1995: The Rise of the Theme Camp

Theme camps had been a part of Burning Man since at least Peter Doty’s Christmas Camp. But in 1995, the Burning Man organization began to significantly promote the growth of Theme Camps, including giving placement locations (the first placement), and even suggesting ideas for theme camps (several of which appeared on the playa).

1995 was also the year when many of the “old school” participants seemed to consistently complain that the event had grown too large. The unofficial slogan of the old guard was “Keeping the Playa Safe for Anarchy”, which was in contrast to where the event was heading. Formal placement for theme camps, a printed ticket, a daily paper, an alternative paper (“Piss Clear”), and international media attention was setting the event on a course that was in conflict with its roots. Also, Larry Harvey began to more clearly define a vision for the event that was not consistent with the spirit that drove the Cacophony Society - a self-conscious movement from merry pranks and explosions toward a cultural movement, a exemplified in Harvey’s 1995 article for Gnosis Magazine, which drew parallels between mystery cults and Burning Man.

Somar Arts Gathering

Burning Man returned once again in August to Somar art space in San Francisco to promote the event and to raise funds. The event took place over two weekends (August 4-5 & 11-12), and the Man was once again assembled and illuminated.

Advertised as “Out There (in Here)”, but referred to by Larry Harvey from time to time as “The Odd, the Strange, the Weird, and the Wholly Other” show, a reflecting pool was added for a dramatic effect. The event featured art, music and other performances. The Dance troupe Collapsing Silence\ performed with Sirens of Saturnalia and the musical group Hollow Earth. Magenta Crowe danced, and Timothy North played a 3-story drumming platform. Pepe Ozan and Wayne Scott created installment pieces. Ape Theater did performance art. John Law and Vince Koloski installed neon. Synapse created “a ritual environment of media immersion entitled ‘Ancestor Stones’".

Larry Harvey described the Man installation:

We installed the Burning Man in an upright position beneath the soaring vault of the former foundry’s 4-story high space. We equipped the inside of the figure’s head with a microphone, a speaker and a video camera. These were connected to a microphone, a monitor and headphones discreetly located in a curtained booth near the base of the statue. A rope and pulley fastened to a ceiling beam allowed participants to clamber into a boson’s chair and be raised high overhead by their friends. This, of course, required that they trust these friends. Suspended immediately adjacent to Burning Man’s large triangular face, participants were urged to talk to this authoritative presence and put questions to it. Those who lurked inside the curtained booth below would then supply the answers. Our sound system automatically transformed their voices into a deep basso profundo.

Event Organization

In 1995, Burning Man introduced a new layout for the event, based on a designed suggested by William Binzen, creator of Desert Siteworks. Over one of many extended discussions Binzen had with Harvey, Binzen had jotted down on two napkins a proposed sitemap for Burning Man, featuring two concentric circles. The resulting map featured a community space in the center, including a cafe, stages, vending areas, and the bulletin board. The pirate radio station (built by Gordon Burke) and Black Rock Gazette would also be located in the central area. Immediately surrounding it would be the “placed” theme camps and a more formal road (Outer Ring Road). Beyond that would be open camping. Again the “rave camp” would one mile away. The first Burning Man website was launched, featuring photos of the 1994 event. It was designed by Mark "Spoonman" Petrakis.

Setting up the event was becoming a larger production. Thirty-five people were involved in building the Man, lead by Dan Miller, over six weekends. Setup, tear down and clean up was requiring a larger crew and more organization. Flynn Mauthe (aka Bobby Wayne) became the de facto head of the cleanup crew that would eventually be called the DPW, and would hold that position until 2003, and along with Will Rogers would formalize the organization of the crew. (In 1996, Flynn would also lead construction on the Helco Tower). 1995 included the first trash fence, created by a guy named Ember, or Larry Breed, a Cacophony Society member. John Law remembers “They were all going crazy over trash blowing downwind, and Ember suggested it to the ops department.  They should make a bronze plaque for that guy for starting the trash fence," John Law says. "He did it for years after I left, too. It was all Ember’s idea, and I regard him as a hero."

