of artist/fabricators from Colorado and Arizona.
March 21, 2019 Update: Read our press release about the build: Media Release: The da Vinci Fish on-site build March 10-17, 2019 »
March 16, 2019 Update: We just installed da Vinci Flying Fish on it's support tower, shown above. We have added the wings, and are finishing up small details. The sculpture is a hit!!! The sculpture is 95% complete! See more photos and video below.
Just got word the sculpture will be in Raw Vision Magazine! Stay tuned on Facebook: facebook.com/chrome.sean.guerrero and facebook.com/chromesean
THE TEAM
Sean Guerrero – lead artist, modifying the fuselage and coordinating the project. Royce Carlson – making the fins, wings, and tail. Juanita Hull-Carlson – making mosaic panels for the sides of the fuselage. John Murphy – making the base. J. Cobe – web and videography skills for the promotion side of the project. Rob Williams – helping with fish scales, photos, social media Gordon Durkee – fabricator and armory Greg Hill – assistant fabricator Sean Guerrero leads a group of gypsy fabricators in erecting a larger-than-life flying fish to soar above the shores of the evaporating sea. This kinetic sculpture is over 25 feet in height, built from a discarded executive airplane fuselage perched atop a repurposed semi axel that will be driven by prevailing winds and solar power. The installation will be a visual acknowledgement to the elements of the area: the dying sea; naval aviation; migratory birds and fish, their threatened food.
HELP US BRING THE DA VINCI FISH TO BOMBAY BEACH
Donate to our GoFundMe campaign » We are donating the da Vinci Flying Fish to Bombay Beach. So far all of the costs have been borne by the artists with no expectation of compensation. It has become more costly than we planned (as things like this often do!). Help us in bringing the DaVinci Fish to Bombay Beach by contributing to our GoFundMe campaign. Thank you for any contributions to help us complete this amazing project!
Above: Da Vinci Fish at Dusk • Photo by Rob Williams
Watch Sean discuss the idea for da Vinci Flying Fish:
Below are some March 2019 photos of us installing the fish on site:
Above: Former munitions loader for f16s Gordon is loading one more at Bombay Beach
MORE ABOUT DA VINCI FISH da Vinci Fish is a collaborative work by five artists. Lead artist, Sean Guerrero (aka ChromeSean), had an idea to make a giant flying fish sculpture out of an airplane fuselage and donate the sculpture to the community of Bombay Beach on the edge of the Salton Sea in California. It is a contribution to the budding art scene that appears to be re-inventing this deteriorating community as an arts destination and bringing the environmental issues of the Salton Sea to the attention of more people. Read more about this project at: roycecarlsonart.wordpress.com/2019/01/09/the-davinci-fish/
The 2019 Bombay Beach Biennale will take place sometime in April. As with years past, dates will be kept under wraps. Our 500 tickets will be issued exclusively to Bombay Beach residents, artists, volunteers and supporters. Due to the non-commercial nature of our event, all production, logistics, and operations are lead by a team of dedicated volunteers.
Read more about the Bombay Beach Biennale at www.bombaybeachbiennale.org
Check out more of our drawings and photos from the project:
September 2018 – Royce with the completed Tail:
Summer 2018 – Sean inside the fuselage and Royce outside of it:
Taking a break. at BBAC after prepping sire to install fish:
BOMBAY BEACH BIENNALE
Learn more about the Bombay Beach Biennale in this video:
The Bombay Beach Biennale is a renegade celebration of art, music, and philosophy that takes place each year on the literal edge of western civilization, at the shores of the Salton Sea.
The Biennale, founded in 2015, transforms the town into a fully-immersive art experience for three days out of the year, but leaves a lasting mark on the community and a heightened awareness of the Salton Sea environmental crisis. The event is a celebration for Bombay Beach residents, artists, volunteers and collaborators who are revitalizing the town and transforming it into a year-round destination for art and creativity.
Bombay Beach is in Imperial County, California, United States. It is located on the Salton Sea 4 miles west-southwest of Frink and is the lowest community in the United States, located 223 feet below sea level. The population was 295 at the 2010 census, down from 366 in 2000.
COMING TO BOMBAY BEACH BIENNALE? Some Tips From Sean:
For anyone of my friends thats wanting to come to Biennale in Salton Sea , you must go to linked site, go on SURVEY thumbnail, enter pertinent info, then donate 25 bucks through PayPal credit card whatever, once you have paid date of event will be revealed to you.then when there at location you will get a wristband and be allowed to park at very beautiful outside section.please try to carpool so there aren't tons of vehicles then be able to enter music or art pop up venues.must have a wristband!!!
No pets, there isn't any food, bring your own, bring any drinkables, bring out your trash and throw it in proper receptacles, plan on walking around or ride your bike or push your kid in a wheel barrow. And there are NO CASH MACHINES, or stores, or hospitals or airplanes except ours which doesn't fly. Only 500 total tickets are available and its for the participants, artists, vendors, volunteers, residents, The organizers have to do this to stay within the County rules. no exceptions! There are state dry and RV camp spots as well as two hot springs rv dry paid camp spots all along the 111 highway.
Our project will be there permanently, so if you miss the venue you will still be able to view it publicly for free until the San Andreas fault line opens up and swallows us all!
Here are some more photos, we'll be adding more soon: