Maze plan by Todd Dworman Theme The theme for the Maze in 2001 was the Age of Reflection. The Age of Reflection "...lies somewhere in the area of middle age. It is intended to evoke that season of experience in which we reflect upon the consequence of our decisions." From the Burning Man site. (More) Besides the obvious consequences that are created by choices made in a maze, the artwork was intended to embody this idea of reflection and choice. The design included 5 rooms of interactive artwork, a central courtyard, and hallways with paintings, batiks, and casts of butts and breasts. The journey through the maze was intended to take you through stages of reflection. To create a story that would change with each new venture. Rooms The idea was to have each of the rooms have artwork that would be interactive in some way and embody the theme. The rooms included the Acupunture Voodoo Room of Regrets by Patti Glenn, the Spell Casting Room by Jennifer Murphy, the Forgiveness Altar by Affinity and Monkey Boy, the Inner and Outer Reflection room and Lone Self Room by Charles H. Trapolin. In the Room of Regrets the participant reflected on the pain of regret held in the body. A large pin then would be stuck into the Voodoo doll releasing the pain into the doll. The doll was burned in the pyre created by the Man. While the Room of Regrets dealt more with past actions the Spell Casting Room incorporated both the past and future. In this room hung with strips of fabric the partcipant meditated on something they either wanted to create or release in their lives and then tied nine knots into the fabric while reciting a spell. The knots were also burned in the pyre created by the Man. The Inner/Outer Reflection Room dealt more with perception and personal reflection. The walls were covered with reflective material. In the room were hung mirrors that had questions and statements on them. By picking up the mirror and looking at yourself you were also facing a question. The idea was to combine the outer relfection of image with the inner reflection. Another aspect of this journey was embodied in the Forgiveness Altar. Along with viewing a many different social figures with the word "Forgive" superimposed on them, the viewer would also view themselves in a mirror. Who can we forgive? After journeying through the other stages and travelling through the hallways, the traveller came upon the courtyard a room of reflections within reflections. The walls covered with mirrors (square) reflected in the central sculptures mirrors (round). Looking at the mirrors on the walls one would see round in square. Looking at the mirrors on the sculpture one would see square in round. The final stage of this journey happens in the Lone Self room. It is the time when you realize that you have to really look at yourself. There is no one to help and nothing to distract you. It is a time of self reckoning. Hallways The hallways were layered with images of memory. The intent was for the art to act as memories that one would return to on their journey. The images of the past. Form In designing the mural and maze, I used a formal structure of squares and circles that repeated throughout the maze. Square and circles repeated in the mural, in mirrors, in shapes of rooms and windows, in the shape of the maze itself. The circle in the square is representative of the individual (circle) in the larger field of existence (square). This larger field could be family, community, nature, nation, etc. The point in the center is representative of the still point within which meets with that which is beyond and encompassing of all.