A Horse with No Name and Burning Man… The Bikes of Black Rock City

February 20, 2016February 21, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 24 Comments

This lion was one of the more uniquely decorated bikes I found at Burning Man 2015. The tires are perfect for the Playa.

Almost everyone has a bike at Burning Man, even the folks with mutant vehicles. How else are you going to make your way down to the neighborhood bar, or the Center Camp Café, or the Man, or the dance venue out on the edge of Black Rock City when you have an itch to travel and your only option is walking— for miles. That means that there are well over 50,000 bikes running around in the desert. I wouldn’t be surprised if the number were closer to 65,000.

There are no skinny tires at Burning Man, or, if there are, the Virgin Burners who brought them won’t make the same mistake twice. Playa dust sucks up skinny tires like quicksand sucks up wayward cows. You and your bike may not disappear, but you are guaranteed to come to a screeching halt in deep dust, and possible even earn a dust bath. Most bikes also share another quality. They are dirt-cheap. Dirt seeps into everything. It is not the place for your $1000 bike, or even your $500 bike. I am talking Wal-Mart cheap.

When I first journeyed out to the Black Rock Desert, my friend Ken Lake brought along hobby horses to fit on our bikes. (A hobby-horse is a long stick with a horse head on one end; you’ve probably seen them in kids stores like Toys-R-Us. Maybe you have even jumped on one and yelled Hi-Yo-Silver-Away. I have.) Ours came with sound effects. Pinch their ears and they would make trotting and neighing sounds. The hobby horses were meant as a decoration, but they also served a more practical purpose: to help us find our bikes when hundreds of others looked just the same. In honor of the horses we decided to call ourselves Horse Camp. Naturally we had to name our horses. I chose Horse with No Name after the lyrics of 70s song released by the band, America.

I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name— It felt good to be out of the rain— In the desert you can remember your name— ‘Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain.

Horse with No Name tries on my hat. The yellow circle under the hat was one of the many glow sticks he was wearing the night before to avoid becoming a statistic.

Following along with the horse camp theme, I adopted “Outlaw” as my Playa name. The two names just seemed to fit, plus they both have a rather illusive quality I like.

Not all burners decorate their bikes, but most have at least something on them to aid in identification. Here are some decorated bikes I found at Burning Man 2015.

This pirate had outfitted his bike with a canon. (Photo by Don Green.)

This pirate had outfitted his bike with a cannon. (Photo by Don Green.)

A family of owls roosted on the handle bars.

I don’t have a clue as to what these white poles represented but they sure made the bikes easy to find.

So did the lamp shades.

And how about these animals? It looks like someone robbed a toy store, or maybe their kid’s room. This is a tricycle, BTW.

Now, if I only had someone to pedal me around…

I am thinking Pagoda here.

If you have never biked, or haven't biked for quite awhile, your crotch may be in for a real treat. These folks (and their highly abused rabbit and bear) have done what they can to counter the experience.

If you have never biked, or haven’t biked for quite a while, your crotch may be in for a real treat. Trust me on this one. I’ve been there. These folks (and their highly abused rabbit and dog) have done what they can to counter the pain.

I will conclude with this flower. Join me in my next blog as I go on a Burning Man walk-a-bout.

I will conclude with this gigantic flower. Join me in my next blog as I go on a Burning Man walk-a-bout.

Center Camp Café… Where Burners Gather

February 17, 2016February 17, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 28 Comments

Bad cat! I found this painting at the Center Camp Cafe and just had to laugh.

Bad cat! I found this painting at the Center Camp Cafe and laughed. The expressions were precious, including that of the robe-bedecked senior across the street.

Hardly a day goes by at Burning Man that I don’t stop by the Center Camp Café. It’s a great place to enjoy Black Rock City’s unique residents. Find a good seat and watch the parade go by. Or, better yet, join the parade. It goes in a circle, around and around— but not in any particular order. Structured chaos rules in Black Rock City. On a good day, rabbits, carrots, or belly dancers may join in the action.

An inside view of the Center Camp Cafe. (Photo by Don Green.)

An inside view of the Center Camp Cafe on a fairly quiet day. (Photo by Don Green.)

Many Burners dress up in their finest costumes to visit the Café. The best always draw a handful of photographers. “May I take your photo?” is heard often. It’s courtesy, Black Rock City style. Most people say yes. After all, they are walking art, meant to be appreciated.

One side of the Café features a large stage where performers offer everything from country music, to opera, to comedy, to magic and possibly even a poem or two. The really big event of the week is the People’s Fashion Show. Outrageous is both acceptable and encouraged. The opposite side of the Café has a smaller stage where you can sign up to give a talk, if you want, on almost anything.

The backdrop for main stage at the Cafe.

The backdrop for the main stage at the Cafe. It definitely had a Burning Man feel to it.

The People's Fashion Show always draws a large crowd. My friend Don Green always shows up early and gets a seat, front row and center.

The People’s Fashion Show at Burning Man always draws a large crowd. My friend Don Green shows up early and gets a seat front row and center, just at the end of the runway.

People's fashion show at Burning Man 2015 features a two legged dancing unicorn.

His objective is to capture photos like this of what I assume is a two-legged dancing unicorn. (Photo by Don Green.)

And this walking caution sign. You might think twice about dating him. (Photo by Don Green.)

Ta da! (Photo by Don Green.)

A well-dressed bride. Perhaps a bit haughty. (Photo by Don Green.)

