What Is Burning Man?

The annual Burning Man art festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert is perhaps the world's most surrealistic outdoor event. Begun in 1986 as a small gathering on a Bay Area beach, Burning Man 2008—"American Dream"—attracted nearly 50,000 artists and participants, a record number of attendees. Each year, caravans of "burners" converge each August to create the massive temporary encampment known as Black Rock City, a precise geometric formation which from the air resembles a futuristic civilization on another planet. Lasting only one week, the event's primary directive, "Leave No Trace," remarkably ensures that the vast, featureless dry lakebed of ancient Lake Lahontan is quickly returned to its pristine state. Beyond the event itself, Burning Man is a significant art movement and an expanding cultural phenomenon, incorporating interactive and collaborative art, "radical self-expression," a "gift economy," community, and environmental responsibility.

At Burning Man, near the tiny town of Gerlach, NV, numerous art installations and structures of every description populate the perfectly flat alkaline expanse known as the playa; each year a different theme dictates the main attractions seen and visited by thousands daily. For 2008, the unusually specific theme produced both American dreams and American nightmares. (For 2007, the ecological theme was "The Green Man"; for 2006, the ominous "Hope and Fear: The Future"; for 2005, "Psyche"; for 2004, the celestial "Vault of Heaven"; for 2003, the metaphysical "Beyond Belief"; for 2002, the aqueous "The Floating World," etc.)

The relentless desert sun occasionally gives way to severe dust storms that envelop everything in an impenetrable cloud of fine powder, requiring Burners to be fully prepared at all times with dust masks, goggles, and copious amounts of water. Burning Man tickets clearly specify that participants "voluntarily assume the risk of serious injury or death," and scores are typically treated each day for dehydration, heatstroke, or "playa foot."

At the center of Black Rock City is the Man, a 75-foot-high wood and neon figure mounted on a large platform (unique to the annual theme) that is burned with great ceremony and fireworks on the final Saturday night, as thousands of onlookers displaying an almost religious fervor surround the raging inferno, known as the Burn. Many other large and small artworks are incinerated in the weeklong orgy of fire, which frequently emits from metal artworks, flamethrowers mounted on bizarre Mad Max–type vehicles and the mouths of mobile dragons, and more than 1,000 fire dancers, who perform en masse before the Burn.

Burning Man really comes alive in the cool of the night, as thousands on bicycles cruise the promenades and avenues, and numerous sound systems and laser projections fill the air with music and the sky with mesmerizing patterns. High technology is apparent at every turn, as illuminated kinetic devices spin in every direction and homemade aircraft hover overhead. In contrast to the evening's festive atmosphere, architecturally sublime structures—notably the exquisite annual temples—offer spiritual solace and opportunity for quiet contemplation.

The popularity of Burning Man has seen attendance rise steadily each year. Participants must bring all their food, copious amounts of water and other necessities for a week in the desert, as nothing but coffee, tea, lemonade (at the cafe), and ice (for coolers) is sold. Even barter is discouraged in favor of the gift economy, which seems to ensure that everyone gets the help they need to survive the harsh conditions. The BM paradigm, formulated by founder Larry Harvey, has spread to regional BM events around the U.S. and beyond. Burners Without Borders, which started with a massive six-month cleanup effort by Burners in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina, continues its aid projects in the U.S. and abroad, and donated a massive solar panel array to the Gerlach School in 2007.

The art of Burning Man continues to gain legitimacy, press, and public recognition in the U.S. and beyond. Several large-scale artworks that originated with BM have been transplanted as public art to the "default world," most notably San Francisco, which recently hosted an exquisite Burning Man–style temple by artist David Best, who raised the bar for art on the playa by erecting magnificent, arabesque structures of recycled wood. The event continues to be widely covered by the news media, and major newspaper, magazine, and television features regularly appear. The art press is also paying attention: Art in America's June/July 2006 issue included a Burning Man feature, and "The Art and Culture of Burning Man," an article by Daniel Pinchbeck in the November 2003 issue of Artforum, included 10 BM photos by Gabe Kirchheimer. As the cultural influence of the event continues to expand, Burning Man is clearly hot by any standard.

* * *
Gabe Kirchheimer has photographed Burning Man since 1998, and his BM pictures have appeared in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Artforum, Marie Claire, Design House Korea, Domus and other publications. His work continues to be featured by the Burning Man organization, and his classic aerial photo of Burning Man 2000 has been published worldwide and hangs in the Nevada Legislature. For image requests or prints please contact Gabe.