http://www.blackrockarts.org/projects

Notice that most of that shit is not at Burningman. Some of the BRAF projects end up at burningman after their installation lifetime is up in the real world, but the vast majority of burningman art is not funded by the BRAF. The big daddy art grants for the 20,000 pound propane explosions, tanker truck semi sculptures and all the truly outrageous only-at-burningman shit come directly from the BORG. The author of that article attempts to discredit the BORG by citing the limp dick funding done by the BRAF, despite the fact that BRAF funding has nothing to do with what is physcially at the burningman event. No one who has ever been to burningman comes away saying “I feel cheated, what did my 250$ go towards?”

Why are you trying so hard to rain on a parade you have never even been to and know nothing about? I think it would be cooler if you spent your time perfecting the jetting for the fire cannon that shoots out of your giant giraffe’s ass. Although, I understand how the whole idea can be a little frightening, I mean, once you put up that freak flag, next thing you know it might be flying too high, and then you are in a yurt wearing a panda costume and blowing all comers…like Z did.

And I meant “raisonneur” in a “wisest character in the whole play”/”guy who speaks for the author” kind of way.

I did want to say that I found BM (Burning Man, and not bowel movement) to be a place where non-Californians could live a bit of nuttyness.

I still wonder why I would have to pay Larry Harvey & Co. to see other people’s art installations. It’s like selling tickets to Coachella, not hiring any bands, and telling all the ticketholders to bring their own guitars & amps.

But oh well. I’ve said what I need to say.

You are a kind and just moderator, z.

If I may stupidly add my two cents: Burning Man is a really awesome concert/dance party; not much more. It’s nice that while people are there they tend to share a lot of food, beer and genetalia, but I disagree with anyone that feels that Burning Man contributes to the greater good. You can’t have a “Green Man”, when the entire week is an homage to the burning of fossil fuels.

Frankly, I think that if someone is putting on a huge concert in the desert and wants to make money off of it, then more power to them. But it should be transparently so, and I agree with Rob that the organizations behind Burning Man and many of the attendees (particularly the older ones reliving the 60’s) try and project that BM is a faux-utopian, “I’m okay and you’re okay” society, and that to make money off of Burning Man would be despicable. After all, you’re not allowed to sell anything there, right? So if the LLC and its staff are making money, I think that’s their right, but there is some hypocrisy there.

Mo, if the BRAF is giving 27 cents on the dollar, it means 73 cents of every dollar they earn is being spent elsewhere, and not going to the artists. That definitely has the ring of shenanigans to it.

To avoid rambling further, I think the organization behind Burning Man wants to make money, just like I think the people going to it want to get high, get laid, and see shit on fire. All of which are perfectly good reasons. Anyone who says differently is just trying to rationalize it.

That being said, Rob, paying money for hedonism does not make one a “trustafarian” (though I think you knew that was a bit theatrical). I think that most of the people there spend a lot of the year saving and planning so they can attend, just like other people save up all month so they can afford a ticket to a Beastie Boys show.

Hopefully that made sense. All I know is I go away for a weekend and I come back to find my Underpants aflame. Don’t forget people, we’re all united in our desire for blowjobs and grilled cheese sandwiches.

I have a question for you, or anyone for that matter, regarding this 27 cents on the dollar thing. Please forgive my ignorance on this point, but are they saying that for every dollar the artist spends of his own money, BRAF gives the artist about 27 cents? Or that 27 cents of every dollar that comes out of BRAF goes to artists, and the other 73 cents go elsewhere? There is a big difference in those numbers, the implications behind them, and the questions that they raise. I’m not being a jackass. I really am asking.

Pokey, if you work on that project on this side of the pond and need a decent worker bee… pick me. I’d be super happy. And I know this is completely unreasonable, but I was really into magnets as a kid. I think it would be super fun to do something with giant electromagnets. I have a thousand completely unrealistic ideas. Granted we might kill a couple of people with pace-makers, but ….