Over the years, I’ve learned that the participants go outside for a photo shoot after they have walked down the runway. So I place myself among the photographers and capture images like this horned man of silver.

This Asian woman with her oriental costume...

An Asian woman with her oriental costume… Check out her claws.

And this green man in his height of fashion costume.

And my favorite, Mr. Green in a jeweled costume. The glasses go above and beyond!

A large, open circle dominates the center of the Café. It’s where Burners practice their latest moves with hula-hoops, or juggling balls, or their bellies, or any one of several other performance arts that are common in Black Rock City. But practice is just a part. Performers are born to perform, right. And many of the folks in the center circle are strutting their stuff, like you would expect at a three-ring circus. Some demonstrate great ability and talent. What the majority of the people focus on seems to vary by year. This was the year for acrobatic yoga.

I admired the beauty and grace of people participating in acrobatic yoga.

I thought this woman may have been learning to fly.

Don caught this woman working her hula-hoop in a seemingly magical way. (Photo by Don Green.)

Don caught this woman ecstatically working her hula-hoop in a seemingly magical way. (Photo by Don Green.)

Like everywhere else in Black Rock City and out on the Playa, art is featured in the Café. Checking it out is always one of my first stops, right after I have examined the murals on the long, circular fence behind the Café.

Today the desert; tomorrow the world? I wondered about the implications of this photo.

Today Black Rock City; tomorrow the World? I wondered about the implications of this graphic rendition of the Man.

As I wondered about the vision behind this art work. I thought possibly it had been inspired by a magic mushroom or two.

Want a decent cup of coffee to start your engine in the morning or a glass of iced tea to cool you down on a hot afternoon? The Café is the only place in Black Rock City where you can buy anything (besides ice), and coffee, tea, and lemonade are what it offers. Now if it would only sell pastries (sigh).

The line for coffee and tea at the Center Camp Cafe can be a little imposing, but I am never bored while waiting.

The line for coffee and tea at the Center Camp Cafe can be daunting, but I am never bored while waiting.

Once you have ordered and paid, you can always amuse yourself by studying the stickers that seem to adorn the backs of all the cash registers.

I found this fake parking permit with its satirical take on BMO's new parking permit requirement. The theory is that it will encourage people to to bring vehicles. Maybe. But it is also another way to generate more revenue.

I found this fake parking permit with its satirical take on BMO’s new parking permit requirement amusing. The theory is that charging a fee will encourage people not to bring vehicles. Maybe, but it is also another way to generate more revenue. BMO has doubled the price for 2016.

While you can’t get pastries, you can get pasties— for free. Pastie Dan is often found at the Café plying his trade. Or possibly I should say, applying his trade. And you have choices… spirals, the Man, a flag, a rainbow, or a smiley face: the list goes on. If exposing your nipples seems a bit risqué, possibly you would prefer a tarot card reading session or a massage. Someone is always giving away something as part of Burning Man’s gifting program. Last year I got icy hands on my neck. The point is, you just never know what will be happening next at the Center Camp Café, but it is almost guaranteed to be fun, or at least unique.

The Center Camp Cafe at Burning Man 2015. The flying flags can be seen from most places on the Playa and in Black Rock City, serving as a beacon for lost Burners. I’ve used them many times myself, especially at night when they are lit up.

NEXT BLOG: A quick look at Burning Mans major form of transportation: the bicycle

The People of Black Rock City… Who Goes to Burning Man?

February 13, 2016February 13, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 37 Comments

I chose this man to kick off my blog on the people of Burning Man partially because of the character shown in his face and partially because he is a veteran Burner who works with the Department of Public Works that builds Black Rock City.

When I first travelled out to Burning Man in 2004 the perception was that Burners were a group of modern-day hippies who travelled out into the desert, got naked, and smoked a lot of pot. I was okay with that. I like new experiences and adventures. Besides, I could go out into the desert, not get naked, and not smoke a lot of pot. What I quickly discovered, and have since advocated over and over however, is that Burning Man is much more than a hippie party in the desert; it is a hot-bed of creativity and a huge outdoor gallery of world-class art. Many of the costumes shown in this post are another aspect of that creativity.

Bright, colorful costumes have been a tradition at Burning Man since the event started. They are a way that individuals contribute to the overall atmosphere. (Photo by Don Green.)

Naturally I was curious about who my fellow Burners were. As it turns out, so was Burning Man. BMO (the Burning Man Organization) began carrying out an annual census or survey in 2002 of who participated. What I discovered, as I reviewed the results of the annual surveys, was that the everyday average Burner looked a lot like me.

Burners come in all ages and many come well-costumed. I've always been a bit suspicious that them of them are also aliens.

Burners come in all ages and many come well-costumed. I’ve always been a bit suspicious that some of them are also aliens. I like the eyes staring out from behind. There is a good chance that Susan Sarandon tacked them up. (Photo by Don Green.)

