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PHOENIX RISING, a WordPress Photo Blog and Web Journal by Ray Bangs - * Click here to launch a new photo above.
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Burning Man 2009


Photos 1 - 59 out of 59 | Back to Albums
part of BM is the gift culture... I designed this sticker, and had 1000 made to give away. I figured it would be a good way to sort of keep track of how many people I talked to over the course of the week... Not everybody I talked to got a sticker, but many/most did. I also simply dropped stickers to folks here and there, randoms with a big smile. So I gave away 700 myself, gave about 250 to others to hand out, and had about 50 left over.. This graphic design piece was my "art" contribution for the year. I perfectly reproduced the actual png man file, along with my own custom font for high-quality stickers black on red vinyl. These stickers will hold up, and fade to a more burgundy under heavy sun. The year obdious, and the two eyeballs/boobs up to you... imho, a multi-layered artistic commentary on the whole fiasco, as well as a self-portrait, kind of a shirlock holmes on the R, a crazy expression of awesome. Also a tribute to Critical Tits, the afternoon parades of bare-breated ladies on bicycles. It was beautiful... Interestingly, most everyones were drawn to the stickers. In the entire week, only one group of three persons did not accept the gift. Some said thanks, cool, yadda but many chose to really comment on it. Maybe they were on drugs. I'm sure many were. The sticker evolved into an anthropological field experiment of sorts... Life is breezy the ridge up the mountain, and in all other ways quite treacherously sublime. Really now, it's as easy as 1-2-3 endazed, a four-month spartan run to toast this epic adventure to end, and on to a new chapter, marked by this ticket treating me to join in celebration the vortex of creativity afront this quest for clarity. Should be a Groovy Trip... Until then, may we all enjoy a wonderful summer season ~ traffic jam... what is usually a deserted road, the drive north on 447 was bumper to bumper the entire way.
Monday evening, I reached the turn off the paved road just before dark. About 90 minutes later, I was halfway to the gate. The green light glowing just off the left of the pic is the main entrance to the burning man project. the line is four lanes wide! looking the other way, there are several miles of cars behind me, and again, the entry road is four lanes wide. From the turn to the gate, a little over a mile, took three hours. People kept coming and coming every day, all day... people write tributes, eulogies, and farewells on the bottom of the man...
near center camp of Black Rock City.... reminds me of Tatooine, the desert planet where luke skywalker was hidden in star wars... the playa... huge expanse of dusty flat parched ground. the man glows in anticipation a huge "playa barge" made from school bus and neon lights stops to watch the Burn Nation fire display
the mutant vehicle from Camp Arctica, the camp that arranges the ice to all the people at the burn... vw art car, and colorful trailer... the playa was full of mutant vehicles and art cars
Barbie Death Camp and Wine Bistro bicycles and riders of all types... the first half of the week, biking was great but after washboard ruts and bumps started forming in the roads, it was a butt-bruising pedal... Old perm machine from thrift store with the heating element disconnected - $10 Small cooler filled with ice water - $10 An aquarium pump and tubing - $10 A couple feet of small copper pipe - $10 A "brain freeze" on the playa -- priceless
one of many art/fire sculptures... the man, day one VW Bus Camp, approx 60 vans of all styles
Buszilla, the VW Bus Camp's mutant vehicle... it was two busses put together w/ articulating center... Buszilla at night on the playa dragged in for photos by the Chico Cougars...
Rooster Truck, one of 649 mutant vehicles at Burning Man this year... art car, not exactly sure what this is supposed to be... pre-burn rituals galore at the man...
The Dino Bus makes a stop for repairs at VW Bus Camp... dragons are for real... this one spit flames detail from a fire and metal sculpture
the man waits Eva Camp, next door... The huge white flag made it easy to find... monster fish art car
center camp sculpture... a big part of burning man is participation, there are tons of volunteer opportunities... i volunteered at Arctica, and unloaded 8 pallets of bagged ice cubes. Approximately 800 bags of ice per hour. My arms were shot after the 3-hour shift, but it was certainly the coolest place in the desert... the igloo dome
these lasers were something else, shining from one end of the playa to the other, several miles, and seeming to bend with the curve of the earth? yet another creepy costume the man and the full moon...
hi mom... the armadillo wagon one of the many clubs offered by the variety of theme camps...
i saw more than enough naked dudes, but this dude's bike was somthing else... As far as naked people, the best was "Critical Tits" where hundreds and hundreds of topless, sometimes full nude ladies would parade on bicycles... naked fire hula hooping, impressive until her hair started on fire! the opulent temple... it's hard to believe this amazing woodworking marvel was going to be burned. i wrote a few names on the structure. the number of farewells, RIPs, and other memories written on the temple was staggering.
the peacock van code pink from southern california playa gossip was intense... a funny rumor went around that the rocket was going to launch at 10pm friday night. thousands showed up... of course, it was art, not a functioning rocket.
the man burns in 48 hours... hardcore camp by a couple of Black Rock Rangers Black Rock Roller Skating Rink... the next day, I watched the BRC Roller Derby, INTENSE!!
Another rooster rolls the playa the man and the full moon... snail on the playa
the soul train enough said... Thunderdome... pugil stick fighting while suspended from the dome. people climbed all over to watch the spectacle.
another art car... the worst white-outs were on Saturday, the day the man burned... there were times when visibility was less than a few feet... googles are mandatory through the playa dust storm emerged a cowboy and an angel... people were wondering if the burn would get postponed...
finally, the man's arms went up, and the fireworks started... the man burns... definitely the biggest bonfire i've ever seen...  
Photos 1 - 59 out of 59 | Back to Albums
Description: Life is breezy the ridge up the mountain, and in all other ways quite treacherously sublime. Really now, it's as easy as 1-2-3 endazed, a four-month spartan run to toast this epic adventure to end, and on to a new chapter, marked by this ticket treating me to join in celebration the vortex of creativity afront this quest for clarity. Should be a Groovy Trip... Until then, may we all enjoy a wonderful summer season ~
Location: BRC