The Burning Alchemist

A really "hot" Valentine's fire performance.

FIRE GROOVE: Lucent L'Amour Live Performance 2010 fire dance from Fire Groove on Vimeo.

JOURNEY TO THE FLAMES

A documentary covering 10 Years of Burning Man. We are trying to post as much video as we can up on our facebook page.

For one week every year, 50,000 people gather in the Black Rock desert to build a temporary city of art.

Founded as an experiment in radical self-expression, Burning Man is like no other place on earth. The ground rules are simple: no commerce, leave no trace, no spectators - participants only. You bring what you need to survive and you bring your gift of participation and art.

Black Rock City, as it is called, has everything you would expect in a real city: a post office, airport, radio stations, newspapers, police, fire and medical.

JOURNEY TO THE FLAMES was directed by Doug Jacobson, who follows a group of friends as they head off to the desert. Experience 10 years of amazing Burning Man art. Take a ride into the madness and discover a world of art, sexuality, music and fire... lots of fire.

a truly awesome temple for the 2009 burn

I just read an article about this year's Burning Man event that describes the event as it exists in my eyes so well, that I'll just point you to the link and let you read it for yourself.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jay-michaelson/the-truth-about-burning-m_b_279464.html

[rant warning]

I have a few minor issues with some of the negative comments posted to the article, but that mostly boils down to those who are judging and dismissing the experience as so much new-age bulls**t without ever having experienced the event for themselves. 

The experience of Burning Man is so large and varied that it's effectively impossible to describe what it will mean to someone when they have not experienced it.  It's sort of like trying to describe the feeling of skydiving to someone who has never done it, the description will fall so far short of the reality that it's almost not worth trying to explain.  Plus, it'll also come down to fact that for many people that experience is just not something that they need in their lives. 

Now in my opinion, Burning Man is something that most people should try at least once in their lives.  If it works out for you, great, you're a "burner" and you'll be back year after year.  If not, then no problem, it's just not for you, but at least you now have the shared experiential basis on which to successfully base an informed personal opinion and be able to articulate that opnion to others who will now (usually) respect that opinion because you've "been there".

[end of rant]

A collection of links to Burning Man image galleries and other resources

My fifth year attending the festival. My second year in the Fire Conclave at the foot of the man with the Phoenix Projeket (if the conclave had happened, it was the first year ever that it had to be cancelled due to wind issues). This was also my first year performing fire staff on the playa (in the Rock Opera, and in free-spin time on the Shiva Vista stage)

My fourth year attending the festival. My first year in the Fire Conclave at the foot of the man with the San Diego Fire Conclave.

My third year attending the festival. A year of grief, rememberance, and letting go.  I lost my oldest brother to a massive stroke two days before I left for the festival.  The city gave me a place to deal with my loss in a safe environment where I could process my grief without the interruptions of the outer world. My many thanks to those who built the temple this year and to those who built the cathedral, and to my many friends on the playa who helped me when I needed it and let me have my space when I needed that.

My second year attending the festival. Coming home.