Here are a few results from the 2014 census (the last date for which complete details are published) that I pulled out to share with you:

58.2% of the participants are male and 40.6% are female. (Some don’t respond.) Of these people, 64.9% had been more than once and 35.1% first-timers (virgins in Burner speak). Only 5.5% fit my category of having been to the event 11 times or more.
People are older than you may think. 33.9% are 40 and older and 35.2% fit the category of 30-39, leaving only 30% for the under 30 crowd. My esteemed age (grin) puts me in the one percent category.
Income-wise, the majority of Burners are well above the poverty line. 2.7% actually make over $350k a year. Over 50% make between $50k and $299k per year.
27% of Burners have advanced college degrees and 42.6% have bachelor degrees meaning that almost 70% of the people at Burning Man have graduated from college.
Not too surprising, 87% of the participants are white, a fact for which BMO has come under some criticism. 84.8% of Burners come from the US and 15.1% from other countries. (And yes, I realize that leaves 0.1% hanging out there. My theory is that these people are aliens from outer space. Who would ever know?)
The political view of Burners is somewhat left of center, especially on environmental and social issues. Only 4.8% registered as Republican. 34.6% registered Democrat and 34.3% Independent. Other parties got the rest. In the last election 72% voted. Of these, 75% voted Democratic.
Two final results: 69.4% of Burners consider themselves heterosexual. 71.8 % do not belong to an organized religion.

So now, to put a face to these numbers, here are some photos of Burners from 2015. I owe a special thanks to my friend Don Green for many of these pictures. Don is much less shy than I am about going up and asking people if he can take their photo.

It's not all youngsters at Burning Man. As the woman's glasses suggest, the majority of Burners are of a more liberal persuasion.

It’s not all youngsters at Burning Man. As the glasses suggest, the majority of Burners are of a more liberal persuasion. Most would go along with the old saying: Make love, not war.

Burning Man has a rule about not wearing feathers. They tend to escape onto the Playa and have to be cleaned up. That never stops people from wearing feathers. I thought they looked good on this woman. (Photo by Don Green.)

Burning Man has a rule about not wearing feathers. They tend to escape onto the Playa and have to be cleaned up. That never stops Burners from wearing them. I thought they looked good on this woman. (Photo by Don Green.)

This woman has been coming to Burning Man as long as I have and never looks a day older. I want her secret.

I captured this man twirling fire. While 87% of the participants at Burning Man are white, my sense over the past several years has been that the ethnic make up of the event is changing, be it ever so gradual.

I identified with this woman as she sat alone and worked on her journal, capturing her experience at Burning Man. It could have easily been me.

This young couple stood next to me as we watched a burning piano be tossed 50 or so yards up the Playa. Glasses form an important part of Burner’s costumes. He had a large fork as a staff. Why not…

Great eyelashes. (Photo by Don Green.)

Some Burners are abnormally tall with surprisingly small feet.

And some have wings, large wings. (Photo by Don Green.)

I really liked these “wings” caught in the early morning sunlight. Is she ready to fly?

This woman had learned how. (Photo by Don Green.)

Our next door neighbors had a huge orange outside there RV and boxes of oranges that they were giving away. They told mer they had an orange tree in Southern California that bore fruit right about Burning Man time every year. They would pick the fruit, bring it to Burning Man and give it away.

Our next door neighbors had a huge orange outside their RV. They told me they had an orange tree in Southern California that bore fruit right about Burning Man time every year. They would pick the fruit, bring it to Burning Man, and give it away. They had been doing so for several years.

The hat and unique look guaranteed that this man would make it onto my blog. He really liked like someone I would like to know.

The hat and unique look guaranteed that this man would make it onto my blog. He really looked like someone I would like to know.

Here is how I like police people to tell me no. This woman was a member of the Black Rock Rangers, BMO’s group of volunteers who help maintain order in Black Rock City. She was telling me I had gone about as far as I could go.

Every party needs a pirate, right. Could it possibly be… (Photo by Don Green.)

The Temple of Mazu, Prairie Wind Chapel, Life Cube, and Black Rock Bijou… Unique Buildings of Burning Man

February 11, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 32 Comments

The Temple pf Mazu, Goddess of the Empty Sea, was guarded by dragons at Burning Man.

The Temple of Mazu, Goddess of the Empty Sea, was guarded by dragons, a manticore, and thousand-eyed demons at Burning Man.

The folks at the Department of Public Art in New Xishi City, Taiwan decided it was time to have a presence at Burning Man— so they built the Temple of Mazu, Goddess of the Empty Sea, and brought it to Black Rock City. It is an ideal location for the Goddess. The Black Rock Desert was once part of a large Pleistocene lake of sea-size proportions. Now it is mainly dust and rock, a mere shadow of its ancient past.

The written description about the temple tells Burners, “You walk through the dust and heat of day, beyond the heart of the city, and from the haze before you emerges a shape that is both plant and place, flower and temple, both open and contained. No fence keeps you out, but one hundred and eight lanterns mark out the space, like a fairy ring in the forest, like the hundred and eight beads of the Buddhist rosary.” A giant lotus rises from the heart of the temple. Dragons, a manticore, and thousand-eyed demons guard it. I visited the temple during the day and at night.

A giant lotus rose from the top of the Temple Of Mazu.

A temple dragon.

Mazu Temple Manticore at Burning Man 2015

A mythological manticore with its scorpion tail…

And a many-eyed demon.

A view of the Mazu Temple at night displaying its lantern and lotus.

A view of the Mazu Temple at night displaying its lantern, lotus and fiery protectors.

A fire-breathing dragon perched on the temple, blasts out its fiery breath.

A windmill reaching into the sky is usually the symbol of a lonely farm or ranch in the dry West of distant vistas. Often they can be seen from miles away. So when I saw a windmill way out on the Playa, I assumed I would find a structure reflecting a ranch or a farm. Instead I came on a chapel where a wedding was being held. The Prairie Wind Chapel is the creation of Robert Hoehn and the Wind Tribe out of Venice, California. According to Robert’s creative imagination, the chapel was “excavated from a dust bowl near the border of Oklahoma and Saskatchewan.” It “was once the heart of the roving town of Aeolia until a tornado wiped it all from the map.” A Victorian reed organ served as the centerpiece of the chapel. Burners were invited to stop and rest, or play the organ, if they were so inclined.

