The Beautiful and Rugged Northwest Coast… Brookings, Oregon

October 4, 2012January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 10 Comments

Beautiful weather and early morning sunlight combined for this reflection photo of a rock jutting out toward the Pacific Ocean at Harris Beach State Park just north of Brookings, Oregon where I was camping this week.

Nobuo Fujita had a job to do: bomb the United States. It was September 9, 1942 and his plane was loaded with incendiary bombs. He launched his floatplane from the Japanese submarine that had delivered him to the coastal waters off Southern Oregon, climbed over the ocean, and flew toward the mountains behind Brookings. His bombs were supposed to ignite a massive forest fire.

The forest didn’t cooperate but Fujita returned to Brookings in 1962 and presented the city with a 400-year-old Samurai sword that belonged to his family. In 1967 Brookings made him an honorary citizen.

On March 11, 2011 another intruder from the East came roaring into Brookings. This time it was the remnants of the devastating tsunami that had struck Japan and caused such horrendous loss of life and property. Brookings got off easy but considerable damage was done to the town’s harbor. It was a solemn reminder of what might happen when the next big earthquake hits the West Coast.

It’s hard to imagine this peaceful harbor scene at Brookings, Oregon being disrupted by the remains of the tsunami that struck Japan a year and a half ago.

I was in Brookings this week to camp out at Harris Beach State Park and enjoy the beautiful and rugged coastline. I divided my days between working on a book about my African Peace Corps experience and hiking on the beach. The weather was close to perfect. Naturally, I had a camera along.

The view from Harris Beach State Park looking south toward Brookings, which was about a mile away.

A sandbar created a small lagoon that was excellent for capturing reflections. Note the seagull on the right.

OK, I admit I can’t resist reflections. This shot at Harris Beach State Park, Oregon was taken late afternoon.

This view, similar to the photo at the beginning, was taken early morning.

Another early morning photo at Harris Beach State Park. This one is looking south. The sun has gently touched the rock on the right while those on the left remain in shadows.

The sandbar that separated the lagoon from the ocean.

I liked the combination of dark rock, sandy beach, sky and water.

Looking north up the Pacific Coast from Harris State Beach.

Low tide uncovers an abundance of sea life. When my dad lived on the Oregon Coast, he would gather the mussels for cooking.

And what’s an ocean without a seagull… This guy was hoping I would break out lunch.

The restless ocean and its waves were calm for my visit to Brookings, Oregon.

This large log, bleached white by the sun and sea, is a reminder of stormy oceans. In fact watching storms hit the coast has become a major spectator sport during the winter on the Oregon coast.

I’ll finish off my post on Harris Beach State Park and Brookings, Oregon with a final reflection picture. Next up: A visit to Organ Pipe Cactus National Park in Southern Arizona.

A Homeless Man with a Pickup Truck and a Bank Account

October 2, 2012January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 13 Comments

My brother Marshall describes himself as An Itinerant Idler and spends his time migrating between the mountains of North Carolina and the swamps of Southern Florida.

My brother Marshall turns 72 this week so I decided to repost an earlier blog I wrote about him and his wandering ways. His life has changed since I first wrote this story. He sold his truck that had 195,000 miles on it and bought a red Chevy van with 115,000 miles. This is more significant than it seems. Now, instead of living in a tent, he’ll be living in his van. “I am no longer sleeping on the ground,” he reported proudly to me.

A grin lights up my brother’s face as we drive into his remote campsite near Lake Okeechobee, Florida. It’s time for our annual visit. At least once a year, I track him down.

“Think of me as a homeless man with a pickup truck and a bank account,” Marshall likes to note when describing his lifestyle. Once upon a time he made his living as a professional photographer. Another time he ran his own business as a real estate appraiser. He had a six-figure income, owned a nice home and drove a fancy car. He was a man of means.

But he wasn’t a happy man.

Nine years ago he stopped trying to live a ‘normal’ life and became a modern-day gypsy. Like the wild geese, he chose to migrate with the seasons, moving between the mountains of North Carolina to the swamplands of southern Florida. He calls himself the Itinerant Idler.

Marshall travels with a tent, a Coleman stove, a five-gallon propane tank, two folding camp chairs and a folding table. Large plastic bins serve as cupboards and closets. Paper plates make up his dish collection. If something doesn’t fit in the back of his pickup, he doesn’t need it. He has become a minimalist.

Once he took pride in what he owned; now he takes pride in what he doesn’t.

His kitchen, dining room and living room are whatever nature provides. Instead of watching TV, he watches squirrels playing in the oaks and Osprey diving for fish. Last year when I was visiting him in Big Cypress National Preserve, two bobcats came trotting into our camp.

During inclement weather, the cab of his pickup truck provides shelter. When it gets too cold he moves south. When it gets too warm or buggy, he moves north. On rare occasions he will take a motel room.

