Tip for necomers: Don't vandalize the art

phil · Post by **phil** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 11:55 am

I've reposted an article from Jack Rabbit Speaks (with permission):
http:/www.cieux.com/bm/artVandals.html

It's really heartbreaking reading what people do to the art on the playa. Kindly remember that each work of art is just that - a work of art, of love. Please be kind to it.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 12:59 pm

People have tagged, burned, broken and/or stolen other people's stuff since I started going in 1996. How was last year different from any other year that bikes, tools or generators get stolen, or things damaged? Not that I'm defending it, but you could argue it's an intrinsic part of Burning Man.

phil · Post by **phil** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 3:56 pm

> you could argue it's an intrinsic part of Burning Man.

Well, breaking other people's stuff is not an intrinsic part of Burning Man that I participate in, and I would hope that it could be quelled. More important, this isn't other people's "stuff." It's public art on the playa that's being vandalized - and I'm not happy about seeing broken art, burned art, and vandalized art during the week. I'd like to be able to enjoy it and send other people out to enjoy it undamaged. Bikes, tools, and generators can be replaced, although no one would be happy about it, and you can get by with borrowed stuff on the playa or do without if need be because you can't replace it while you're at the Burn.

But burned and broken art can't be replaced. It often can't be fixed. It's probably more expensive than my bike. I bought my bike; I didn't pour my heart and soul into creating my generator. If it's very expensive, my stuff is insured. My bikes, tools, and generators _can_ be replaced - it just costs money. The art _can't_ be replaced by buying new stuff.

People put their racks of lamb in the portapotties, too, I might add. And tampons, liquor bottles, and more. I'd argue that was an intrinsic part of Burning Man, too. But it got stopped because it was causing problems. I'd like to see people learn to stop vandalizing the public art.

Intubater69 · Post by **Intubater69** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 7:59 pm

As someone who will be a virgin burner in 08, I can't fathom that people would mess with the art of Burning Man, which btw is one of the main reasons I'm looking forward to my experience there. Whilst this will be my first time, I was brought up as a LNT camper, backpacker, and sailor (leave nothing but ripples). I was also brought up to not mess with peoples doo doo. Us little people have to look out for each other, as big brother sure as hell doesn't. Unfortunately, it seems that an event as large as BM attracts a nefarious element endemic to society and that is a shame. I sense that most burners are decent people but for a few.....Maybe a neighborhood watch is neccesary, and those found to be messin with the art and thier neighbors doo doo be dyed pink and be required to un-dust the playa.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 8:03 pm

Call me perverse, but I give much less of a fuck about funded art than I do my own tools, or my neighbor's.

I suppose I was as affected as you were by that section of the JRS, but what are the intended implications? Is the artist who wrote the piece asking for more responsibility & vigilance on the part of the artists who put their installations in the midst of 40,000 strangers? More Rangers? A ban on spraypaint? Are they expecting taggers to read the JRS and feel ashamed? What's the point? The only way to keep people from fucking with your stuff at Burning Man is to secure it as best you can & keep an eye on it, preferably with an org radio in hand -- but that certainly didn't stop our little friend from committing arson last year on the Man and the installations underneath.

phil · Post by **phil** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:07 pm

> but what are the intended implications?

No one got more vigilance in the portapotties, for example, but people learned that it was improper to drop their beer bottles into the potties. More rangers were not required to enforce the request not to throw trash in the potties. No one banned beer bottles, racks of lamb, or anything else in the attempt to prevent trash from being thrown in the portapotties. I don't think people felt ashamed they'd done it, they just stopped. And stopping was the point. Nobody 'secured' the portapotties, patted down would-be excreters, kept an eye on people taking a leak or a dump, radio in hand. The request went out to stop, and people were told why.

So the request is going out not to trash the art, because it's hurtful to the people who have created the art.

> I suppose I was as affected as you were by that section of the JRS

I don't suppose you were, but c'est la vie. It's Burning Man, and I don't propose to control it, to ban spray paint, patrol the art, or make people feel ashamed. I just ask that people don't wreck the public art. I ask that newbies understand that it's not a good thing to do even if they see others doing it.

I'll leave you to carry on.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:37 pm

Please forgive me for thinking that newcomers in particular wouldn't trash other people's property on their first trip.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:44 am

IF nobody's throwing trash down the porta potties how did that exploding bottle that injured a JotS worker get into one?

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:04 am

How can you sully this discussion with the subject of porta potties?

My gosh, aren't artists more special?

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:24 am

My aren't we sweet and loving this morning?

