Jewelry of Burning Man

"Burning Man is an annual temporary community in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada celebrating creativity and self-expression. It's also the word's largest outdoor art gallery, featuring hundreds of art installations scattered across a barren, prehistoric lakebed known as a playa. . . The lakebed slumbers for eleven months and twenty-one days of the year, inhabited by hibernating Branchinecta gigas, also know as "fairy shrimp". But for one week at the end of August, Black Rock explodes into life with nearly seventy thousand participants who gather from around the globe to attend Burning Man." The Jewelry of Burning Man provides a fascinating exploration into the world of this annual gathering through the stunning photographs by George Post and the compelling stories of the author Karen Christians; the editor, curator, and historian Christine Kristen; and the many other outstanding artists profiled in the book. Told in the first person, each heartfelt story reveals the maker's inspirations and deep connection to Burning Man and its community. The book captures the culture and ethos of Burning Man through the rich variety of artistic expressions and the sharing of the practice of "gifting". The jewelry brought to and made at Burning Man is shared through gifting - it is not bought or sold - in fact there is nothing sold on the playa except ice, coffee, and cold drinks. Gifting is the second of the ten principles of Burning Man and an extraordinary practice given the consumerism of the US culture in general. As Burners themselves, the creators of this fascinating book tell the stories from the inside. This gift book is a wonderful read and a visual pleasure for anyone interested in the culture of Burning Man, in the ways jewelry reflects that culture, and in jewelry fabrication and design.