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as an obsessive fanatic of diversity, i have a hard time seeing growth as a bad thing and i think the mainstream versus underground sentiment that jar is describing is an artifact of being desperate for community in a society that has forgotten its importance. any threats to the scenes we are a part of (ie the influx of new people) are taken extremely seriously because we risk losing something so enriching. but whats amazing about these types of communities is that they have awesome potential for self-regulation, where people who do not subscribe to the central ethos of the movement are socially ostracized, which is a horrible form of punishment sure to work on even the most hardened uncitizens. i think these movements are not destroyed from the outside as is being suggested, but from the inside by those who flee their civic responsibilities in search of a new, easier ‘weird’. the vast majority of newcomers, as in the vast majority of originators, come to experience new things with the purest sincerity and commitment, regardless of when they were exposed, which is all relative anyways. there is also an element of xenophobia and nationalism in that sentiment, which i think we all need to transcend as part of the new enlightenment.

there is no question that as population increases, so does the potential for a bad seed here and there, but working with probabilities, we are receiving an exponential benefit with minimal risk by introducing new people to burning man. the more people, the more complex, fascinating and diverse the fabric of the physical, social and mental environment becomes.

in that vein, i feel sorry for gypsy wind that the world is so gray that not even burning man can spark a sense of wonder. there is a complete encyclopedia of possible experiences there, and i wonder how dulled and disengaged one would have to be to not see and want to interact with those, and in doing so, create an experience uniquely their own, complete with all of the biases, predispositions, dreams, self-imposed limits, wiggle room, travels, etc. of their identity. i have never seen two people have the same experience there, and not having anything but a default experience is a lifeless reflection of you gypsy wind, not burning man. i do not believe you that burning man is simultaneously a lame extension of the default world for others and your default world, it is clearly neither.

furthermore, any inquiry into the nature of burning man finances shows clearly that financial tools are used out of necessity and sensibility in the interest of keeping it alive in the modern world. i am quite certain that most radical moneyphobes (who almost certainly interact with their personal financial realities in more scandalous ways than bm) who criticize burning man accounting have never applied for a federal permit, or dealt with any real-life logistics of bringing 50,000 or even 500 people together. it is profoundly difficult. and time-consuming. i am thrilled that people have salaries because and for burning man. and this is not a blind defense, i have read the reasoning for each of burning man’s controversial decisions and there is always a valid justification framed in the values of our community.

lastly, burning man is one of the most entrepreneurally electric places on earth, which is why it began in the US and could not (and did not) begin anywhere else. if it werent for the fire in practically every citizen to create something new, none of it would exist.

thank you larry, for your spatio-temporally dynamic vision.

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I say it does. The spirit of punk is one of awareness and DIY self-reliance. It is getting off your butt, joining up with like-minded folks and doing something for yourselves to prevent the miserable fate our modern world seems so well-designed to force us into. In the present time, a band like Green Day is true to this spirit. It may not look like it used to but the spirit of punk is alive and well as a subculture and it survives because of the blood of fresh new people who understand and feel it. I believe the same will be true for Black Rock City. No one can argue that increasing interest in Burning Man has brought in a voyeuristic, “meat head” element that to my knowledge was not as prevalent in earlier years. I am speaking of frat boy types who take pictures of naked women without consent and post them online for profit. As BRC grows, there also seems to be a growing criminal element. Every year I hear of women being raped (or nearly raped), I hear of suicides, theft, overly aggressive law enforcement etc. etc. There is no question that the presence of these criminal-minded folks fouls the air and sours the lifeblood of Burning Man. But there is no way to keep them out. This element is what comes with popularity. The danger that I fear is that the people who make our precious BRC wondrous and fun will at some point decide that the negative elements outweigh the positive and eventually cease to participate. It would appear to me certainly possible that thuggery could dominate and kill the beautiful spirit of BRC just as it dominates and kills the beauty in the default world’s inner cities. Some of my friends believe this has already happened. They last joined us in 2006, claiming that this was the year Burning Man “peaked” and now it’s all downhill from there. But I’m not throwing in the towel yet. Each year something blows my mind and as long as that happens the spirit is alive and kicking. BRC, to me, is still the most vibrant and alive collection of amazing human beings I could ever hope to spend time with in this life. I feel it is the purest expression of the evolved human heart that may have ever existed on the planet. I owe my new life to Burning Man and I’ll be participating with all my heart until they pry my cold, dusty, dead hands off the playa.

