Burning at Black Rock

Black Rock Desert, Nev.- Nearly 30,000 burners ignited Labor Day weekend during the 17th annual Burning Man event held in Northern Nevada, 2002. More than 450 theme camps, from Alice in Wonderlounge to the Yellow Seed Solar Station were erected in the endless miles of the vast dried lakebed known as the "Playa."

Sea Monkeys, Flaming Poi Dancers and, of course, Doctor Mega Volt himself electrified the sleepless nights of Black Rock City prior to the sacred burning of, "The Man." In conjunction with the year's theme, "The Floating World," a playa foam party, human carcass wash and the Starlust Pool Party were a few of the hundreds of events that took place during the triple digit temperature days.

In 1986, Baker Beach, San Francisco, Larry Harvey- now executive director of the project- conceives the first Burning Man in honor of the summer solstice.

Twenty participants witnessed the beginning of a subculture social experiment that was soon to explode into an orgy of radical self-expression. With participants from every region of the world, Burning Man has become an art event in which all members are asked to contribute to the society, where spectators are prohibited. In the Media Myths press release, Larry Harvey states, "We ask participants to commune with their own reality and to regard that essential inner portion of experience that makes them feel real as if it were a vision or a gift, and then project this vision out onto the world."


© Burning at Black Rock. Black Rock City, Nevada.

Lewis Jacobs/ The New Mexico Daily Lobo, 2002

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