A massive, ornate building, often featuring pillars, archways, and balconies appears like a mirage in the Black Rock Desert once a year: the temple. The Burning Man Project describes it as a safe space where Burners from far and wide can express themselves. For the duration of the week, it stands nearby The Man.
For well over a decade, Bentley Meeker has traveled across the country from New York to attend Burning Man and experience the art - including the temple.
"It amazes me what people can do for no reason at all, and it's worth flying across the continent for," he told 2 News Nevada.
Meeker is a lighting artist by trade, and over the years he's combined his passion for ornate lighting installations with his heart for Burning Man. He was on the team that created the lighting for the 2011 Temple of Transition, 2013 Temple of Whollyness, and the 2015 Temple of Promise.
"A lot of people would come to me and tell me that it was like they were drawn to it like a candle," he said. "I believe that there's a certain soul recognition that we have around certain kinds of light. The exploration of that is kind of like my life's work."
Meeker is at Burning Man this year strictly as an attendee - not working on the lighting for the temple. But he says he'll still be creating art with the light installations at his own campground - a "rockin' DJ set."
