Burning Man, mixed media
8 X 10" unframed
The annual festival called Burning Man is happening now, and the culmination of the
event, the burning of a giant effigy of a man, is probably taking place as I am writing this.
I don't know much about Burning Man, other than the brief history I've read, and the
mentions in the news. I have never attended the week long event, which takes place in
one of the most inhospitable dry lake-beds in America, but it seems to attract world wide
attention. It began in 1986, at a California beach party, burning a wooden figure of a man
in celebration of the summer solstice, like some kind of salute to a pagan ritual. Since
then it has evolved into the extraordinary event it has become. I've always thought
of it as the ultimate celebration of personal self expression, but I understand that they
are much more high minded than that now.
But of course the thing that gets my attention about the name Burning Man, is how
it fits with climate change. Our summers are getting hotter and longer every year, and
more people are dying of heat than ever before. If something is not done soon, to
reduce our carbon emissions, all of us on this planet could perish. And yet we have
these right-wing politicians taking contributions from big oil and coal interests, and
putting business profit ahead of the health of the people and our planet. We have
all heard their mottoes, "Drill baby drill!", and "Burn baby burn!" Keep those
profits rolling in for big business.
Man is truly the only deliberately, self-destructive animal. Can we change
before it is too late? Or, are we all going to be burning men?
Eugene P. McNerney