NPR keeps him in touch with the world and he speaks knowledgeably about current events. He is particularly interested in what is happening on the economic front. We listen closely when he provides advice on what to do with our condo in Sacramento. Age and distance have not dulled his knowledge of the real estate market.

Marshall takes delight in living inexpensively. “I’ve paid $14 in campground fees over the past six months,” he brags to Peggy. Careful records are kept. There is food and gas and cigarettes and beer. “If it weren’t for the cigarettes and beer, I could live for a month on what it costs you to get through a day.” And he is right, even though we are rarely accused of squandering money.

Books and reading are his passion. He visits libraries regularly and picks through their $.25 and $.50 paperback retirees. His goal is to read 80,000 pages a year. So far he is on target for 2010. Finished books are given away to fellow wanderers. We qualify.

“The Bookmobile has arrived,” Marsh announces and goes rooting around in the back of his truck. He comes up with 93 books stored in plastic grocery bags for us to peruse. He has been saving them up. Some 22 are transferred to our RV even though I don’t have a clue where to put them. We, too, travel with a full library.

I fix teriyaki chicken and Peggy cooks up an omelet chock full of goodies as a thank you. Both are favorites of Marshall’s. He obviously enjoys the spoiling, companionship and three days of conversation. Our visits are important to him. “It always takes me two or three weeks to recover when you leave,” he admits. It can be lonely.

And yet, there is a brotherhood of wanderers out here, people who share Marshall’s love of the open road and the freedom it offers (not to mention the inexpensive life style). They often end up camping in the same places at the same time and form into transitory communities. They become friends, help each other out and share their most precious commodity: carefully guarded secrets about other free campsites.

Marshall took me around to visit his neighbors in Big Cypress last year. John and Phyllis were from Ontario, Canada. Tom had made his living as an engineer at a television station. Bob, possibly in his 80s, created interesting art pieces from pinecones. Dave was soap opera handsome and spent most of his day riding his bicycle.

“You have to meet Dumpster Diver Steve,” several of them urged with a touch of amusement. “Be prepared to stay awhile.” Dave and Marshall walked me over to Steve’s site and quickly disappeared.

Steve lives out of his car and finds most of what he needs to survive in dumpsters, thus the name. “I am 50% child, 45% crazy and 5% rational adult,” he immediately informed me. “I save the 5% rational adult for when the cops stop me,” he allowed with a wink and then waxed enthusiastically on life as a dumpster diver.

“You won’t believe what people throw away.” A few weeks earlier he had been visiting dumpsters behind a grocery store in Naples and discovered dozens of flowers the store had tossed. “I brought them back to camp, divided them up, and gave each woman a bouquet.

I found the act romantic.

“Hey, would you like to see my oven? I am cooking up a batch of spaghetti.” How could I resist? We walked over to Steve’s car. It was old, beat up and packed to the brim with treasures. His ‘oven’ was a quart jar filled with spaghetti resting on the back windowsill. Sunlight streamed through the window and provided the heat.

He had found the spaghetti that morning in the camp dumpster. Someone had left it in a Ziploc. “I only take food that is packaged,” he announced with pride. Steve is a first class dumpster diver.

Marshall, at 71, is reaching the stage where life on the road is becoming more difficult, especially living in a tent. He lusts after our van. Still, considering he smokes heavily and weighs all of 113 pounds, he is amazingly healthy. “I haven’t had a cold in five years and have only been in a hospital once during my nine years on the road.” And he is happier than I have ever known him to be.

Before leaving Okeechobee, I mention there is an inexpensive trailer court backed up to the beautiful Applegate River about five miles from our new home in Oregon. Maybe he will come out and settle down. Maybe he won’t.

The Burning of the Man… Burning Man 2012

September 29, 2012January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 4 Comments

The single event that pulls all of the Burning Man community together is the burning of the Man that takes place on Saturday night.

Burning Man is about the many things I have described in this series of posts over the past few weeks… and much more. But ultimately, as the name suggests, it is about the burning of the Man. It is the single event that pulls the whole community together and provides closure for the Burning Man experience.

Black Rock City becomes a ghost town on Saturday evening as 50,000 Burners walk, climb on bikes and cram onto mutant vehicles (standing room only) in a mass exodus to the Playa. Best costumes are donned. Lights are applied. Two-way streets become clogged one-way thoroughfares.

The sun has set by the time members of the Horse-Bone Tribe have wrapped up dinner and used up several containers of light sticks decorating our steeds and selves. It is critically important to be seen as we wend our way though thousands of people over dark, dusty roads on our way out to the Man. We also need to see each other. Getting lost from the group is ever so easy.

Bikes and people are decorated with lights in preparation for our journey out to the Playa.

Scout and Adios, two tribe members, have determined the best place to be. It isn’t about seeing; there isn’t a bad location. It’s about which way the wind blows. Downwind means dust and smoke, lots of it.

