#THROWBACKTHURSDAY – BURNING MAN

After nearly 30 years, this may be the last year that Burning Man is held in Black Rock Desert. The fate of the festival is in danger as it clashes with the federal government over new rules for its permit to change some of its protocols. While Burning Man Project is committed to continuing their legacy of environmental stewardship and Leaving No Trace, many of the measures recommended are unreasonable, untenable, attempt to solve problems that don’t exist, and/or create new (and worse) problems. Altogether, these requirements would fundamentally change the operational integrity and cultural fabric of Black Rock City, and would spell the end of the event as we know it.

So in honor of the Original Psychos that created this experiment in community and art, San Franspycho’s TBT is throwing it back to how Burning Man began. On the summer solstice in 1986, Larry Harvey, Jerry James, and a few friends gathered on Baker Beach in SF and burned a tall wooden man in a bonfire ritual. They described their inspiration as a spontaneous act of radical self-expression.

Since that gathering of a few friends on a beach, Burning Man has grown to have tens of thousands of participants and explores various forms of artistic expression including experimental and interactive sculptures, buildings, performance, and art cars, among other media.

To see how you can help visit: https://journal.burningman.org/2019/04/black-rock-city/leaving-no-trace/burning-man-faces-existential-threat/