Can we overcome brute thuggery with love, art, music and beauty? Maybe not, but I’ll be there alongside all those who are trying. If we lose BRC, we’ll just have to look for the next flower to pop up someplace. It always does.

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Just thought you might be interested in reviewing details of a new fractal based spatial planning system which I have been working on;
http://cid-f1b07cc49da4a688.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Fractal%20Matrix%20Planning%20System
Might be some ideas in there which could be applied to the organisation of Blackrock City!

Regards,

Padhraic

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Congratulations on your yearly attempt to recreate the motel scene from the movie “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”… on a massive scale. Also, congratulations on creating a perpetual wealth stream for yourself and other employees. If the burning man project ever gets an IPO, the world is truly doomed.

I love a good entrepreneur, you are a master.

For me ‘Burning Man’ is a lame extension of the lamer ‘Default World’. Furthermore, Burning Man IS the default world in my world. But heck, the inhabitants of the default world need a ‘perceived’ outlet to vent their anxieties as work a day grunts…and you provide the perfect outlet.

Thank you,

The Gypsy Wind

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I’m curious, has there ever been a time-lapse done of the entire city from the beginning stages of Burning Man through the event and then break down? From the flat barren desert to city to nothing once again?

Thanks again for your time and for creating this event,
Tim

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Regards,

Larry

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I’d like to ask a question about your comment: “But were you to view the documentary I produced in 1990.. It is about constructive engagement, the enchantment of play and the practice of mutual aid: it merges nicely with our city’s life today. This is because I naturally chose to focus on those aspects of Burning Man that I most cared about.”

What I’ve been reading in this translucent insight on this blog, are the developmental origins, concerns and intentions of a city. My question is this, with Metropolis being the theme of this year’s event, do you and/or the BM group have plans to document another event this year of 2010 – 20 years after the first?

I ask this question for two reasons. One, I find this topic and the entire BM event fascinating, from both an architectural and sociological perspective. Second, I would like to interview you, as well as a group of others, to learn what you have learned, which can be applied to the “rest of the world’s cities and the city experience in general”.

Now, I recognize that you probably are asked all of the time to be interviewed and even notice that many such as Burners Without Borders, have created solutions from BM. But my approach is to ask you what you have learned, in context of applied architectural, sociological and psychological relevance, to then offer as insight to other designer/builders in the world. Basically, an interview and story geared towards information for designers, developers and anyone interested in urban planning, as well as the experience of what it means to develop cities and shelter for humans. Basically, the amazing process of an instant city developed, then removed. To me, it’s like watching a time-lapse video of a plant going from seed, to blossom, to decay and back to the soil, ready for another flower to bloom. Talk about Life Cycle Assessment, I think the BM architects have much to share on this topic.

I have a fascination with this basic concept, as well as the visual concept, of a 40,000 person city growing from nothing in the desert, to a full city, to again nothing in the desert, in a one month span. I think this is amazing.

Btw, I’m not saying that there is “nothing” in the desert, but instead intend to emphasize the development of human shelter and a “city” where there was once nothing of human shelter or facilities.

I have a number of other questions as well, and I’m working on a proposal for filming/media for this year’s event, but perhaps in the meantime I would ask this question to see if there were official plans for such a video/audio production.

Thank you again for your vision, as well as your openness and willingness to discuss this topic with us here,
Tim

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