Every
year around Labor Day Burning Man takes place in
the desolate Black Rock Desert in Nevada. This coming
together of burners, as attendees of the event are
known, is an extravaganza of art, music, and self-expression
that draws thousands to an isolated, acrid, alkiline
desert. A feat of planning in most years, 2007's
Burning Man event had even more challenges than
usual. By August 28th, the night of a total eclipse
of the moon visible from the Black Rock Desert,
at 2:58 am the man was set afire prematurely. The
arsonist
was eventually caught, his painted face appearing
in his booking photo in the Reno Gazette. The man
though, had to be rebuilt in time for the official
burn four days later. The event drew a record 47,000
people, a large number to pass through the small
communities of Empire and Gerlach, who are
gracious
hosts to the passage of the curious tribe across
their highways, and through their general stores
and gas stations.
The most amazing feature of the event is the interaction
of art and the desert itself. You can walk or bike
far, far out into the playa, the dusty basin of
the ancient lake that once filled this desert place.
Out there on the playa, away from the arcing grid
of cars, tents, motor homes, DJs and most of 2007's
denizens of Black Rock City, lies a kind of faerie
wasteland of art -- a combination of brutal temperatures,
alkali dust and images. The constant movement of
bicycles
to and fro across this vast expanse provides a visual
counterpoint of turning wheels large and small,
and bodies in motion.
Dust masks and goggles are essential. The wind whips
alkaline dust into its own display, creating fierce
towers of fast-moving silt called whiteouts. Whiteouts
can last for a few moments, or several hours. The
visible edge of the playa begins to blur and the
wind whips up, carrying dust in its wake. At first
it's exhilarating -- then you feel your
skin is getting a free microdermabrasion, and pull
up the dust mask and consider a race for shelter.
The
art pieces endure these wind storms, the intense
heat, and the scrutiny of the curious cyclists and
intrepid trekkers who venture out on foot. Also
part of this curious parade are an assortment of
vehicles called art cars which must be pre-approved
by
the Burning Man management prior to their entry
on the scene. Ranging from unlikely, inspired assemblages
of
decor atop golf carts to fabulous creations
such
as a grinning cheshire cat, a sailing ship,
and a three-story Victorian mansion (Neverwas
Haul & Grand
Steam Expedition by
Neverwas Haul), these vehicles drift across the
playa like floating mirages.
As you navigate the playa you come across art pieces
seemingly sprung from the dust, unlikely structures
of the imagination, yours, and the creator's.
A park bench heralded by flying red flags, with
its own lamppost, edged by a flower bed wire border
provides a welcome respite to the weary traveler.
A carousel of man-like monkeys hangs high above
the viewer, a cipher for passers-by.
The skeletons of a lone chair and its partner, a
dead tree, way, way out by the orange web that delineates
the edge of Black Rock City intimates perhaps that
without the "green" (this year's theme was the Green
Man) in
our lives,
we
ourselves would disappear, leaving only the artifacts
of our lives.
A fun assemblage of colored balls waves and bounces
in the playa gusts.
Crouching, a detailed silver being seems to have
had its head blown out by whiteouts. (Koilos by Michael
Christian)
An intricate and colorful art deco/Chinese teahouse
structure invites you in to observe fantastic spiral
mobiles. Clear panels covered with delicate arching
designs create the open walls. (Tasseograph: The
Trash TeaHouse Temple by
Shrine and TukTuk)
The fantastic site of two semitrucks impossibly
entwined, one seemingly floating in air, looms large
as
you
approach.
Yes,
they
really are that big. (Big Rig Jig
by Mike Ross)
Carefully placed sticks in a ritualistic
pattern,
a giant face yawning or crying out, tatters
of
fabric waving in the dusty wind, and an exit
door from a psychiatric hospital are also waiting
for
encounters on the playa. Giant swingsets recreate
feelings
of
childhood
in the viewers and those inspired
to swing on them.
One of the most fantastic art pieces is the Temple
of Forgiveness by David Best and Tim Dawson. It
gradually materializes, a zen temple floating in
white alkali. It is surrounded by scattered piles
of bikes whose owners are inside, reading, writing
or posting pictures of loved ones now gone. Notes
asking for forgiveness, expressions of love, loss,
and memories are written on pieces of wood or bits
of paper everywhere. It is profoundly moving. Every
bit of the construction is intricately carved,
a
work of dedication whose purpose is immolation
along
with all the missives inside. On the night after
the man burns, the Temple is burned, sending its
messages and its structure into flame, and then
smoke. Burning Man is over -- until next year.
We'd like to credit all the artists
whose works we show here. If you know the artist's
names, and titles of the pieces that we are missing,
please email feedback.
Thanks
Burning
Man 2007