Looking up at the windmill attached to the Prairie Wind Chapel. Photographs from the 1930’s Dust Bowl had been placed on the side.

A side view of the Chapel.

Front view of Prairie Wind Chapel at Burning Man 2015

And a front view. The wind was invited into the chapel whenever it blew by.

A close up of the organ plus candle lanterns and jaw bones. Playa dust, left behind by the visiting wind, outlines everything.

This impressively carved bull skull with its adorning feathers was hung above the organ.

Skeeter Cohen’s Life Cube Project from Dobbs Ferry, New York was based on the concept “that if you write down what you want to accomplish in life, the chances of attaining it are much, much higher.” Cards were provided for jotting down Burners aspirations, or you were welcome to write them out on the large, cube-like building. Large murals had been painted on the front and sides of the structure. What impressed me most were the 440 individual art creations on the back.

The Life Cube building at Burning Man was designed to incorporate the life aspirations of individual Burners.

Burners were invited to express life-time goals at The Life Cube building. Covered with murals and graffiti,it was designed to be burned.

My friend, Don Green, captured this mural on the side of the building.

440 individual drawings and paintings covered the back of the building.

Here's a close up of the art. Check it out.

Here’s a close up of the art. It’s fun. Check it out.

“The Black Rock Bijou is that movie theater located in the Deep Playa, outside of Black Rock City that may or may not exist. Our mission is to shock and delight you with a movie theater that transports you to another time and place during your Deep Playa exploration.” –Release Neuman and Sam Gipson

The Deep Playa is the “Outback” of Burning Man, to steal a term from our Aussie friends. All that separates it from the desert is a fence that BMO puts up to protect and contain Burners. DO NOT CROSS is the rule. Given that my Burning Man name is “Outlaw,” of course I had to climb over. A BMO truck was bearing down on me in seconds, kicking up a dust storm in its wake. Apparently the organization keeps Rangers out there with binoculars. As fast as they were, I was back over and on my way by the time they arrived. Let’s hear it for spry 72 year olds!

A relatively small percentage of Burners make it to the Deep Playa; it’s a long bike ride and a much further walk. But some artists enjoy placing their art out there. You have to work to appreciate it. That’s apparently how Release Neuman and Sam Gipson feel about their beautifully detailed Black Rock Bijou. It’s a theater out of the past that actually shows movies at midnight, 2:00 and 4:00 a.m. (beyond my bedtime).

The Bijou’s design is based on that of the Royal Theater in Archer, Texas, which was used in The Last Picture Show (based on Larry McMurtry’s book). I’ve been to Archer, not so much to see the Royal Theater as to check out the huge bookstore McMurtry has turned his hometown into. Peggy and I will be returning there this spring as part of our 10,000-mile road trip through the US and Canada.

“Strangers on a Train” was playing at the Black Rock Bijou. If the first showing hadn’t started at midnight, I would have gone.

I provide a side view of the theater for my last photo today. Different murals are put up each year. This one reflected Burning Man's 2015 theme: A Carnival of Mirrors.

I’ll provide a side view of the theater for my last photo today. Different murals are put up each year. This one reflected Burning Man’s 2015 theme: A Carnival of Mirrors.

NEXT BLOG: Who goes to Burning Man… a look at Black Rock City’s annual census.

A Fabulous Dragon Made of Junk and A Very Brainy Kid… Burning Man 2015

February 7, 2016February 7, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 49 Comments

Gabe Zanotto's Dragon at Burning Man 2015

How can you not love Claude the Dragon. Check out his chest made of old shovels.

I had to pet Claude and call him sir. What else do you do when you meet up with a ferocious fire-breathing dragon that hails from Northern California and is made primarily of junk? “Would you like to crawl inside?” his creator, Gabe Zanotto asked. I could hear Claude’s digestive juices roiling around inside. “Um, sure,” I replied, sticking my head briefly inside the door. Too claustrophobic I thought quickly and returned to admiring him from the outside. I also had to check out a flying pig and a mermaid.

A close up of Claude’s head.

Did you ever imagine that dragon skin would look like this, complete with a little dog?

If only pigs could fly? (Photo by Don Green.)

I was told that the spoons on this lovely mermaid’s back came off of Craig’s List, the same place my Burning Man Ticket came from.

The Brain Child seemed a little strange to me but I had to admire the creativity of Michael Christian from Berkeley, California. And gradually, as I looked at the kid’s big feet, he grew on me. “I love celebrating the inquisitive spirit of play and exploring the plurality of forms that can be expressed through biologically inspired shapes and patterns found in nature,” Christian said in describing his sculpture. Burners were invited to climb around in the ‘brain’ and serve as ‘neurotransmitters.’

Brainy child sculpture at Burning Man 2015

I really admired the creativity that went into this sculpture. I suspect my size 14 feet looked similar when I was this kid’s age.

Brainchild sculpture at Burning Man 2015

Another view. The person on the right provides an idea of the sculpture’s size.

Given all of the sculptures at Burning Man, there is no way I can feature all of them, or for that matter, even find all of them, which I have mentioned before. Anyway here are several more sculptures I enjoyed.

Several beautifully carved wood sculptures, including this Easter Island lookalike, were located together.