The Annual Theme is Conceived

In 1994, Larry Harvey and Pepe Ozan began what would become an annual gathering at Somart gallery to promote Desert Siteworks and Burning Man. During this period, influenced by William Binzen, Larry Harvey started to think of art more seriously as a cohesive element of the Burning Man Project, both on and off the playa. In 1994, art was for the first time arrange with some order to create an “Avenue of the Arts”.

While 1995 did not feature a formally announced themes, as did all later years, the concept of a theme was being discussed. A semi-official burlesque performance featuring some of the events' organizers was produced, and it focused on the struggle between “Good and Evil”. Burning Man now considers “Good and Evil” to be the first theme, but Harvey and the others involved in shaping the theme viewed this year as “planting the seeds” for the themes that were born in 1996. Larry Harvey described the burlesque show as a “scripted wrestling match”":

We constructed a raised platform surrounded by ropes in the central camp circle, and here the assembled forces of all that was good and all that was bad contended. It was a tag team affair that matched such contestants as Bo Peep (clinging to her inflatable sheep) against Olga, the she-wolf of the SS Elite. Richard Nixon, skillfully impersonated by John Law, was also afforded a turn. At a critical moment, when trapped in what appeared to be a paralyzing hold, he suddenly produced the lost fifteen minutes of White House tape. Uncoiling this, he strangled his opponent. Participants surrounding the stage castigated the referee — played by Ed Holmes, a veteran performer from the San Francisco Mime Troupe — and rabidly urged on their chosen champions. I was selected by our group to play Albert Camus.

At the height of this conflict, I issued out onto the stage, stopped the action, dismissed the wrestlers, and proceeded to explain to the assembled fans that good and evil are illusions. Our planet is a pebble in a void. Continents exist upon its surface like islands of stagnant pond scum. Warming to this bleak description, I evoked an existential vision of an empty and uncaring universe before which any action shrivels to inconsequence. The gathering mob murmured, stirring uneasily; the outraged wrestlers howled. Bounding into the arena, they hoisted the French philosopher overhead and threw him out of the ring. The finale devolved into chaos. It wasn’t clear which side had won.

Theme Camps

Around 30 theme camps appeared in 1995. As an inducement to help the growth of camps, the organization gave theme camps formal placement for the first time in 1995. The organization also suggested themes in its summer magazine, Building Burning Man, several of which ultimately did appear on the playa.

Theme camps had been around since Christmas Camp (or arguably earlier), however, these theme camps were typically two or three people camping together with a unified motif. By 1995, camps were beginning to become larger, and draw people who weren’t necessarily close friends before the event. For example, Art Car Kamp, promoted by Harrod Blank, brought together nearly a dozen art cars from all over the country, and propelled the art car/mutant vehicle to be a significant attraction of the event. The Cathedral of the Wholly Sacred Camp was arguably the precursor to the modern temple - a tent where one could leave items they considered sacred (or would be interesting to be considered sacred). While many of the items actually left were more ironic that sacred, some items and photos represented significant mementos. Flash Hopkins was back with his McSatan’s Beastro, where he sold, traded and gave away burgers and beer. Bigfoot Plaza, hosted by the Portland Cacophony Society handed out thrift store shoes in exchange for a participant putting on a little show of song and/or dance. The publishers of the Black Rock Gazette, Lloyd Void and his wife Paisley Hayes, brought Tiki Camp back for a second year, serving drinks, and hosting a large tiki party. Most camps were small, like Camp Hasselhof, with five to ten members.

The First Cafe

The precursor to the Center Camp Café, the Café Temps Perdu (the café of lost time) first opened in 1995. P. Segal, the long-time manager of the Center Camp Café remembers that it “got off to a limping start”. Despite being the only structure in the center circle of the camp, no one knew it was there. It was positioned “so that the counter of the café looked down the lantern-lit Avenue of Art, and at the Burning Man at the very end. I said it should be there because then the workers could watch the burn from behind the counter.” On the second day a storm leveled the structure, leaving only the espresso machine standing. P recalls that “The community rose to the challenge, having finally seen the espresso machine, and immediately seeing the value in getting the source of caffeine in functioning order. Volunteers stepped in and re-fashioned some kind of structure for us to operate in for the next 24 hours.”

