Burning Man festival brings community to the desert
By Michael Sun
Sept. 9, 2005 9:00 p.m.
Black Rock City, Nev. “”mdash; Driving her way from Santa Cruz
into the dry and dusty Nevada desert, Tanya Ridino, a recent
graduate of the UCLA School of Law, suddenly gushes with awe as she
sees the outskirts of her destination.
“Ooh, there she is!” she screams.
Her destination, along with the 35,000 or so participants from
around the world, is Burning Man, a festival of radical
self-expression held annually the week before Labor Day in the
Black Rock Desert of Nevada, and named after the 40-foot effigy of
a man whom participants erect every year.
Founded 20 years ago by then-carpenter Larry Harvey as a way to
deal with boredom and an excuse to meet women, Burning Man has
grown from its bonfire origins into a massive fiery gathering where
nearly everything from nudity to otherworldly fashions to bunny
versus carrot protests are not just tolerated, but celebrated.
While other college students have already begun their academic
year, other students ““ and many recent graduates ““
looking for a week of near-unbridled freedom or have a penchant for
the bizarre ventured to Burning Man.
And while festivalgoers are of all ages, the festival’s
rules (or lack of rules) appeals especially to a college-aged
demographic.
“This is definitely as free as you can get. There are
still some restrictions in the form of respect,” Tanya said
while eyeing fellow “burners” (as participants are
referred to here), But, Burning Man is more than just about
self-expression ““ though that comes in plenty. What draws
burners back is the unique sense of community ““ even if the
tent and RV city fully exists for one week.
Signs of the tight-knit community at the festival are seen from
the beginning.
At the entrance, Tanya’s anticipation can no longer be
contained. Hastily parking her Honda in the middle of the desert
road, she leaps out of the driver’s seat into the welcoming
arms of numerous greeters and fellow burners, each welcoming the
other.
“I just hugged a complete stranger. It’s home for
sure,” she said.
Stretching a total area of about five square miles, the playa,
as the main desert promenade is called, gives home to the numerous
larger-than-life art installations built every year. Loosely based
on the year’s theme, with this year being the human psyche,
highlights included Pepe Ozan’s Dreamer, a half-submerged
purple head, a giant teepee home to a single "existential" toilet,
statues of horses made from abandoned highway road tires and
more.
“There’s unbridled creativity here,” said
seventh-year burner Daniel, also a UCLA alumnus, as he rides a
kid’s bicycle. (Daniel would only give his first name as is
custom here.)
Throughout the playa, "Mutant Vehicles," or art cars, ranging
from a pirate ship to a torpedo car, roam through blaring music and
take burners around for a wild spin for hours without end.
The entire week culminates in the ultimate event ““ the
burning of the 40-foot Burning Man totem.
On the night of the main event, the burning-man burn seems like
the new year to many ““ burn all your old stuff away and in
with the new.
“It’s as if you never leave here,” said
“Pleasure Sean,” a 10-time burner from San Francisco.
“This year’s event is a continuation of last
year’s, as will be the next.”
