Burning Man Art

The art shared at the Burning Man Festival comes in all types and sizes. As you walk across the playa, you might well see a huge sculpture of a dragon, a bicycle band, and a rock opera--all in five minutes. There will be countless opportunities for you to participate in the art at many levels, and regardless of your aesthetic bent you will discover art that captivates and communicates. Some of the art will be playful, and it surely is designed to bring out the child somewhat repressed by the conformity and responsibility that just seems to come along with age. Other works of art will seem to be a clear response to the ironic and puzzling human condition. There are also the shallow and adolescent works that are thin in insight and embarrassing in function, but these are not as numerous as you might think. If nothing else, thoughtful exposure to the art at Burning Man is likely to expand one's knowledge of soft boundaries of art and force one to evaluate their own commitment to creativity and individual expression. Below I have included a few images of what one could have seen as they walked across the playa at Burning Man 2002.

image of horse rising from desert sand

 Rising from the desert sand, this sculpture seemed to fit the playa quite well.
image of lawn and metal art Rather than merging with the desert, this "oasis" of lawn and metal sculpture seemed surreal.
image of ship/fish/art car This ship/fish/art car was well worth exploration.
Image of huge duck-shaped nightclub on the playa. Free drinks were waiting inside this huge duck-shaped club--at least for those brave enough to climb on the bar and tell a duck joke!
Image of wooden temple This temple, later to be burned, was quite an architectural feat to create.
Image of sculpture of a woman rising from desert The color and stance of this sculpture was most impressive.
Image of metal sculpture of female This huge metal sculpture seemed to "sing" with the desert winds.
Image of sculpture of nude woman This intriguing work was accompanied by sound and light.
Image of young girl lifted by weather balloons A young participant gets a ride through the sky she will not soon forget.
Image of man with plummage and even a bone through his nose Stephanie Bullis took this colorful picture of another participant on the playa--certainly an eyeful!