The Green Art of Burning Man 2007 – More Symbolic than Sustainable

Burning Man’s Green Man theme for 2007 inspired environmental art that was far more symbolic than sustainable. For example, the Crude Awaking installation was blown up in a giant mushroom cloud in order to ‘dramatize the worshipful relationship and dependence modern man has toward oil’. I can only imagine the amount of fuel it took to haul, install, and blow up a 99 foot oil derrick.


A favorite installation of mine was the wondrous Big Rig Jig by Mike Ross, which featured 2 oil tanker trucks in perfect acro-yogic balance. The Green Art of Burning Man 2007   More Symbolic than Sustainable

The highly interactive swinging monkeys installation was another favorite of mine.

 The Green Art of Burning Man 2007   More Symbolic than Sustainable

A troupe of child-sized monkeys were suspended from a merry-go-round wheel, at the base of which a set of congo drums was placed, inviting visitors to beat upon them in reckless abandon. Surrounding the merry-go-round was a ring of bikes. With several people rapidly peddling, the wheel begins to spin, and rapidly flashing strobe lights create the illusion that the monkeys are swinging overhead from bar to bar.

Of the art cars I saw this year, 2 are dear to my heart.

bm bone tree The Green Art of Burning Man 2007   More Symbolic than Sustainable
Photo courtesy of Duane Flatmo

Duane Flatmo’s latest Kinetic Sculpture, the pedal-powered Armored Carp, is made entirely of welded baking pans and other pieces of scrap metal also shoots flames.

armored carp

The solar-powered Daisy (owned by the Cunninhams and friends) was an oversized tricycle with sails and a horn that sounded like a loud, drawn-out cow-fart provided an afternoon of entertainment and photo opps.

 The Green Art of Burning Man 2007   More Symbolic than Sustainable

Elena Cunningham

 The Green Art of Burning Man 2007   More Symbolic than Sustainable

John Cunningham

To see more Burning Man photography, visit my Green Man 2007 Set on Flickr.

[tags]burning man 2007, green man 2007, eco-art, crude awakening, big rig jig, mike ross, daisy, elena cunningham, john cunningham, duane flatmo, armored carp, kinetic sculpture, lorna li[/tags]

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One Response to “The Green Art of Burning Man 2007 – More Symbolic than Sustainable”

  1. marijuana art Says:

    this is some awesome awsome artwork and sculptures are beautiful. i am really into Duane Flatmo’s work. Great post!

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