Its face.

A giant squid by Barry Crawford of Elko, Nevada. Cranks around the edges allowed Burners to move the tentacles. Take a look at its eye.

Squid eye made from vegetable steamer at Burning Man

Clever, huh. Do you know what it is?

I would have included this cat for its face. The neck guaranteed it.

This is definitely a New Orleans alligator brought by the NOLA camp. In case there is any doubt, check out the beads. I am thinking Mardi Gras.

Did Alice of Wonderland take the wrong pill? And since when has Alice worn pasties? (Photo by Don Green.)

Did Alice of Wonderland take the wrong pill? Maybe not. Since when has Alice worn pasties? (Photo by Don Green.)

Looked at one way, this might have been a sapling. What I saw was Bugs Bunny.

A horned wolf and a feathered dinosaur are held down by sand bags so they won’t be blown over by the Black Rock Desert’s persistent wind.

Much of the art at Burning Man is designed to be interactive. This pice may set a new standard.

Much of the art at Burning Man is designed to be interactive. This piece may set a new standard.The first steps were easy…

I thought I'd conclude with Penny the Goose whose front and back is covered with thousands of pennines, Canadian on one side and America on the other.

I thought I’d conclude with Penny the Goose whose front and back are covered with thousands of pennies (120,000), Canadian on one side and America on the other.

NEXT BLOG: We are going to visit a Buddhist Temple built for Burning Man by Taiwan, a unique prairie church, and a few other structures built out on the Playa.

More Impressive Sculptures of Burning Man 2015… Part 2

February 5, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 28 Comments

Central Americans could have come on this sculpture a thousand years ago and felt right at home.

I was surprised when I came across James Tyler’s brick head sculpture as I was cycling across the Playa. I had just struggled through several inches of thick dust that had bogged my bike down and required all of my attention. (The Black Rock Desert gives a whole new meaning to dirt biking.) Hitting solid ground, I breathed a sigh of relief and looked up. The sculpture was directly in front of me, maybe a hundred yards away. Like the molecule sculptures I featured in my last post, it seemed like a perfect fit for the desert. There was something powerful and ancient in the sculpture, but it also seemed surprisingly modern. Earth was written across its forehead. Tyler, I learned, hails from New York and specializes in ceramic brick heads. His work can be found throughout the country. To learn more, visit his website.

More and more robots will be in our future, guaranteed. Artificial intelligence and robotics are racing forward at Mach speed. Many of the jobs we do today will be done by machines in 10-20 years, if not sooner. For example, Peggy and I rarely vacuum anymore. Robota the Roomba does the job. She even cleans under our couch and beds, which is something we rarely did. In fact, I’m convinced she goofs off there, hiding out where we can’t see her. When her battery runs low she scoots back to the charger and recharges herself. The upside of robotics is obvious, but what about the downside. Isaac Asimov’s series on robots were among the first science fiction books I ever read. Will there come a time in our future when robots run the world and look down on us as the highly inefficient, messy creatures we are? Christian Ristow’s 30-foot tall robot sculpture at Burning Man was designed to encourage conversations about robots and our future. Check out Ristow’s website to learn more about this fascinating artist and his giant creatures.

Burning Man robot in front of Center Camp Cafe

The robot and his dog, Subjugator, seem to be guarding the Center Camp Cafe in this photo by Don Green.

2015 Burning Man robot holds a flower in one hand and a bike in the other

The bike in the robot’s left hand tickled me. It may have been a prank.

2015 Burning Man robot faces the playa and Medusa

Looking out toward the Playa, the robot faces Medusa. I wonder if he considered the snake headed woman as competition.

Will the robots of our future be kind creatures that stop and smell the flowers?

And, as they say on late night television, there is more. Isn’t there always?

A lovely white dragon named Akle by Swig Miller reminds me of the Pern series by Ann McCaffrey. Miller built the sculpture as a memorial to his dog, Elka.
Twelve foot high letters made of steel urge us to Dream, Live, and Be OK. This message was designed by Laura Kempton and built by Jeff Schomberg. Believe, a project of theirs created for an earlier Burning Man, was recently sold to Reno.
A giant Meta-heart built by Jonathan Hamilton should serve to remind my readers that Valentine’s Day is a week away (grin).
Have you ever seen a light show that played classical music instead of something loud and raucous? Bay Area artist Christopher Schardt’s creation did just that. Burners lay down on their backs in the Playa dust to watch the show.

Side view of White Dragon Sculpture at Burning Man 2015

The White Dragon looks quite smug as she surveys her kingdom of Burning Man.

Rear view of White dragon sculpture at Burning Man

I couldn’t resist a butt shot.

Burning Man art message to Dream, Live, and Be OK

The following signs urge Burners to Dream, Live, and Be OK.

The giant 3-D heart came with a jungle gym to crawl on.

We saw this light show from a distance and immediately biked over to it.

The colors changed constantly while music played.

Green light show art at Burning Man 2015

Silhouettes of dancers worked across the screen.

Burners enjoy light show at Burning Man 2015

Burners lay on their backs in the dust and enjoyed the show.

And finally, several of you have asked how large art makes it to Burning Man. I provide an example with Christian Breeden’s Colossal Skeletal Marionette.

Dancing skeleton on big rig at Burning Man

Large art such as the dancing skeleton are brought to Burning Man on big rigs. Often the art has been broken down into several pieces and is reassembled when it arrives. Large cargo containers may be used to protect the art.