Preparations go on at the Man all day Saturday. Early in the morning the area is blocked off. If you haven’t already made your obligatory visit, it’s too late. All week people have been gathering at the Man during the day and using him as a beacon at night. Now he is being stuffed with fireworks and prepared to burn.

From Monday through Friday, the Man on his base dominates the Playa and Black Rock City serving both as a land mark and as a gathering place. While the Man remains the same every year, his base changes. Bikes and people at the base provide a perspective on size.

As the outside structure changes each year, the internal structure does as well. What is common among the various internal structures is that Burners can climb up and view Black Rock City and the Playa. The 2012 structure was built without the use of nails or screws. (Photo by Tom Lovering)

At night, the Man serves as a welcome beacon helping Burners find their way… or get un-lost.

When we finally break out onto the Playa and approach the Man, we enter a surreal world of large concentric circles dominated by gloriously lit mutant vehicles, pounding music, fire, and swirling masses of dancing, gyrating, strolling costumed Burners.

Burning Man staff members have set up a rope barrier at a safe distance from the Man. Sitting next to it is considered a prime location and people show up hours early to get seats, i.e. to sit in the dirt. Behind the rope are several rows of seated people and then even more rows of standing people. Next is a broad walkway, a boulevard if you will, where Burners dance, show off costumes and make their way around the huge circle. Hundreds of mutant vehicles form the outer rim.

We arrive at our hopefully dust free site, secure our bikes, and split. While most of our group heads for the inner circle, Peggy and I stick to the boulevard. My rear has little tolerance for sitting in the dirt for two hours and I prefer the action of the boulevard. What we miss in watching fire dancers we will make up for in admiring the colorful mutant vehicles.

I am a huge fan of mutant vehicles. On the night of the burn they form a huge circle around the Man. The larger vehicles provide a great platform for viewing the burn… and dancing. Many are outfitted with mega-music systems.

This vehicle at the 2012 burning of the Man provided a great place to hang out. (grin)

This vehicle at Burning Man 2012 featured a flower garden. The rooster? to the right shoots out flames, another common characteristic of mutant vehicles.

Here, a bug eyed dragonfly rests next to a tropical jungle. The opportunity to walk around and see mutant vehicles is my primary reason for not sitting down to see the show on the night of the burn.

We can still see the fire dancers. Hundreds form groups inside of the rope barrier and each group has a drum-dominated band. Shortly after we arrive, the show begins as dozens of choreographed companies twirl poi balls, staffs and fans of flame. Participants have practiced all week, some all year and some for years. Peggy and I move in closer to watch the show and then return to the boulevard.

Hundreds of fire dancers accompanied by bands and organized in groups or companies provide entertainment before the Man is burned. By wandering around on the boulevard, we missed a close up of the show. New Burners should come early and claim front row seats in the dirt.

A brief silence descends as the fire dances end and the lighting ceremony commences. Flames leap upward in the structure surrounding the Man and fireworks shoot toward the sky. Suddenly the man bursts into flame accompanied by a great shout from the crowd. Huge tornado like dust storms go whirling off.

The burning of the Man is accompanied by an incredible fireworks display worthy of a major city’s Fourth of July celebration. In this year’s burn, the Man caught on fire earlier than usual.

Fireworks continues for 30 minutes, or at least it seems to. There are always some rockets that go off late in the burn. The Man raises his arms when they catch fire.

I like this shot of the Burning Man 2012 because it captures the intensity of the fire. Note: Both arms are now raised.

Another shot of the Burning Man 2012 that shows his legs and the underlying structure.

The intensity of the flames created by the burning of the Man spin off towering tornadoes of dust… a good reason for not being downwind.

Faces lit up by the fire, Burners and El Pulpo Mechanico (the octopus mutant vehicle) watch the Man’s last minutes at 2012 Burning Man.

Sitting and standing Burners watch with rapt attention, waiting for the Man to fall, willing him to fall. Other Burners dance ecstatically in the boulevard and on top of mutant vehicles to music blasted out by the vehicles over ear shattering speakers.

And then suddenly quiet… an arm falls off. The end approaches. Dancers cease to gyrate. The ever-present music stops. The final moments are filled with respectful silence as the Man gives up his lofty perch and tumbles into the fire below bringing to a climatic end his annual trek to the Black Rock Desert.

Arms raised in a final salute to the Man, Burners shout their goodbyes as the 2012 Man tumbles into his fiery grave.

All that was left was the burning structure that provided the Man’s base. I took this photo shortly before it too fell.

Thus ends the 2012 Man and my coverage of the 2012 Burning Man. The Man will be back in 2013. As will I.

Next I honor a homeless man with a Chevy van and a bank account, visit the Oregon Coast, drop by Organ Pipe Cactus National Park, and take an 18 day raft trip through the beautiful Grand Canyon.I will finish off 2012 with a month-long exploration of the Mediterranean Sea with stop offs in Turkey, Greece, Croatia, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal.

