The People of Burning Man [Hardcover]

Julian Cash (Author), Jackie Cash (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 18, 2011

Close to a decade of studio images taken at Burning Man. Many of the images celebrate joy and life. Others were created to confront social rules that need to be challenged. Many of the photographs grew from this simple conversation: How do you want the world to be different? which was followed with Let s create an image which will help bring forth that change. A book can not hope to fully satisfy the need to express what you feel passionate about, on this cultural canvas we call Burning Man. Nothing can do it justice - you really had to be there, and that is true of every year. But I hope that we have done a reasonable job of documenting the amazing spirit of personal possibility; I hope we've been able to show the sharing of inspiration and how human connection is profound and how true liveliness can become a part of you, so that you carry it everywhere, a glowing ember in your heart. More than anything, I hope this book will spread that joy in places and hearts that cannot, for whatever reason, visit Black Rock City and play in its streets.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Mesmerizing! A visually glorious, fun, sexy celebration. Socially challenging and rejuvenating. Some of the best photography you'll ever experience. --Dr. Annie Sprinkle Ph.D.; Sex Activist *** Having watched Julian Cash at work, I remain baffled. Exactly how does he elicit these effects? The man is a magician. --Larry Harvey, Burning Man founder *** I found myself laughing and clapping as I turned the pages. It is as close to a 'Burning Man Bible' as we're likely to ever have. --John Halcyon Styn

Having watched Julian Cash at work, I remain baffled. Exactly how does he elicit these effects? The man is a magician. --Larry Harvey, Burning Man founder

I found myself laughing and clapping as I turned the pages. It is as close to a 'Burning Man Bible' as we're likely to ever have. --John Halcyon Styn

About the Author

Julian is the photographer of The People of Burning Man book. The book is very much a collaboration of many almost surreally skilled and wondrous friends. Since a very early age Julian was immersed in the most creative of cultures. Julian spent his youth in Greenwich village in New York City, a commune in Middleburg New York, and in Woodstock New York. His father Sydney Cash is a sculptor. His mother Loree is a painter, children's book author, and photographer. His sister Megan Cash is an illustrator and children's book author. His wife and love of 16 years, Jackie Cash, is a writer and cartoonist. She has been an integral collaborator in Julian's photography career. At age three Julian was at the Woodstock festival. He appears in the movie about the festival in several places. At age 9 Julian and his sister were featured in a fashion shoot on the cover of the New York Times Magazine. At age 10, the San Francisco Bay Guardian showed Julian operating a small business with his sister. By age 12 he began his photography career. Julian shot, developed, and printed self portraits and photographs of his friends posing and playing. "I still take the same type of photos that I took when I was 12", says Julian. "It's the technique that I've spent my life refining." Growing up, Julian was heavily influenced by five professional photographers who were all close friends of the Cash family. Julian took photographs throughout his young life. Julian attended Rochester Institute of Technology, which has one of the finest photography departments in the country. Julian moved from New York to San Francisco after college. As well as being a professional photographer, Julian is an illustrator, a cartoonist, a computer programmer, and very much enjoys project management.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Union Artist Press; First mass published edition edition (July 18, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 061546954X
• ISBN-13: 978-0615469546
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #797,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Love! Love! Love! August 16, 2011

By Skipper Kim

Format:Hardcover

This book warms my creative, expressive, skipping soul! As a 14-time Burning Man participant, even a quick flip through its pages takes me back to the life-changing and heart opening experiences I have had at Burning Man throughout the years. I am eternally grateful to author/photographer Julian Cash for all of the time, energy, and love he has clearly poured into this project. This book oozes with creative goodness! Highly recommended.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars How do you select six stars here? August 20, 2011

By Sudden Disruption

Format:Hardcover

This will be my 10th year on the playa, and I have a LOT of Burner books - most of them I think. Yes, this book is only about the people of Burning Man. There's no sweeping mega-art here. Fortunately, people are at least half of what makes Burning Man burn. And this photographer (who I'd never heard of before) obviously "gets it".

Here's what I mean. Most of the Burner books follow the lead of the ORG, in that they clean up their act (and those in their images) so as not challenge the sensibilities of the average American. This editing for public consumption means they produce a watered-down version of what happens on the playa. Hell, some of them don't even include nudity, and believe me, nudity IS part of the Burner experience. But that's minor. There is so much more that often gets excluded. This is absurd (and not in a good way) when radical INclusion is what Burning Man is all about.

Burning Man is a physical expression of all those weird websites you find on the internet. You can think of it as the internet coming to life in all it's various forms. It's ABOUT people pushing not only personal limits, but literally the limits in each art form. THIS is exactly what Julian Cash "gets".

It's as if he carefully studied each subject to understand what they were bringing to the event, and only THEN picked the lens, angle and lighting to capture it. Yes, there's some Photoshopping here, and he takes liberties in all kinds of ways, but it always seems to be in the interest of the subject, NOT the photographer. And it's rare to find a photographer who will let his own ego drop away in the interest of his subject's. I can only think this aspect is Julian's gift to the playa.

Thank you Julian. I hope to thank you in person one day.

If you wish to own only one Burner book, this is it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars BRILLIANT! August 19, 2011

By H3R3TIC

Format:Hardcover

It is nearly impossible to describe Burningman, but thank the gods that Julian Cash has been documenting the very thing that makes it so special: the people!

This is a tribe of some of the most creative and imaginative artists, musicians, philosophers and even playful miscreants the world has to offer. This a movement about fun. A rejection of doing things solely for personal gain and profit. To that extent - many of the images in this book will be, to the uninitiated - shocking. And that's exactly why you should buy it! Julian beautifully captures the creative spirit of some of the most expressive members of the Burningman group - and does so with a professional and seasoned eye. Each page is full of thought-provoking poses and collections of magical moments that so greatly transcend the normal studio photography experience, you can literally see true emotion in the faces of those pictured. This is not simply a book for Burners. This is a book for anyone who wants to reconnect with the kid inside themselves. To remember what it was like to be free, happy, and loved - for who you really are. Bravo Super Snail.