NEXT BLOG: My third installment on the Sculptures of Burning Man.

A Shoe, a Serpent and a Fish— Plus… The Intriguing Sculptures of Burning Man

February 3, 2016February 3, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 42 Comments

Serpent mother sculpture 8 at Burning Man 2015

Serpent Mother lights the night sky at Burning Man in 2015.

The art at Burning Man is what pulls me back to the event year after year. Its unending creativity, sense of humor, quality and sheer quantity capture my imagination. I can’t get enough. My next three blogs will focus on what I consider Black Rock City’s most powerful art form: sculpture. I have already done posts on Medusa and R-Evolution. Today I will feature a 168-foot flaming serpent, a unique and moving sculpture from the Ukraine, a massive fish monster that emerges from the sand, a series of strange bronze sculptures with an out-of-world beauty, and a huge storybook shoe.

The first time I met Serpent Mother coiled around her egg was in 2006. To say she caught my attention is an understatement. I was delighted to see her back at Burning Man in 2015. Created by the Flaming Lotus Girls (and guys) out of the San Francisco Bay Area, the large-scale, fire-breathing snake is a classic example of the group’s work.

2 Serpent mother sculpture 15 at Burning Man 2015_edited-1

Serpent Mother on guard duty. I don’t think she is in danger of anyone messing with her egg.

3 Serpent mother sculpture 9 Burning Man 2015

Her impressive head with its flaming teeth can rise 20 feet above the desert floor.

4 Serpent mother sculpture 11 at Burning Man 2015

A crowd of Burners gather to watch her egg hatch. She appears to be warning people to back off.

6 Serpent mother sculpture 4 at Burning Man 2015

As the egg opens, it shoots flames 40 feet into the air. Check her head. I think she is smiling.

Alexander Milov from Odessa, Ukraine titles his sculpture of two people sitting back to back, Love. While communication between the two adults has broken down, their inner children are reaching out to each other, touching hands and hoping to reestablish contact. How often do we let out anger, or pride, or jealousy get in the way of our friendships and love?

I felt that this sculpture was quite moving. The seated people provide perspective on size.

Rebecca Anders from Oakland, California is responsible for creating the Illumacanth, a huge fish that rises out of the Playa and is obviously hungry. Walking into the monster’s mouth reminded me of Jonah and his whale. Too bad Rebecca didn’t give her fish jaws that snapped shut. But that probably would have been a heart attack waiting to happen.

9 Illumancanth sculpture 4 at Burning Man 2015

Hard to imagine something with a bigger mouth than Illumacanth.

Don caught this photo of Illumacanth at night. Are the Burners about to be eaten? (Photo by Don Green.)

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe— She had so many children she didn’t know what to do. I can never keep myself from adding “obviously.” Five Ton Crane, which is an interesting name for an art group, created this rather large boot of a home. Maybe they needed a giant crane to move the boot. I was really hoping to get inside, treasures were promised, but the doors were not open the two times I visited. Still, I was hardly disappointed.

11 Storybook shoe sculpture 9 at Burning Man 2015

A Burner is peaking in a window on the left, hoping for a view inside. This boot had a lot of ‘sole,’ so to speak.

12 Storybook shoe sculpture 7 at Burning Man 2015

So, do you think you could live here? The sun behind the shoe provided dramatic lighting for the photo.

I was intrigued by how well the two-ton bronze sculptures created by Mario Martinez in Berkeley, California fit into the Black Rock Desert landscape. Each of the molecule-like structures took three to four months to make. Designed on a 3-D printer, Martinez used the ancient lost wax method to create the sculptures. They were among my favorite pieces at Burning Man in 2015.

13 Molecule sculpture 7 at Burning Man 2015

The ‘molecules’ felt like they belonged in the Black Rock Desert, left behind by an alien race.

14 Molecule sculpture 3 at Burning Man 2015

Another view of Mario Martinez’s art.

15 Molecule sculpture 5 at Burning Man 2015

Black Rock City and a mountain provide the back drop in my last photo for this post.

A Giant VW, a Man-Eating Lion, a Blimp… and Other Mutant Vehicles of Burning Man

February 1, 2016February 1, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 36 Comments

Walter the Bus zips across the Playa at 5 MPH.

Walter the Giant VW Bus zips across the Playa at 5 MPH with his flag flying proudly. In another life, he was a fire truck.

Having owned and wandered in a 1976 VW Camper Van from 1976 to 1983, I felt an immediate attachment to Walter, the giant VW Bus. I decided to look into his past. Most of Burning Man’s Mutant Vehicles have lived full and meaningful lives by the time they make it to Black Rock City. Walter, it turns out, started life in 1963 as a Walter Crash Truck at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. He took his name from the Company. The Crash came from the fact that he was supposed to show up at an airplane crash site before anyone else and spray flame retardant on the highly volatile jet fuel. It was “BOOM” and kiss your hose goodbye if he failed. Beyond that there was a lot of sitting around and waiting. That’s the life of an airport fire truck.

Next, Walter made his way to a less dramatic but still important role with the New River Fire Department north of Phoenix. From there he retired to the Gold King Ghost Mine just outside of Jerome, Arizona as an antique to be admired. Don Robertson, the owner of the mine, likes old things and, judging from photos, is something of an antique himself. Walter would have been happy to spend his retirement years rusting away there— and he would have except for one of those strange quirks of fate.