Walkabout at Burning Man 2012

September 26, 2012January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 11 Comments

Burning Man is crammed with interesting people. Getting to know your neighbors is an adventure. Panzachual lived next door to us in the Dharma Dinosaur Camp and would stop by frequently to chat. One night he joined us for dinner. His group came from New Orleans and his costume was created by a prominent New Orleans clothes designer.

The thing about Black Rock City is it is big and bursting with creative energy. There is no way a person can see or do everything. Art is missed, lectures skipped, and late night performances slept through.

The Greeters handed Peggy and me a 160-page events catalogue and a map when we entered Burning Man on Tuesday. I checked out the day’s activities we were invited to attend. There were 360. That’s right… three hundred and sixty! It would take an hour just to skim through what we might do.

For example, I could go to the Moroccan Tent and energize myself with “some endorphin boosting exercise.” Or I could visit The Children of Chaos and obtain “Jewish Motherly Advice.” Both sounded like things I needed.

Most great adventures involve moving beyond your comfort zone. I found this sign on a sculpture out in the Playa. It definitely applies to the majority of people who visit Burning Man for their first time.

I could learn to belly dance, make necklaces, twirl fire, pole dance, spin hula-hoops, create balloon hats and juggle balls. If I were shy, an alcoholic or had Bi-polar disease, there were caring people ready to help. I was invited to eat popsicles, spaghetti, hot dogs, pancakes, and Miso soup or do beer tasting, wine tasting, whiskey tasting and tea tasting.

Was I up for a naked pub-crawl? Did I need a lesson in bondage? I had my choice of several types of meditation and yoga. Would I go to the prom, a popcorn feast or a lecture on unified physics? Maybe I should dress up in pink and pop over to the Pink, Pink, Pink Party.

You get the point. The number of choices is overwhelming. There is something for everyone at Burning Man. You are invited to be yourself or someone you have always fantasized being.

As an introduction to Burning Man, I advise newcomers to go on a Walkabout or Bikeabout and simply absorb the atmosphere… and then jump in.

Journey out into the Playa or down any road. While-away an hour… or four, at Center Camp. Poke your head into an interesting tent. Become involved in an animated conversation with a stranger. Go out at 2 PM and 2 AM. Climb to the top of a sculpture. Pick an event you couldn’t imagine going to and go to it. Allow your imagination to run wild. Maybe you will even find something that changes the way you perceive the world.

Today’s photos include a potpourri of things Peggy and I found amusing at Burning Man 2012 in our camp or on our walkabouts and didn’t include in previous posts.

My next blog will focus on the burning of the Man and be the last in this series.

Every street, in fact almost every block, contains something of interest. Peggy found this display of Mr. Potato Heads when she was on a walkabout. There must have been at least a hundred of them. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Center Camp is much more than a place to buy coffee and iced tea. Expect performances of some type almost any time of the day. Or just go to people watch, to see and be seen. Here Punkin and Luna relax in their formal evening attire after a busy night on the Playa.

Most Burners enjoy having their picture taken. They have gone to a lot of work on costumes, bikes, mutant vehicles, performances and art. A photograph is a form of recognition. For individual shots, it is proper to ask first. Often a fun conversation will take place. I loved this bike.

We came across this wonderful creation by Steve Blake out near the Temple. I dubbed it the Bauble Bike.

I was photographing a tall llama mutant vehicle when this six-foot-six guy jumped into the scene. I think he may have been the llama’s creator. Anyway, I found him as interesting as the llama.

This attractive, pregnant gal with pasties and a DNA model outside of Silicon Village invites people into the camp. All large camps offer events for Burners to attend. Among Tuesday’s Silicon village offerings was an opportunity to learn how to build yurts. Another was on sensuality. BTW, most Silicon Villagers come from the Silicon Valley. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

This is here because it has to go somewhere. Radical Self-Reliance, one of the Ten Principles of Burning Man, requires that Burners bring their own food. We are always amused that Don, AKA Scout, a retired judge and member of the Horse-Bone Tribe, considers this a gourmet lunch. The sun is serving as his oven. He eats right out of the can. “Why waste dishes?” (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

I’ll conclude with this little desert fish because it says to me you never know what you will find at Burning Man. (Photo by Beth Lovering) Next blog: The Man Burns.

The Art of Gifting… Burning Man 2012

September 23, 2012January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 8 Comments

One of the neatest gifts people can give at Burning Man is working as a greeter. These folks welcome you to Burning Man with a generous smile, give you a hug, answer questions and provide information packets. They work around the clock through both heat and dust storms. This brightly garbed couple welcomed Peggy and me this year.

The official Burning Man folks, founder Larry Harvey and the Burners who devote their lives to making the event work, promote their vision of Burning Man relentlessly. Like Moses with his Ten Commandments, Harvey has his Ten Principles. They are listed in the photo below. Go here for a detailed description.