Intubater69 · Post by **Intubater69** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:48 am

I for one am looking forward to checking out the art, whether it be mutant vehicles, installations, and even the people. Not being an artist, I dont know the exact dynamics that go into creating a piece. And some of them are just DAMN impressive, not to mention obviously time consuming to conjure up and build. And it is also obvious that mucho dinero went into some of them. I couldnt consider ever messing with a piece, unless the artist was present and encouraged it, all in the name of continuing to evolve the piece, not unlike the temple by Best that I have only read about. If taggers messing with the art is a problem, why not give them a venue to express themselves. LOL, maybe a giant etch-a-sketch they can play with.

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 12:13 pm

But burned and broken art can't be replaced.

Oh grrrrl, puh-leeeeze.

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 1:28 pm

it needs to be said,

again...

"Watching the City of Los Angeles Burn was like Porno for Pyros"

what is art?

duchamp notwithstanding, is art what we make, or what we make of it?

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 2:10 pm

The only "vandalism" I see in that list is the two cases of tagging and the one arson. Those are obviously horrible and we should all do our part to stop them. How many people witnessed the arson or tagging but didn't quite realize what was going on or that they should do something to stop it?

The others are all cases of climbing or playing too vigorously. I had stuff like this happening on my car and it pissed me off at the time, but really I should have planned for it.

The Damsel Fly was designed to be ridden, just apparently not by 3 people at once.
The mirrored thing on the Guardian of Eden was in a place where it could easily be stepped on and broken. The hammock thing is a little weird, but not out of the realm of what goes on out there.
Big Rig Jig and Koilos looked climbable to me. Perhaps not wise to climb, but it was going to happen.

Kinetik V · Post by **Kinetik V** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 2:18 pm

Dork wrote:Big Rig Jig and Koilos looked climbable to me. Perhaps not wise to climb, but it was going to happen.

So..is climbing vandalism? If so I'm guilty.

I climbed Big Rig Jig...not for the thrill of climbing it, I wanted to get up close and personal with it, check out how it was constructed and maybe learn just a bit more about the brilliant minds that put that together.

It's one of my personal top 10 pieces of art that I've seen out there...in fact when people have asked me about BM and the discussion turns to art, it's one of the pieces I try to describe or drag them in front of the TV to pull up a clip and show them. And it's one of the pieces of art that always guarantees a "Holy shit, how did they do that" reaction....in any case it may not have been designed to be climbed but the steel looked strong enough...maybe even over-engineered if I dare say so...and it appeared that climbing wouldn't hurt it one bit. But I never would have considered that to be vandalism...not at all.

Post by **mdmf007** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 4:49 pm

Climbing is not vandalism. If an artist does not want their work climbed it says "Don't Climb"

Big Rig Jig was a great piece, but the welding was a little on the rushed side, and would never have passed an inspection.

I climbed it to the top - saw the welds (many were already stress cracked) and got the hell out.

So if its marked do not climb - dont climb.

if its not marked - Game on I say.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 5:36 pm

But old-timers can vandalise first camp.

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 8:40 am

But old-timers can vandalise first camp.

I think you confuse 'vandalize' with 're-decorate.'

BitterDan · Post by **BitterDan** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 11:02 am

I started the Chicago Fire.

phil · Post by **phil** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 11:37 am

> I started the Chicago Fire.

You're a COW???!!!

Post by **AntiM** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 12:43 pm

We chatted with the Big Rig guys, and they expected it to be climbed.

Back in 2002 a campmate told me about two guys who'd climbed onto something nor made for climbing, (can't reacall which piece) and were trying to shake it apart. She politely questioned them out and got "but it's Burning Man, we're supposed to be able to destroy the art." They quit once they got an audience, but there's some dipshits out there.

Souvenir takers ... the lily pond comes to mind, some of the flowers and a dragonfly went missing.

A cow? ... In Space?

Post by **mdmf007** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 1:47 pm

I remember a couple of guys looking guilty at the sunflower installation - the mech flowers that were in a cluster.

They were LED light, chest high, and solar charged. They plucked one from the ground at around 0230 when we were walking by, we stopped to sniff the flowers when I wsa looking at them they got nervous and put it back in the ground.

asshats.

Tiahaar · Post by **Tiahaar** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 11:03 pm

they could add to the ticket blurbage,
DONT FUCK WITH THE ART
which could of course start all kinds of 'I'm not Art come fuck with me' trends

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 5:15 am

Tiahaar wrote:they could add to the ticket blurbage,
DONT FUCK WITH THE ART
which could of course start all kinds of 'I'm not Art come fuck with me' trends

My late granddad Artemis appreciated those "Fuck Art, Let's Dance" buttons of some time ago....

Intubater, you're WRONG- You ARE an artist. You just haven't discovered or identified your medium yet. (Trust Me- I'm An Art Educator.) Some of the best art at Burning Man is made by "non-artists".

phil · Post by **phil** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:39 am

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