No Commerce

The idea of banning commerce started in 1994, but by 1995 Burning Man was more formally promoting a “no commerce rule”. In 1994, Flash was selling tacos, hamburgers and beer. Sebastian Hyde and Joe Fenton sold t-shirts, and Fenton also sold Tarot Cards inspired by Burning Man. Chris DeMonterey sold official Burning Man Blast Shields, transparent Plexiglas sheets through which to view explosions and fires. By 1995, the org was still selling t-shirts and VHS tapes to help fund the event. Flash was still selling food and beer, although McSatans was becoming a beg or barter system by 1995, with Flash alternating between teasing people for trying to buy food and teasing them for trying to get him to give them food. (Flash would continue to sell things now and then for many years, perhaps more as a way of demonstrating his social status at the event than to raise funds).

Even in light of the trend toward no commerce, the idea of pure gifting had not been fully formed. It was common to expect something in trade when doing handouts. Cigarettes and alcohol were common currency in 1995.

Publications

In the months leading up to 1995’s event, Burning Man published two issues of Building Burning Man magazine, and released the Black Rock Gazette as a daily magazine. Adrian Roberts also published the first issue of “Piss Clear”, an alternative fanzine/newspaper

The Ticket

Burning Man started 1995 around $2,000 in debt, despite doubling attendance every year. Cash flow was always an issue, but with the event’s growth, getting cash prior to people showing up on the playa was becoming a critical pain point. Credit cards were being used to fund operations, and while Michael Mikel and others were still putting down the plastic, the organization began to make a more significant push to get cash pre-event via early ticket sales, and the sales of the annual t-shirt as well as VHS copies of Burning Man related videos. In 1995, Chuck Cirino’s segments of “Weird America”’s coverage of Burning Man was being sold on VHS for $15 (see below).

In 1995, the first formal ticket was issued. In prior years, the envelop that contained the directions to the event and the schedule served as your entrance ticket. The 1995 ticket featured Stewart Harvey’s picture of Java Cow, a meaningless set of dots, with one punched out, and a “bar code” that did nothing. All printed on a Macintosh computer.

The Vibe of the Event

By 1995, the transition from a Cacophony event to an arts and music events was starting to clearly show. While in the first few years, the event was quiet, where the only amplified music was a battery powered radio, by 1995 the formal stage was featuring rock and industrial music each night.

Explosives had always been a part of the event, but by 1995 burning things was more central, with not only the Man being immolated, but Pepe Ozan’s Lingam also being a large scale burn. Fire dancers and other performers were also showing up to participate. Toy Land was a camp that featured stuff animals and childhood toys loaded with explosives. FIreball, a game of rugby played with a burning ball debuted (see below). Kimric Smythe strapped explosives to himself, his wife and his father and ignited them. And Scot Jenerik played industrial music on f lamming metal drums.

Nudity was becoming more central to the event. In the first few years, there was nudity but it was limited. P Segal theorized that because everyone pretty much knew everyone else, there was less comfort being naked than in later years where anonymity played a larger role.

In 1995 and before, most people dressed in street clothing. Bikes weren’t much of a thing, although they were starting to appear more. The bikes that were there were often ten speed street bikes. Decorating bikes wouldn’t become widespread for several years.

It was common for anyone without clothing to be surrounded by men in jeans with cameras, in what modern participants would find extraordinarily creepy. Locals had heard about the events, and were beginning to appear as tourists to the event. In 1995, guns were still permitted and the drive by shooting gallery still existed. But the locals seemed less interested in talking about guns (which had been true in the past few years) and more interested in gawking. Adrian Roberts, recalls locals driving around and yelling anti-gay epithets. Erik Davis also recalls locals at the event in 1995:

Northwestern Nevada is no more a vacuum than the New World was in 1492, and interacting with gawking locals was part of the fun: dudes in dune buggies with Confederate flags, grinning cops, rosey-faced oldsters with bemused grins and plastic cups of Bud. I asked one off-roading gentlemen outfitted in full camouflage what he thought of the scene. He crossed his arms, studiously avoided my gaze, and shrugged. "Different kind of weekend," he drawled. Erik Davis: Terminal Beach Party

1995 was also the first year with rain during the event. On Saturday it rained and hailed, producing a double rainbow and a slick muddy playa. The “Mud Orgy” became a symbol of Burning Man, with naked people rolling around in a large mud puddle with a drum circle playing nearby (see video).