Somewhere in my wanderings around Black rock City, I came across this sketched out version of the Ten Principles of Burning Man.

These visionary ideals work to varying degrees. One that impresses me the most is the concept of gifting. Things aren’t sold at Burning Man; they are given away. Everyone is encouraged to contribute something.

Gifts are only limited by the individual’s imagination. For example, Peggy and I were walking through Center Camp when this woman came up to us carrying a partially melted block of ice. “Would you like to be cooled down?” she asked. “Sure,” Peggy responded. It was hot. The woman handed Peggy the ice and put her freezing hands on Peggy’s neck. It looked fun and refreshing. “Me too, me too,” I urged.

The woman’s icy hands felt great on my neck but apparently I misplaced the ice block she handed to me to hold. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

My cooling was much shorter. “You were holding the ice block under her breasts,” my lovely wife pointed out. I had been too busy being cool to notice but Peggy had the evidence. The woman approached us again the next day. Maybe she liked icy breasts. This time I carefully held the block in my lap. When I stood up it looked like I had peed my pants. I couldn’t win. “No one will notice,” Peggy offered helpfully. I refused to let her take a picture.

We have received gifts ranging from lattes to scarves to T-shirts over the years. Once we were even handed a backscratcher. Free drinks and music are offered everywhere. One group featured Miso soup this year. Mystic Camp next to us provided cereal and Saturday morning cartoons. Punkin Beth from our camp, a master bike mechanic, put on pajamas and a tutu and fixed people’s bikes. There was a guy at Camp Center gifting colorful pasties (nipple covers) to women. He even offered to apply them… free of charge, as the saying goes.

Punkin Beth, decked out in feather ear rings, tutu, and leopard PJs, provides her master bike mechanic skills to Julie from our neighboring camp: Intense, Intents, In Tents.

My photos today feature just a few of the ways Burners gift other Burners. In my next blog I’ll take a quick look at things I found amusing or interesting around Black Rock City but haven’t been featured. I will conclude this series with the burning of the Man and the incredible show that surrounds the event.

While Punkin was fixing Julie’s bike, her friend Bob was teaching Little Pepper from the Horse-Bone Tribe how to twirl poi balls. Teaching skills is a frequent form of gifting at Burning Man.

I was out at Wall Street when I came across Lee Lanier plying his trade. He paints peoples bodies as his gift. “Pick a part,” his sign urges.

Here’s a photo of Lee at work painting a posy on a cheek.

Out at the temple a choral group dressed up like a church choir was offering a free concert. They provided a stirring rendition of “Black Rock City is a Burning Town”

Meanwhile, back at Camp Center, a man played the xylophone with Lawrence Welk flair as his gift to Burning Man 2012. I also found a large Kazoo band out and about on the Playa and was handed a kazoo to join them.

Many tribes offer activities as their gifts to Burners. The Black Rock Roller Disco provided a roller rink with roller blades and skates. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Just down the road from us on Sixth Street, a camp had set up a combined pool table and bowling alley.

Ever play the game Twister? Black Rock City’s Twista House guaranteed a fun time. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Drinks, food and music are the gifts offered by many camps… often in exotic surroundings. One of the most exotic is the Shipwreck Tiki Lounge. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Wonderfully, Whacky Vehicles… Burning Man 2012

September 21, 2012January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 4 Comments

The mutant vehicles at Burning Man 2012 provided ongoing amusement, as they always do. I encountered this Woolly Mammoth at the port-a-potty. Later he came down our road.

I was standing in line for the port-a-potty when the Woolly Mammoth with massive tusks came by and dropped off a half of dozen people to join us. He was one hundreds of wonderfully imaginative ‘mutant vehicles’ that provided transportation across the seven square miles of Black Rock City during Burning Man 2012.

At any given time of the day you find these Black Rock City licensed vehicles parked in camps, driving up and down the roads, and wandering willy-nilly across the vast open spaces of the Playa. They range in size from one-person scooters up to fifty-person busses. Each one looks like something it isn’t. There are dogs, cats, rabbits, flowers, jungles, bugs, fish, dragons, stagecoaches, ships, yachts, and even a wart hog. The list goes on and on.

One of the main attractions at Burning Man 2012 was a fire shooting steam punk octopus that went by the name El Pulpo Mechanico. Created by Duane Flatmo from Humboldt County, California, El Pulpo’s eight tentacles shot ten-foot high flames into the air. His head added a thirty-foot spout. A typical night of flaming used some 200 gallons of propane.

Peggy came across El Pulpo Mechanico resting up for his night of carousing out on the Playa. He had also been at Burning Man 2011. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Here, our flaming friend, El Pulpo Mechanico, gathers a night time crowd of Burners.

I believe this big eyed, floppy eared 2012 Burning Man vehicle is a bunny. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Some Burners at Black Rock City require a yacht for transportation. This boat is named Christina.

