A Visual History of Burning Man

[DrYes]

There is, of course, Burning Man's official timeline on their site, and it's good, but it's hard to get a scannable overview of the years from it. I decided to make my own (do-ocracy!) instead, and included info from sources other than the official Timeline.

I've only got 1986-1996 done, and as I wasn't there for those, I'm certainly open to corrections if I've got something wrong!

http://www.burn.life/visual-history-of-burning-man.html

[digital]

I really love what you're doing on Burn.life, DrYes. The posts are a joy to read without any of the 'negative' feelings of some other unnamed blogs.
Good work and keep it up. Thank you!
D

[Aurelia]

anti facebook
any other access ?

xoA.

[digital]

anti facebook
any other access ?

It works fine w/o FB. I think that's just to 'like' it.
Here are the direct links:

The Early Days
'91-'96 Hypergrowth

[DrYes]

anti facebook
any other access ?

xoA.

Was it the little 'login' thing you see when you're not logged into FB that was confusing?

[DrYes]

I really love what you're doing on Burn.life, DrYes. The posts are a joy to read without any of the 'negative' feelings of some other unnamed blogs.
Good work and keep it up. Thank you!
D

Thanks! Obviously I have no idea what negative-leaning unnamed blog you're talking about, but it's fair to say that while I respect the probable investigative and analysis angles of these hypothetical blogs that definitely don't have a grudge about the BMORG, I would probably just stop coming if I was that angry about my 8 or 9 days in the desert (with apologies to those who spend far far more time out there).

[moonrise]

Sweet!

I especially enjoyed the documentary from Joe Winston covering 1995.
Thank you Joe W., Dr. Yes & everyone else!

[Simon of the Playa]

i can't speak for anything before 1996, because i wasnt there.

1996-now however, are burned in my mind, like acid on steel.

any questions?

[Aurelia]

Hmm, okay I really am having to deal with other people organizing my experiences

(except Simon)

I prefer it to be a mixed up reverie

Yesterday someone told me that the way I was speaking indicates that my Mother came from a different place than I said


my attitude regarding scrapbooking is similar
do whatever you need to amuse yourself; but do not include me

Although I did carefully scan to see if I could find me

and when did the dawn cellist stop coming ?

xoA.

[DrYes]

1996-now however, are burned in my mind, like acid on steel.

any questions?

Sure:

* Were the participants in 1996 generally aware of the death and serious injuries?
* In 1997, can you comment a little on how being at Fly Ranch caused the event to feel different from your perspective? Or perhaps it didn't really feel different?
* How big of a deal was incoming silicon valley/bay area dot.com money in the late 90s? Was it obvious that it was 'pouring' in?

I'll leave you with those for now. Thanks!

[Elderberry]

We have one guy in our camp that has been going EVERY year since 1993, and several that have been going on-and-off since that year too.

[DrYes]

Also, does anyone know what year Death Guild got started, and what year Thunderdome was first out there?

[Elderberry]

You might be able to find some info on that here: http://www.deathguildthunderdome.com/

I see there is a documentary movie about them on the site. You have to download it to view it.

[Aurelia]

Yes, we were/are aware of death.

xoA/

[Simon of the Playa]

^ what she said ^

in fact, just driving in, we were made very aware of just how fragile life is.

everybody was zipping along the desert willy nilly....we were doing 125 mph at one point...then it happened.

dust storm...

we slowed to a stop and for 15 minutes wondered if we would be creamed by some truck who decided Not to stop.

it was awesome...and terrifying...and way out of our ordinary comfort zone.

we heard almost right away about the deaths, one by motorcycle meeting truck, the others by 'Thump-Thump"

we attended the polkacide memorial concert on playa held in honor of their fallen comrade....it was the best hava negila i have ever heard, and probably ever will.

you never know when you'll get hit by a falling toilet seat from sky-lab, now do you,

so savor the flavor, that is life.


personally, i think Burning Man SHOULD scare the fuck out of you. at least for a portion of your time there.

it's all part of the package.

[Aurelia]

Yes !

exquisite style by Simon

xoA.

[DrYes]

personally, i think Burning Man SHOULD scare the fuck out of you.[/size] at least for a portion of your time there.

I get your point I think, but I think it also depends on whether you're scared for a good reason or just scared. I'm scared of sharks when I surf, but it's a largely irrational fear as the chances of a shark attack are so remote.

In what you describe - being stuck in a duststorm and wonder if some irresponsible dickwad is going to plow into you and hurt/kill you, is a very real and justified fear I think, and not one that people should experience at BM, as it indicates they're in a fundamentally dangerous situation and, multiplied across 70,000 people, some folks are going to get killed or seriously injured.

I've only been going since 2010 and obviously nobody is speeding across the playa any more, but the most fear I've felt at Burning Man has either been irrationally induced by stuff I consumed or was a possibly-legitimate fear that the structure I'm on may not have been as well-engineered for its current load as possible. I'm ok with the former, but don't love the latter at all, and don't see it as beneficial. If I want to be scared because something is actually risky, I can just go hang off my balcony for awhile and hope my fingers don't slip.