PERFORMANCES

* PYRODESIACS: Follow the Pyrodesiacs. Fire-performance troupe from Vancouver B.C. will bear fire through the night.

* TOY LAND: Enter an enchanted land where happy elves operate erector-set crematoriums, stuffed animals smolder on rotisseries, and the funny little Jack-in-the Box spews fire. TOY LAND is the Los Angeles Cacophony Society's realization of your fondest child hood dreams of destruction; a spectacle of dozens of death-dealing contraptions and combustible playthings activated by costumed Toy Land Helpers, a live pyromaniacal Punch and Judy show, a wind-up Apocalypse with Saturday morning sound collage. Youthful exuberance. Exploding hydrogen. From Mattel.

* COLLAPSING SILENCE: This Butoh-inspired dance troupe will evoke an eerie slow-motion world of ghosts and spirits arising from the ashes of a post-Atomic world. Dancers: Indra Lowenstein, Rene Jojola, and Terrance Graven.

* FIREBALL: Burning Man's version of Rugby - with a flaming twist. Join us in a Shirts vs. Skins match to see who can move the ball across the goal line and into oblivion. LEATHER GLOVES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

* CITY OF ART: Art City of Ventura, will create a combustible city from lumber salvaged from the longest pier in California. You are invited to participate. Create bridges, towers, and architectural facades. This metropolis will be burned on Sunday night. To help, contact the Art City Collective at 805 653-6380.

* FIRE LINGAM: Sculptor Pepe Ozan, assisted by a team of artists, will again create a 30-foot tall earthen chimney. This year’s lingam will be surrounded by clusters of "linguini"-- lesser towers sprouting like exotic fungal growths from the parental stalk. After Burning Man expires Sunday evening the lingam will be ignited. It's earthen skin will glow like molten magma as billowing plumes of sparks and tongues of flame surge skyward.

* SEEMEN: San Francisco's Seemen presents "Art of the Ephemeral Spectacle", an interactive machine performance. Witness a remote-controlled golf cart which spews fire from a 15-foot articulated arm. Dodge catapult-launched flaming spheres. Visit Vulcan's Forge and craft crowbars, screwdrivers, and other magical amulets from molten metal. Much more.

* FIRE DRAGONS: Dancers Crimson Rose and Will Roger will bring a climax to Burning Man on Sunday night. See the Maiden and the Minotaur enact a fiery seduction.

* SIMONE THIRD ARM: A pyrotic celebration with swords and fire.

* DANGEROUS RHYTHMS: A Dionysian frenzy of extreme physical exertion, direct elemental contact, and sonic rhythms. Scot Jenerik will drum his fists on sheets of steel which are bathed in flames. (SF Weekly article)

* JET CAR: Dezso Molnar will attempt to cross the 8th dimension with his jet-powered rocket car. "Rocket Camp" will also feature Dezso's band "Rocket Science"

* SET THE WORLD ON FIRE: A dynamic sculpture installation by Tom Kennedy and Houston's Theater X. Participants are invited to incinerate a suspended earth sphere constructed of rebar and sheet metal.

* MAGENTA CROWE: Magenta will mesmerize you while balancing a six-foot two-tiered jeweled candelabra on her head, candles in each hand, while she whirls and swirls in spiraling wave forms of movement.

* PUSSYCAT CAVERNS: Direct from New Orleans, Pussycat Caverns presents Flossie and The Unicorns. Puppeteer Panacea Theriac will accompany Flossie and her many friends (including Dogbreath the Evil Wizard Man and The Amazing Spellcaster, the Avon Lady) through their many adventures. The puppet show employs pyrotechnics, magic tricks, and the fabulous brain machine. She will be joined by Mr. Amitron. [Pussycat Caverns was an underground nightclub run by the duo that became Quintron and MIss Pussycat']

* MANA: 1995 is Mona Jean's 4th Burning Man excursion. This year Mona Jean and Melinda Mohn, along with Scott Sheppard, an ex-LA Philharmonic percussionist, will create a "MANA." Mana, an Indo-European root word meaning both moon and mind, will name this slightly mutated "drawing down the moon" dance ceremony.