Numerous vintage VW Buses make their way up the mountain annually to the Jerome Jamboree and camp out at the ghost mine. Kirk Strawn, who was among the participants in 2003, had just read an article on Burning Man. He saw Walter and fell in love. He didn’t see an aging fire truck; he saw a giant VW Bus. Walter was about to be reborn. Kirk traded a 1979 VW Camper for Walter and moved him to an old lumberyard in Scottsdale where a crew of dedicated volunteers, Tribe Walter, began the transformation process. Six years later, Walter made his first trip to Burning Man, and according to all reports, loved the event.

I found this VW Camper Van in Jerome, Arizona when I was there two years ago. I wonder if it was the van traded for Walter? I’ve never seen more bumper stickers on a single vehicle. My favorite: “Heavily Medicated for Your Safety.”

For those of you who crave details: Walter is 30 feet long, 13 feet tall, and weighs 19,500 pounds. He has a 330-gallon water tank for an on board misting system. His nights are lit up by some 10,000 plus LED lights. You can learn more about this interesting Mutant Vehicle at Walter the Bus.

Walter lit up with his LED lights.

Altogether, there were close to a thousand applications for Mutant Vehicles at Burning Man in 2015. It was too many for the event and the Burning Man Organization, BMO, limited the number of permits to 600. I agree with the decision. Biking and walking take precedence. Still, I can’t help but wonder what wondrous creations didn’t make the cut. On the other hand, I didn’t have time to even start to appreciate all of the vehicles that were there. Here are a few more before I move on to my next topic: There was an old woman who lived in a shoe, and other Burning Man sculptures.

6 King of Beasts 2 Mutant Vehicle at Burning Man 2015

My friend Tom tempts the King of Beasts by snoozing on his tongue. The sign says, “Burning Man, it’s ok I guess.”

7 King of Beasts Mutant Vehicle at night Burning Man 2015

The King of Beasts at night. Maybe Tom wouldn’t have been so ready to jump in his mouth…

4 Train engine mutant vahicle at Burning Man 2015

I’d get off the track for this giant train engine.

Caboose Mutant Vehicle at Burning Man 2015

What’s a train without a caboose?

Cheshire Cat Mutant Vehicle at Burning Man 2015

Where’s Alice?

Arachne Mutant Vehicle at Burning Man 2015

Spider woman?

11 Arachne face 2 Mutant Vehicle at Burning Man 2015_edited-1

How about a kiss? Come on, you know you love me.

12 Fish eating fish mutant vehicle at Burning Man 2015

The fish in front has a big problem.

13 Fish eating fish at night mutant vehicle at Burning Man

The fish at night. Still dodging his toothy pursuer.

Blimp ship Mutant Vehicle at Burning Man 2015

The airship (blimp) is ready to launch…

I decided this “Mad Max” vehicle deserved a World War II black and white photo look.

16 Horse head mutant vehicle 2 at Burning man 2015

Giddy Up!

17 Big Bug Mutant Vehicle at Burning Man 2015

Giant bug. Big teeth have always been “in” at Burning Man.

18 Giant Cow mutant vehicle at Burning Man 2015

I decided this is a cow but I could be wrong. Her herder is walking along beside.

19 Modern Art Mutant Vehicle at Burning Man 2015

Modern art in an urban setting.

Narwhal mutant Vehicle at Burning Man 2015

I’ll conclude with this big lipped Narwhal. (Photo by Don Green.)

From Furry Cats to Lurking Alligators… Burning Man’s 2015 Small Mutant Vehicles

January 29, 2016January 27, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 32 Comments

The Cat Car is a perennial favorite at Burning Man. This year she had a makeover and was looking quite snazzy.

A Mutant Vehicle is a unique, motorized creation that shows little or no resemblance to their original form, or to any standard street vehicle. Mutant Vehicles are radically, stunningly, (usually) permanently, and safely modified from their base vehicle. Sometimes the whole vehicle is made from scratch… the mutation should aim to provide a level of “radical visual stimuli” or “wow factor” for the other participants of Black Rock City. When a person sees this vehicle, their reaction should be “Wow! Look at that!” —Burning Man Organization

Burning Man covers some seven square miles. It isn’t surprising that there are lots of folks who would prefer to drive rather than walk or ride a bike there. America’s love affair with the automobile is well established. Why walk when you can drive?

Early on, however, it was decided that Burning Man would be a walking and bicycling kind of place. It was a good decision. The event wouldn’t work otherwise. An exception evolved over time, though. You could drive around if your vehicle became an art piece. The challenge here, of course, is defining an art piece. Why not glue a stuffed bear to your roof and call it art? Such thinking led BMO to come up with the description quoted above.

While Eeyore might make a cute hood ornament for my Toyota, it doesn't make my truck a mutant vehicle no matter how cute Eeyore is.

While Eeyore might make a cute hood ornament for my Toyota, he doesn’t make my truck a mutant vehicle— no matter how cute he is.

And there’s more. You just don’t show up at Burning Man and check in with the Department of Mutant Vehicles. There is a detailed application process. Months before the event you have to describe the vehicle, safety considerations, and reasons for wanting to bring an art car to Black Rock City. A sketch is required. Numbers are limited, so you need to get applications in early. If you plan to drive at night or have your vehicle shoot out flames over the Playa, there are further requirements. Assuming you meet all the criteria and obtain a license, your first stop at Burning Man is DMV. BMO wants to make sure the vehicle is as claimed.