Others at Burning Man are quite happy with a one-seater. I think Yummy was the name of the camp, not the vehicle. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

We were admiring theBurning Man 2012 Temple when this wart hog stopped by for a visit.

Climbing on this orange bus just has to involve a ride to somewhere mysterious and wonderful.

Check out the toothy grin on this Burning Man 2012 vehicle. The creature’s name is Disco Fish.

Sometimes mutant vehicles at Burning Man can appear downright scary, such as this dragon. Flame shoots out of its mouth at night. Note his tire tread skin.

This bear and her cubs show up annually at Burning Man. She and her babies are pulled by a bicycle so technically she isn’t a mutant vehicle. I included her on an earlier blog. I couldn’t resist her charm for my last photo in this post. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

The Fiery Demise of Regional Art… Burning Man 2012

September 19, 2012January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 6 Comments

Fire is a powerful force of nature. We are drawn by both its beauty and danger. But it can also be a symbol of impermanence. This photo shows people with a ‘front-row seat’ at Burning Man 2012 watching flames devour one of thirty-plus regional effigies burned simultaneously.

One explanation for burning art at Burning Man is that it reflects the impermanence of everything in life. Things don’t last forever; they decay and fall apart. Fire speeds the process along. You have construction and you have deconstruction. Let go. It’s an Eastern philosophy that has made its way into western thought.

But fire has it’s own attraction. We are drawn to its beauty and danger like moths. Our brains are hard-wired with the fascination of watching things burn.

When I was growing up, my father served as a volunteer fireman. He was an electrician and it was his job to show up first at fires and disconnect the power to burning houses so firemen didn’t have live wires bouncing around. That explained his presence at the fire… but not that of his wife, three kids and cocker spaniel.

Mother never missed a fire in our small town. It didn’t matter if we were in the middle of dinner or it was 3 AM. Pop was out of the house and running for the fire station when the siren went off. Mother was gathering us up and dashing for our well-used car. Tickle the Dog jumped in first.

I’ve often wondered if Pop found our presence embarrassing. I do remember him telling Mother once that he preferred that she not be the first car behind the fire truck, which is where she liked to be.

Mother would have loved the excitement of watching things burn at Black Rock City. I suspect that the majority of Burners are closer to her reaction to fire than they are to the philosophical and psychological implications of deconstruction and Zen.

Still, there is a definite release of emotion at the climax of a fire when the structure finally crashes down, when ultimate deconstruction takes place. It was powerful feeling when I was growing up and it is powerful at Burning Man.

Burning Man 2012 added a new twist to its art of burning (or burning of art). Over thirty effigies built by regions from Lithuania to Maine and placed in a circle around the Man were put to torch simultaneously on Thursday evening. It was a spectacular event. Those responsible for creating the art were responsible for burning it.

Because the burn was spread out over a large section of the playa, spectators had a front row seat as is demonstrated in the photo at the top of this post.

Members of the Horse-Bone Tribe ended up focusing on two of the effigies: Kokopelli and the Lighthouse. Punkin Beth and Adios Tom’s home in Davis California is crammed with Kokopelli art. Peggy and I wander the West photographing Native American rock art including Kokopelli. All of us love the rugged coast of Northern California and its lighthouses.

The following photos feature the burning of the Lighthouse, Kokopelli and other nearby art.

Kokopelli was a trickster and a god of fertility of Native American and First Nation tribes from Canada to Mexico. New Mexico Burners chose him to represent their region at Burning Man 2012. Here he is in her first stage of burning along with 30-plus regional effigies.

In this picture, Kokopelli Rising is close to being totally engulfed in flame but he continues to play his flute, working to entice fair indian maidens.

Baby Brulee, New Orleans’ contribution to regional art at Burning Man 2012, lit up the sky next to Kokopelli.

Baby Brulee in his final stages.

I included this photo of the Queen Bee (Secret of the Bees) created by Utah Burners for Black Rock City in my last blog.

Here, the Queen Bee burns down.

As Kokopelli fell into the flames we turned our attention to the Lighthouse or the Twisted Upright House as the North Bay Burners from California referred to their work of art.

The Lighthouse was designed to burn for a long time and provide a beacon in the Black Rock Desert.

As more and more of the regional effigies completed their burns, Burning Man participants gathered around the Lighthouse. The mutant vehicle known at the Octopus lets out a fiery blast in the background.

The Twisted Upright House was still burning when we finally left. The colored lights are from two mutant vehicles. The red one displays a long shark’s body.

From South Africa to Texas… Burning Man 2012 Regional Art

September 17, 2012January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 4 Comments

This bull rising out of the sand is titled ReinCOWnation by the Houston, Texas Burners who created him for Burning Man 2012.

Larry Harvey, the founder of Burning Man, is a visionary with long-term plans. What started as a local burn on the beach in San Francisco in 1986 has grown into a worldwide phenomenon with local Burners from South Africa to Texas reproducing regionally the experiences they have had in the remote Black Rock Desert of Northern Nevada.

