Lucky year 13 for me in Black Rock City, and the 25th
year of the event.
Quite an unusual year, in that the weather was frankly pretty
fantastic the entire week. Hot, but not too hot. Not bitterly cold at night. And, most importantly, hardly any vicious dust storms. The playa surface was firm and solid. Amazing.
It was also the biggest year population-wise. In fact, this was a year of passage and transition in many ways. Just as the Man stepped off one wooden pyramid to another, the event itself transitioned from an illusion of abundance to the reality of scarcity for the first time ever, when tickets sold out weeks before the gate opened. And the awesome weather meant that far greater numbers of people seemed to be on the playa the whole week. That’s how it felt to me, anyway.
Still, for me the event is primarily about the art, and there was some fine work this year. The elegance of the Trojan Horse, the grandeur and polish of Charon, the audacity of the Temple. Great stuff, and a lot of fantastic contributions from Vancouver-based groups. Also got to put in some great photographic collaborations with image-stalking colleagues Vertumnus and Gary Wilson. Though I have to say that ironically the low dust levels meant fewer opportunities for dramatic moody shots.
Art aside, it was also fantastic getting to spend some more time with my circle of generous campmates. Thanks to Squishelle, Cynthia, Denise and Graham, Jane, Lori, Doug, John, and all my (mostly) Vancouver friends! Thanks also to my parents in BC, and Ivan Cockrum, Mary Saucier, and Dan Shiovitz in Seattle, for logistical and accommodation help. I couldn’t have done it without you!
And of course to Jennifer, who had to stay in London again this year.
(as usual, the thumbnails below will take you to the set in question, not necessarily the photo thumbnailed.)
