Current TV’s coverage of Burning Man 2007 via TV Free Burning Man has been exceptional this year. They have been uploading a bunch of great videos (which they call pods) throughout the week, including an excellent segment on David Best, who for years has been building giant temples at Black Rock City which are burned on Sunday night. This year David worked with Tim Dawson in creating the beautiful “Temple of Forgiveness”, one of the art projects funded by Burning Man this year.
This year’s temple features four grand entrance halls that converge onto a central altar. Above the altar the open tower projects to the sky, letting the energy flow dynamically through the structure. As you approach, you see the central tower rising above the flanking entrance halls; at the top are long curving beams that reflect the arc of the sky. Clad with intricately cut and layered wood, the Temple is a vehicle for remembrances and blessings, promises and forgiveness.
In 2005 David Best built a temple on the Hayes Green area in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley with public art funding from The San Francisco Arts Commission and The Black Rock Arts Foundation.