This regionalization was demonstrated at Burning Man 2012 when 34 wooden effigies designed and built by local groups were placed in a circle around the Man. They were burned simultaneously on Thursday night in an impressive ceremony of just how far Burning Man’s roots have extended.

I am going to introduce several of the regional art works today and include links to where more information can be found about each piece. In my last blog on Burning Man’s 2012 art, I noted that I was limited to a few representative pieces. This is also true of the regional art. Go to Burning Man’s art core project to learn about the overall effort and other included effigies.

In my next blog, I will cover Thursday’s fiery end of the regional art.

I never realized that queen bees were amply endowed. But apparently they are according to Utah Burners who built this sculpture named the Secret of Bees. (Photo by Tom Lovering)

This was my view of the lady bee. Each year Burning Man selects a theme for the year. In 2012 it was fertility. Most of the regional art is tied to this theme.

Speaking of fertility, South Africa Burners brought Jozi to Burning Man 2012. This sculpture is a replica of an African fertility god.

Native Americans historically turned to Kokopelli for help with fertility. Ancient rock art representations of this trickster god and his large, um appendage, can be found from Canada to Mexico. Versions found in gift shops throughout the West have been sanitized. New Mexico Burners were responsible for bringing Kokopelli Rising to Burning Man. (Photo by Tom Lovering)

The end result of all this emphasis on fertility is of course a baby, or Baby Bon Temps Brulee, as named by New Orleans Burners. It is easy to picture King Baby on top of a Mardi Gras float.

Moving away from the Fertility theme, the Burners of the Great Lakes region created Soul Train for Burning Man. (Photo by Beth Lovering)

Making its way across the Ocean and US, the Viking ship Naglfar sailed into the Black Rock Desert courtesy of Burners from Denmark and Sweden.

Maine Burners appropriately brought “Happy as a Clam” to Black Rock City. In fact many of the regions, like the Danes above, created art that was representative of their area.

If you have ever driven or walked through downtown Reno, you will certainly recognize the inspiration for “Gateway” created by Nevada Burners. Reno has claimed the title “Biggest Little City in the World” for decades.

Dallas Burners brought a sculpture, the Hatchery, to Burning Man 2012 that produced fire art at night. Much of Burning Man art is designed to light up the night.

The Dragon Lotus from Denver.

My favorite among the regional art pieces was the lighthouse created by Burners from Northern California. This work of art was created from driftwood found along the North Coast, one of my favorite playgrounds.

Another view of the lighthouse. North Bay Burners titled their work “The Twisted Upright House.”

A final view featuring the stained glass windows on top. The windows were removed before the lighthouse was burned on Thursday night, an event which I will show in my next blog.

From a Sinking Ship to a Huge EGO… Burning Man 2012 Art

September 13, 2012January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 13 Comments

Whimsical always wins me over. This is one cool cat… or is that cat woman. I had to travel far out on the Playa to find the cat sculptures.

Face it; I am frustrated. It is impossible to cover all of the art featured at Burning Man. In fact with over 300 works of art scattered over the seven square miles that constitutes Black Rock City, it was impossible for me to even get around and admire each piece. Maybe if I had devoted 24/7… but Burning man provides many distractions.

All I can offer is a tantalizing sample… and a recommendation: if you enjoy this art and you have never been to Burning Man, put the event on your schedule for the future.

A final note before I jump into photographs: this year featured regional art from groups that are organizing local Burning Man activities from around the US and world. I will cover this art, and its fiery demise, in my next blog.

Another photo of the denizens of the outer Playa at Burning Man. One gets a sense of how far out they are by the lack of people in the background.

Imagine cycling across the desert and seeing in the distance a partially sunken 16th Century Spanish galleon. It’s almost unbelievable but at Burning Man you learn to expect the unusual. Artist Matthew Schultz headed up this project.

What amazed me even more was the attention to detail, right down to the masthead. The story behind the sunken ship is that it crashed into the pier.

Further attention to detail, plus a sense of humor, was found below decks. Note the long fingers and the modern coffee cup.

The pier, without the ship, was a very popular sculpture in 2011.

It is difficult to be an artist, or a writer… or even a blogger for that matter, without a little ego. This is a big one.

Since the artist, Laura Kimpton, and I are both somewhat dyslexic, I thought I would reverse the E.

Replicas of 10,000 trophies went into creating EGO.

Wall Street, photographed here from the Man, was another major installation at Burning Man 2012. Otto Von Danger is the artist.

Buildings were given such names as the Bank of UnAmerica and Chaos Manhattan. The Greek front is a replica of the NYSE.

Like in many urban settings, graffiti was rampant. But we can all dream our financial institutions will become a little less greedy and a little more responsible. Wall Street was burned but not the American flag.