As you can imagine, the amount of work and time required to build a Mutant Vehicle becomes a self-limiting factor on the numbers of mutant vehicles at Burning Man. You need to be prepared to spend thousands of dollars and/or hundreds of hours of work for more elaborate creations.

And finally, you have to agree to follow the rules. You can’t drive over five miles an hour, you can’t drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you have to give way for bicyclists and walkers, and you can’t drive through Black Rock City at 3 a.m. blasting music out of your mega speakers. The latter is guaranteed to bring a truckload of complaints down on BMO. Breaking the rules can get you grounded or may even bring a ticket. Law enforcement is extensive at Burning Man and drunk driving is drunk driving.

I’ve mentioned before that Mutant Vehicles come in all shapes and sizes. I thought that I’d feature the smaller, more personal vehicles today. I will include the larger ones in my next post.

The Cat Car as seen from the side…

Check out her snazzy steering wheel.

And her colorful butt. (grin) Her Burning Man Mutant Vehicle license is on the left.

Theses Burners had the clever idea of decorating their car like a Converse tennis shoe.

Theses Burners had the clever idea of decorating their Mutant Vehicle like a Converse tennis shoe, a relatively easy task to accomplish, I imagine.

Not so easy this gorgeous hot rod.

A rear view of the hot rod mutant vehicle form LA.

A rear view of the hot rod mutant vehicle from LA.

Its companion. The Black Rock Desert has been used for setting vehicle land records. Maybe these guys should compete.

The big nose of this fellow was exceeded in size by his big tongue.

A close up of the nose. Nice nostrils.

Golf carts can make handy sized Mutant Vehicles for two people. (Photo by Don Green.)

A night kitty Mutant Vehicle.

And a skull couch that looks quite comfortable to me.

And a couch that looks quite comfortable to me.

I found this VW at the Art Car Camp.

And what I am going to call Kilroy— although it may be a relaxed leopard perched up on the roof.

I found this impressive alligator lurking next to the NOLA Camp, which seemed like an appropriate location.

For my last example today, I found this impressive alligator lurking next to the NOLA Camp (on the right), which seemed like an appropriate location, given that New Orleans is located in bayou country.

Where Dragons Still Rule the Earth… Burning Man

January 27, 2016January 26, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 18 Comments

The mutant vehicles of Burning Man, such as this green dragon, are marvelous creatures of the imagination.

Blogging about mutant vehicles at Burning Man is always fun for me. Each year brings a new crop of these marvelous creatures, as well as old favorites. How can you not love dragons and cats and fish and ships and trains and planes and tennis shoes and Mad Max vehicles as they make their way back and forth across the Playa— blasting out music on occasion, and at other times blasting out fire.

Here’s the thing: you are not allowed to drive a regular vehicle in Black Rock City or out on the Playa. You can drive to your camp when you arrive at Burning Man and out when you leave. Beyond that you have to get creative and build a vehicle that doesn’t look like one. And you have to get a license. The Department of Mutant Vehicles, DMV, is waiting for you… and hundreds of other Burners who have built the creatures of their dreams or nightmares. Is your vehicle weird enough? Is it safe? If the answer is yes, are you turned loose to wander. Thousands of people are eager to see what you have created.

The Department of Mutant Vehicles processes hundreds of vehicles each year that are applying for the right to be driven on the Playa and in Black Rock City. It isn’t unusual to see a dozen or more lined up out side of this building waiting to be processed. I wonder if LA County is missing its sign?

Mutant vehicles or art cars come in all sizes as well as shapes. Some will barely accommodate two people while others may accommodate 50. Most big ones are built by camps and provide transportation for their members. (The rule is, however, that anyone can hitch a ride.) They also provide a convenient viewing platform for special events, such as the Piano Toss, or a dance floor for anytime/anywhere. I once watched one crawl by in a whiteout with riders gyrating like the end of the world had arrived. I could barely see them 50 feet away. It could have been a scene from Dante’s Hell.

This vehicle provides one of Burning Man’s popular dance venues and can usually be found parked at the same place on the Playa. Check out the speakers.

El Pulpo Mechanico looms up in the air and provides a viewing platform. Here Burners were waiting for a piano to be tossed.

El Pulpo Mechanico looms up in the air and provides a viewing platform above the crowd of Burners who were waiting for a piano to be tossed. (More on that in another post.)

I decided to do two or three posts on mutant vehicles. There are simply too many to feature in one. Today I am going to focus on fire-breathing, magical dragons. Aren’t they all? I think it has to do with their genetic make up. There have always been dragons at Burning Man— at least since I started going in 2004. They deserve their own post.

The green dragon provided a ride out to admire R-Evolution and other art pieces on the Playa.

A heads up view of the dragon.

How to rein in your dragon… Chains are used to raise and lower the dragon’s head.

Staring off into space.

Back view of dragon shows entry and how bikes are carried.

The dragon on the left is named Abraxas, I believe. It has been to Burning Man several times. This year it showed up with a baby!

Most of the larger mutant vehicles carry sound systems. Stopping is an excuse to dance. Partners are not needed.

The proud mama with her kid.

Lined up to take off. The structure on the right was used in the Piano Toss. (Photo by Don Green.)

A final head shot of Abraxas. The tube coming out of her mouth is for shooting out flames at night. Note the red-eye. A fearsome beastie indeed.

Dragons are even more fearsome creatures when the sun goes down!

NEXT BLOG: More incredible mutant vehicles.

Wandering through Time and Place

Exploring the world with Curtis and Peggy Mekemson

On the Road US