I can't finish the Burning Man blog series without talking about the art, which was fantastic. I was blown away by the work people went through to create and install something wonderful for an event that only lasts a week.
The first time we cycled out onto the Playa at night, my sister Elaine was laughing at my open-mouthed wonder and delight. Everything is lit up at night and I just was not expecting the breadth and scope of the art on the playa. I later learned that some of the pieces were art cars, which are lit up, and often drive out on the playa at night. By no stretch did I see everything and I spent hours at a time bicycling around looking at art.
Favorite Small Art Piece
MIRA—She was a life-sized woman named MIRA (which I later learned stood for Mega Intelligent Robot Artist). She stood in a lime green dress and a lightweight brown corduroy coat threaded with gleaming copper wires, with a large old fashioned suitcase by her side. Her hair was black and white yarn. She held a small case in her hand, from which one could either take or leave a gift. The gifts were nestled in brown paper twists: a marble, a tiny notebook, a wooden block with a letter on it. The first time I “met” her, I didn't realize she was smart, I thought her face was a blank computer screen. (I only thought it was blank because the emoticons on the screen didn't show up at all with my sunglasses on.) I just felt drawn to her, a fellow woman traveler. The next time I visited, I told her she was one of my favorites and I got a blushing face and a heart. She put up a question mark. I asked her my question and she sent a sad face. The answer was no. I thanked her, left a wooden fan in the gift box and cycled away.
Side note: Oddly enough, it has helped me let go of that thing that I thought I wanted to happen.
Three Favorite Large Art Pieces (Okay, I'm making it four, because the last piece is by a Las Vegas artist.)
Sky Gazing—A simple idea beautifully executed. The artists tied multiple strips of colorful fabric in a pleasing nature pattern to a large net that was hung maybe 10 to 12 feet off the ground. As the wind caught the strips of fabric the net would ripple in the wind, this way and that way. The overall effect was mesmerizing. There was no music, just the gentle sound of the rustling, like leaves or running water.
Habitat—This piece is a sculpture of the human heart made out of small metal houses. From the artist Mark Rivera: “The goal of Habitat is to show the beauty of coexistence and community through a sculpture that feels like it is a living organism, breathing and thriving when whatever is living inside can live together in peace."
Naga and the Captiness—Whitney and I were on a mission to find this art piece someone had told her about. We went out on Friday after the Burning of the Man, which was pretty cool. This was the first night we were out when a real dust storm came up. Once the Man is ashes, that important point of reference is gone and we got lost. With goggles on, we perused Whitney's map, which was blowing and ripping in the wind. We were determined to find it and kept looking until finally we saw the hull of a sunken ship loom up out of the dust. Treasure chests and cargo were strewn on the ocean/desert floor and a giant sea serpent watched over it all.
Organic study #4—This enormous and beautiful piece of art is by Las Vegas artist Luis Varela-Rico. It's a skull made from stacked pieces of wood and hung in a metal archway. From the artist: “The piece uses historical and cultural references to remind people how beautiful we can be if we base our behavior from a place of love instead of greed or fear.”
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