“It takes a village…” (Photo by Tom Lovering)

I found this large Praying Mantis and several buggy companions out on the far Playa. My bike, Horse with No Name, waits patiently. (I trust you will recognize the song “I rode through the desert on a horse with no name.”)

This sculpture by artist Kate Radenbush is called Star Seed. I thought of it as ‘fantasy arising from the dust.’ And why not. Participants are expected to put their own twist on Burning Man art.

I did wonder whether we are seeding the stars or they are seeding us.

If you look closely, you will note that this man’s skin is made completely of watch parts. I also liked the see through quality as you look up at the sky over Black Rock City.

Another of the wonderfully quirky works of art found out on the Playa at Burning Man 2012. (Photo by Tom Lovering.)

One sculpture featured a series of quotes. I found these two by Albert Einstein and Danny Kaye particularly appropriate for closing my blog on Burning Man 2012 art.

A Fairy Tale Land by Night… Burning Man 2012

September 10, 2012January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 8 Comments

Thousands of Burners, bikes and mutant vehicles make their way through Black Rock City, up and down the Esplanade and back and forth across the Playa at night. Almost all are decorated with lights as this 2012 mutant vehicle is.

Burning Man becomes a fairy tale land by night. Participants add lighting to their costumes and bikes. Mutant vehicles take on new personalities. Everyone heads for Center Camp, the Esplanade and the Playa. It is time to play.

This fascinating mutant vehicle caught Luna’s eye and camera as she was wandering through Black Rock City. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

I caught the same vehicle later displaying its night-time personality.

Here’s another example. This colorful mutant vehicle lived just down the road from us at Foxglove and 6th. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

This is my night-time photo of the vehicle.

Bikes are also dressed up for their night-time adventures at Burning Man. You want to be seen. We had no trouble following Tom and Beth. Beth, who owns B&L Bike Shop in Davis and is President Elect of the National Bicycle Association, had the latest in bike lighting equipment.

Horse-Bone Tribe member Scout, prepares for his evening foray into Black Rock City. His get-up includes an ear-ring that flashes in the dark.

Music is everywhere, from the deep booming rhythm of heavy metal to the softer sounds of blues and jazz. People are dancing and roller-skating and twirling fire and working hula-hoops and pole dancing and gawking, all to the beat of drums.

If the desert air creates a thirst, there’s bound to be a saloon or a pub nearby. After all, Burning Man is a Wild West town. The alcohol is free, provided by camps as part of Black Rock City’s gifting tradition. We discover a chocolate martini to die for at The Lost Penguin. The only requirement is BYOC: bring your own container. But smiles, thank yous, and costumes are appreciated.

A local chapter of AA is open 24/7 for Burners who need help resisting the temptation to drink the week away.

On our first night at Burning Man 2012, my wife Peggy and I headed out into the evening with our friends Tom and Beth Lovering. (In Playa speak, that’s Luna, Outlaw, Adios and Punkin.) A dragon with glowing eyes was preparing for an evening of revelry. A meditating Burner sat on a hanging rock sculpture with the moon as a backdrop. We came across a box guaranteed to provide a psychedelic experience. Adios climbed in and I took his photo. “Bye, bye.” They closed the lid and shook the box. Cheap trip… but colorful.

A dragon with glowing eyes, a red tongue, and long eyelashes prepares for its night adventures as the sun sets at Burning Man 2012.

A Burner respectfully welcomes the evening as the sun sets and the moon rises. He was perched on a large rock hung from a sculpture that rotated.

Adios, loaded into a box, prepares for his psychedelic trip. He has already grown an extra arm and leg. I am not sure what the magic button was for.

A fire dancer captured our attention next as he whirled a pair of fiery poi balls in circles around his head, behind his body, and between his legs. I felt a twinge of apprehension. Scars are not uncommon among practitioners of the art.

Fire dancing includes grace, beauty and a hint of danger. We found this 2012 performer twirling poi balls on the Esplanade at Burning Man.

A hundred yards down the Esplanade we found a merry-go-round for four people that required a push-pull action to make it go. Naturally we had to try. At first it was difficult. Adios got off and pushed. We figured the contraption out and went faster and faster until we were flying. Punkin got in one “Whee!” before we crashed. I went bouncing across the Playa on my butt. Luna was thrown off and dragged through the dirt like she had her foot caught in a stirrup.

Battered, bruised and covered in Playa dirt, we dusted ourselves off and went limping on to our next adventure. Wall Street, beautiful sculptures, and Center Camp waited.

My major reason for going to Burning Man is the art. Most Burning Man Art, as this 2012 piece, is designed to be enjoyed both during the day and at night. The moon was one day away from being full. The Man is off to the right.

As we biked onto the Playa and into the Black Rock Desert, Wall Street loomed in the distance. This major 2012 Burning Man structure was scheduled to be burned at 9 PM on Friday but high winds and dust forced a postponement until 1 AM on Saturday. I slept through the event. (Photo by Beth Lovering)