* FIRE PLAY: An elemental exchange of power danced by Keith Nelson and Stephanie Monseu. [Keith and Stephanie later formed The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, which remains active as of 2019.]

* DANIELA HASKARA: Journey into a techno tribal trance of transformation and transcendence. {Daniela went on to found Sacred Films]

MUSIC

* SCREAMING DIVAS: "Ho, yo, to ho!"* This All-Woman acapella singing troupe will perform a compressed (and somewhat deformed) version of Wagner's robust Ring Cycle on Saturday night. Join Siegmund, Brunnhilde, Wotan, and the Valkyries as they cavort in the Rheinland. Hear the wild shouts of goddesses. Behold their winged steeds. Note on attire: Please gird your loins-- if possible wear armored breast plates, horned hats, etc. (*Brunnhilde's war cry)

* THE MERMEN: Early Sunday evening the playa will be transformed into an undersea fantasy. Return to Old Lake Lahanton lulled by the rhythmic throb of psychedelic surf. Beware the great white shark. Jon Luini did a roadtrip to Burning Man with the Merman. and wrote about his experiences here.

* POLKACIDE: Which is the true dance of passion? The tango? The lambada? No. It's polka! Whirl amidst a galaxy of dancers on the desert plain. Bring your liederhosen. [Polkacide ended up playing immediately before the thunder and lightening storm on Saturday, in an extremely memorable show. A year later, the first death at Burning Man would be Michael Furey, a neon artist who was also Polkacide’s self-appointed manager].

* JIM CERT: The accordion virtuoso whose passionate music and lyrics inspired the Czechoslovakian revolution.

* KAT SHAREST: Music from Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

* AMITRON: Amitron will accompany himself of the Electronic Kazoo, Disco Light Machine (a sound activated, light stimulated, 4 oscillator analog space noise making chain reaction device) and a 600 lb. theater organ.

* SHARKBAIT CRUSHFEST: A mountain of metal, thousands of sticks, giant taiko drums, flaming pig heads, industrial waste...Crush your rainbow with SHARKBAIT and guests M.C. Whitey Ho and Leather Corndog. As the Man's corpse burns, the inferno begins...join the Crushfest! Video is of a 1994 playa performance.

* MADSTONE: Rock n' Roll meets Middle Eastern high tech. This mobile band will wend it's way through our encampment.

* THREE DAY STUBBLE: San Francisco's premier (indeed, only) exponents of Nerd Rock will again dazzle their numerous fans on Friday evening. Now that Madonna and Michael have fallen, only Donald and his polyester pants remain. [Video is from 1996 performance]

* SCOT SHEPPARD: High-tech pneumatic percussion instruments crafted from PVC.

* RAVE: SPAZ, Wicked, and many others will again mount a 72-hour session of non-stop trance dancing. Look for a 4-story tall tower, pulsating lasers, and other optical wonders. Your host: Turbo Ted. For further information call: (415) 255-4544. Click here for a report on 1995 by a member of Wicked Sound.

THEME CAMPS

It may yet be possible to feature your Theme Camp at our Central Circle. For information call Harley at (415) 522-9093. Our sole requirement is that your camp be interactive. Be ready to invite others into your fantasy.

* ART CAR CAMP: Art Cars of all kinds will converge on our camp from every corner of the nation. You too can have an art car. Bring your vehicle to the Art Car Workshop and convert that ordinary clunker into a unique object of truth and beauty.

* BIG FOOT PLAZA SHOPPING MALL: Once you enter Bigfoot Plaza you may never want to leave. Visit its many attractions: Crazy Yeti's Bowl-o-Rama, Ydnar's Shoe Oasis, Burnin' Babes Beauty Saloon, Sasquatch Cineplex, McCophony (short duration) Wedding Mill. Presented by the Portland Cacophony Society.

