dragons at burning man

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.

The tusks on they mammoth are what make this art car one of my favorite mutant vehicles at Burning Man. People sit inside the rib cage. The driver climbs into the head.

The tusks on this mammoth are what make this art car one of my favorite mutant vehicles at Burning Man. People sit inside the rib cage. The driver climbs into the head.

I am going to be on the road for the next few weeks, so I decided to produce several blogs that might be of interest to my readers but would be easy for me to do: Voila—The Best Of Burning Man series! I’ve now been to Burning Man for ten years starting in 2004 (and will be going again in 2015, assuming I get two tickets and a vehicle pass). Each blog will feature a top ten category such as top ten sculptures, mutant vehicles, etc.

Important: 1) These are from my perspective. Other people will have different points of view. 2) I never see everything that is available to see at Burning Man. There is simply too much. So it’s quite possible that I have missed some really great things. My apologies. 3) I missed 2011. 4) These photos are not in order of choice. That is beyond me. (Grin)

Basically, this series will include a brief introduction and then my top ten choices. There may be captions on my photos, or not. Finally, while Peggy and I have taken the majority of these photos, I have also included photos from Tom Lovering, Beth Lovering, Don Green, and Ken Lake… all members of our ‘tribe,’ and friends.

Series 5: Mutant Vehicles

Burning Man requires that you park whatever you happen to be driving when you arrive at Black Rock City. You are expected to ride a bike or walk where you are going. The exceptions are mutant vehicles that are free to wander about. A mutant vehicle is a vehicle that has been modified to resemble something that in no way resembles the original car, truck, bus or golf cart it was. (There is a three-masted sailing ship that looks exactly like it did when it sailed the seven seas, however. And this year the playa is supposed to feature a recovered 747 jet.)

Some of the mutant vehicles are quite artistic. The best of these creations are jaw dropping unique. Most mutant vehicles take on a totally different persona at night when the Playa becomes magical with their comings and goings. I’ve included an example.

Here are a few of my favorites. If you have been following my blog for a while, they will be familiar.

El Pulpo Mechanico became an instant Burning Man classic when it first made its appearance on the Playa a few years ago. At night, its arms pump up and down shooting out fire.