[Simon of the Playa]

and don't see it as beneficial.

and this is why we disagree an many things concerning "the burn".


i am also more than a little hesitant about someone from 2010 trying to document and describe, and interpret something they never experienced.

i know you want your blog to be a success, thats as transparent as fuck.

i also know that from now on, i'll keep my histories to myself, especially, if they are to be judged by some burny come lately.

go ahead, try to define burning man....you have fun with that.

[Aurelia]

have to laugh ..
Just as I was muttering about baby cheeks describing his surfing events vs his playa innocence
SIMON came in
so I can return to my space as he has it covered

xoA.

[Aurelia]

dr..Kook

local cacophony outta the way

xoA.

[Roundabout]

i'll keep my histories to myself, especially, if they are to be judged by some burny come lately.

Burnier than thou, eh Simon?
Personally, I am glad to have missed those early years. Too much chaos.

[Bless]

Wait, are you saying there's a chance I could die? Damn, I wish someone would've told me earlier...

[goathead]

and don't see it as beneficial.

and this is why we disagree an many things concerning "the burn".


i am also more than a little hesitant about someone from 2010 trying to document and describe, and interpret something they never experienced.

i know you want your blog to be a success, thats as transparent as fuck.

i also know that from now on, i'll keep my histories to myself, especially, if they are to be judged by some burny come lately.

go ahead, try to define burning man....you have fun with that.

come over and have a beer
the best of times, the worst of times

[DrYes]

and don't see it as beneficial.

and this is why we disagree an many things concerning "the burn".


i am also more than a little hesitant about someone from 2010 trying to document and describe, and interpret something they never experienced.

i know you want your blog to be a success, thats as transparent as fuck.

i also know that from now on, i'll keep my histories to myself, especially, if they are to be judged by some burny come lately.

go ahead, try to define burning man....you have fun with that.

No, I think we tend to disagree because I'm interested in a discussion, and you're interested attacking pretty much anyone who disagrees with you and your personal interpretation of Burning Man. It's strange, because nothing I wrote was an attack of any kind on you or your idea. I was just giving you my viewpoint. You didn't like it (despite the fact that I was in no way judging your experience) so you decided to immediately jump to insulting me. (and good lord, please try to do better than "burny come lately"...the irony of that coming from someone who didn't start going until the 11th year of the event is pretty high).

As for documenting something I never experienced - guilty as charged. Of course, that's the case for virtually anyone putting together a project to document something historical that isn't mainly about the author or about how the author sees the world. Almost every historical anything described in Wikipedia, for instance.

[goathead]

Almost every historical

when did this happen?

[Sham]

My 20th consecutive burn!!
And I've updated my web site with stereoscopic photos of Burning Man 2015.
http://3dculture.com/bm3d
Also, this year some fish eye stereo photos for immersive viewing with Oculus Rift or other VR device.

Please check them out, and read my yearly blog.
http://3dculture.com/bm3d

Harolddd (Silver Man)

....and speaking of Visual History, check out some these amazing 3D pictures from 20 years of Burning Man.

[Patsh]

Wow!

Dug up an old (old, old) pair of glasses with a red lens and a blue lens...
looked at the 2015 pics in 3D.
The sense of depth and vastness of the Playa really is amazing!

Thank you, SilverMan 1 for sharing!
I know what I'll be doing tomorrow... it's too late tonight. I know it'll take time to appreciate all the other years-worth of pics.

[Patsh]

FYI, the 3D glasses from the theatre (Avatar) didn't work.
They have 2 grey lenses.

[Simon of the Playa]

've only been going since 2010 and obviously nobody is speeding across the playa any more, but the most fear I've felt at Burning Man has either been irrationally induced by stuff I consumed or was a possibly-legitimate fear that the structure I'm on may not have been as well-engineered for its current load as possible. I'm ok with the former, but don't love the latter at all, and don't see it as beneficial. If I want to be scared because something is actually risky, I can just go hang off my balcony for awhile and hope my fingers don't slip.

i prefer my danger to be real, not simulated, just as i prefer my life to be.


i'm sorry, but simulacrum is just not for me. you have fun with that. i prefer motorcycles to self driving cars.

i like the actual speed of the wind rushing across my face as opposed to playing grand turismo with an oculus vr headset.

i like real sex instead of video porn or any E-stimulation.


i feel pity for those that only play it safe.

Humans are not safe.


i want god
i want poetry
i want REAL DANGER
i want freedom
i want goodness
i want sin.

[Captain Goddammit]

If I can afford it, I want to go to the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England.
The cars are incredible, Formula 1 cars, ultra rare multi-million-dollar Ferraris, Vintage racers from the 19-teens, famous American NASCARs both new and old, famous dragsters, rally cars, EVERYTHING that was ever built to go fast - all on the same track. And guys in these priceless things normally never seen outside of museums HAULING ASS in them! Crashing a few even, which sucks, but they fucking have at it in stuff that's been sitting in collections and trailered to shows forever.
AND, you can walk around anywhere with a bottle of champagne and glasses smoking a cigar.
It's an awesome event that can't be held in the US because of rules, laws, liability, etc.

I'm only a little "newer" than Simon, I go back to 2000 at BM, and in that time I've seen the inevitable Rules and Regulations, the family-friendly cleaning up, the ticket market going nuts, the media coverage that used to be all but nonexistent, it just ain't what it used to be and I don't think that's a good thing even though a few things about the earlier days did suck.