Gary Draluck | Burning Man

Photo © Gary Draluck-All Rights Reserved

"Trying to explain what Burning Man is to someone who has never been to the event is a bit like trying to explain what a particular color looks like to someone who is blind." www.burningman.com

For those who are not familiar with Burning Man (I had heard of it, and seen some of its photographic coverage, but not much more),  Gary Draluck attended the festivals a few times and features many of his candid photographs on his website. It will give you an excellent overview of this unique festival, which rivals many others in terms of exoticism. Having viewed Gary's photo essay makes me wonder if the Burning Man is not our reply to India's Kumbh Mela.

The Burning Man is a week-long annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada. The event begins on the last Monday in August, and ends on the first Monday in September, coinciding with the American Labor Day holiday.

It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on the week's Saturday evening. It's described by many participants as an experiment in community, art, radical self-expression, and radical self-reliance.

I met Gary during the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop in Chiang Mai last summer. He's a California-based photographer, and is enamored by tango (as I am).