* DISGRUNTLED POSTAL WORKERS CAMP: The place to steer clear of unless you want your postage cancelled permanently.

* THE CATHEDRAL OF THE WHOLLY SACRED: The Cathedral will be a collective shrine to all things that you/we find sacred, always, for the weekend, or just for the heck of it. Bring objects or images that are sacred to you, to the Burning Man experience, or that you just think might be interesting to consider sacred for a few days. (Please keep objects smaller than a bread box. Everything will be returned. If you bring candles, please make them the Catholic/Santerian variety in glass. We want to invoke the Burning Man, not the Burning Tent.) For more info: e-mail: nash@sllip.net or call Nash at 415-647-1197.

* NYC PLAYGROUND: Crux Productions, Ltd., a Brooklyn-based performance company, proudly represents its hometown. Crawl through a chain link entryway, dodging cops, prostitutes, beggars, artists and other seedy New York types, to partake of the freedom of sailing (legs pumping, hair flying, mud flaking off...) towards the sky. Or just tag your name on the giant graffiti wall. * BIRTHDAY CAMP: Today is your birthday. Everyone who visits Birthday Camp is guaranteed a present.

* SAURINTOLOGY CAMP: Learn the arcane science of Saurintology. Get in touch with your Inner Dinosaur. Channel Dinosaurs. Dinosaur "Come as You Are Now" Party and Dinosaur channelling contest.

* WINTER WONDERLAND CAMP: Snow cones, Igloos, etc.: a soothingly frigid fantasy.

* ALGONQUIN ROUND TABLE CAMP: Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley invite you to the Algonquin Round Table Camp. Recreate America's greatest literary salon. Bon mots and martinis welcome. Big hats and 30's threads de riguer. Contact davidpd@well.com for more information.

* DREAM CIRCUS CAMP: Enter a metaphysical wonderland and assume a supernatural identity. See the Goddess-a-Go-Go show. Visit the Devil's Den. Participate in daily rituals of your own devising. Special featured performers, Tekachi, will appear with puppets, tribal drumming, and quantities of smoke. Surrender yourself to the inarguable logic of a dream.

* ELVIS' GRACELAND TEA TENT: Visit the Sacred Alter-Ego Altar or the sumptuous make-out room. Near the Red and White Circus Tent.

* CRUCIFIXION WITH A CELEBRITY: Be crucified with your choice of: the Energizer Bunny, Queen Elizabeth or Elvis.

* ANON SALON CAMP@desert.com : Joegh Bullock brings San Francisco's premier art salon to the desert. Featured appearance by Bishop Joey, avatar of St. Stupid. Wedding ceremonies (Universal Life), fiery projections, Internet connection, Elvis crucifixion, sculpture garden, and more. Participate in a Public Ritual (contribute strands of pubic hair to be sacrificed Sunday night in Burning Man's groin).

* XAOS CAMP: Like to stay up late at night and make loud noises? Chaos awaits. Location: far out in the NE quadrant of our camp. How far out depends on how chaotic things get.

* WHITE TRASH CAMP: Follow the smell of mayonnaise to that mighty fine yard filled with old appliances, hubcaps, and a car that's gonna get fixed someday.

* SHAKEDOWN STREET CAMP: Be transported to the parking lot at a Grateful Dead concert.

* THE CHURCH OF WARM NOIZE: An experiment in the creation and destruction of a religious order. Join us through the night for rituals of sound and noize by the members of the Church of Warm Noize Choir (members of Bay Area experimental music groups Nux Vomica, Big City Orchestre, Crawling with Tarts, Deathranch and more....). Stop by to confess your sins and be absolved by our self appointed clergy. Invoke the spirit of the Son of TV White Noize. Apply to become a member of this weekend long order, get married, or divorced, or help write the bible that rules the order. Lots of noize...no gods.

* CHECK POINT SALON: Master body painter Jason Norelli will decorate your body with Paleolithic patterns that evoke a tribal past. Sit, stand or jump for a provocative desert photo portrait by photographers Will Roger and Leo Nash. Check in point for all performers. Spontaneous performance.

