“The Head” and What Runs The Brain Her signature work, “The Head,” started as a 10-foot MFA thesis project before scaling up dramatically for Burning Man, where it sat atop a 25-foot tower. The sculpture uses aluminum screen mesh sewn together, chosen because light passes through it to create a holographic, ghost-like effect. The piece survived dust storms and 90 mph winds. Gazelle composes her own music, blending electronic synthesizers with organic sounds, specifically the didgeridoo played by her brother. The visuals react to this music in real-time. To ensure the piece commanded attention in the desert darkness, she designed a custom control panel for a “crown” of 100 Xenon off-road lights, programmed to flash and dance with the music. The installation drew crowds of 11,000 to 15,000 people daily. Gazelle credits QSI, a Toledo fabrication shop, as essential to her success. The company’s president, Tom Zitzelberger, solved a critical engineering problem when she couldn’t figure out how to mount the sculpture’s crown at a 45-degree angle. For five years, QSI had also offered free welding and fabrication courses to local art students. Gazelle now works there as an Artist Engineer and Project Manager. In addition, her Burning Man success led to invitations to Oakland’s Burning Man Decompression and Cleveland’s Ingenuity festival. ARTIST FEATURE “...light passes through it to create a holographic, ghost-like effect.”
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