* MacSATAN'S BEASTRO: (Hell's Kitchen) No tofu here. Enter through the golden arches ('Over 5 billion souls') and be greeted by your host: Papa Satan. Papa will accommodate your every need (including some needs you may not yet be aware of). Look also for the giant leering dachshund head (courtesy of the Dogminican Order). Papa Satan's is a fixture on the playa and has been giving convenience food a bad name since 1990. Special featured performer: Mike Boner - half pipe organ/half porcupine! Real food available.

* BITCHE WITCHE'S NICHE: Belly dancing and movement workshop.

* TIKI CAMP: Gather among the sheltering palms of this enchanting oasis. Banks of blenders will transform any liquor and juice you might bring into exotic tropical coolers. Stop by Friday night with your booze party donation.

* CROQUET CAMP: Enjoy this most civilized of sports on a regulation 60' X 40' gaming field.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

* BLACK ROCK TO BURNING MAN LONG DISTANCE RUN: Join in this officially registered run/walk. Participants will assemble at the Black Rock. First across the finish line (stretched between the legs of Burning Man) will receive a prize. For details, contact John at (707) 823-0590.

* PYRAMID OF THE CAMERA OBSCURA: Crawl through the mysterious passages of a labyrinth housed within the pyramid to discover it's central chamber. Here a hidden lens projects a vivid panorama of the world outside upon a concave screen. Based on a design first conceived by Leonardo Da Vinci.

* BOCCE BALL: While visiting our Central Camp cafe ask for the loan of bocce balls. A regulation court is located nearby.

* ANNUAL DESERT FASHION SHOW: Plan to attend our 4th annual desert fashion show. We welcome designers and designs of any kind, individuals who come dressed in elaborate or simple costumes, or others who get inspired spontaneously. An overarching theme of this years show is LIGHT- sunlight, moonlight, bathroom light, reflected and refracted light, any sort of light at all. Attend the show on Sunday afternoon. All costumed participants are welcome.

* JAVA COW: The Java Cow, bovine guardian of the playa, will again arise with the dawn. Assemble before the Man on Sunday morning, your favorite cup in hand, to receive a libation. "Do you want cream and sugar in your coffee?" Most emphatically, "No!". You will want it black." Witness the Sun traverse the spine of Burning Man and exit the through the top of his head.

* BURNING SCULPTURE WORKSHOP: Design and build an effigy of your own and we will burn it. Bring your own materials (we'll supply fuel) or use those cached at Central Camp.

* SOLAR OVEN POTLUCK: Calling all solar cooker chefs - potluck Saturday 6:00 PM. Call Dan for details at 415 621-1270 or check the camp bulletin board.

1995 Art Installations

Camera Obscura

by: Chris de Monterey

A labyrinth housed within a white pyramid leads to a central chamber where a hidden lens projects a vivid panorama of the world outside upon a concave screen.

Fire Lingam

by: Pepe Ozan

Pepe’s third lingam is a 30′ tall earthen chimney surrounded by several small lingams with yonis at their bases, adorned by slithering serpent-like “linguini.”

It Came from Within

by: Vince Koloski

Neon tubing six inches above the playa surface forms a 135′ X 75′ line drawing.

Little Men

by: Steve Yonkman

Small multi-colored neon burning men and palm trees sprout from the playa.

Toyland

by: the LA Cacophony Society

In this realization of your fondest childhood dreams of destruction, happy elves operate erector-set crematoriums, stuffed animals smolder on rotisseries, and the funny little Jack-in-the-box spews fire.

Living up to their reputation, the Los Angeles Cacophony Society created another stellar display of twisted torment. It's hard not to howl at their Toyland diorama, a colorful and hallucinatory performance where grade school destruction fantasies and "combustible playthings" including stuffed animals on rotisseries and fire-spewing jack-in-the-boxes were immolated and destroyed in a hilarious, middle-class nightmare by costumed Toyland helpers." ~ Steven Parr, "Purified by Fire" 

Water Woman

by: Ray Cirino

A tall wooden female figure is the source of a shower, which sprays from between her legs.