

Omphalos Lantern and Temple Oracle With the support of the variously talented members of Opera Camp,

Annie actually managed to make it happen...

Oracular encounters on the playa.

3-D shots were only taken during the day. We have three pages of those, and courtesy of a friend of Aramina's some painterly night shots of the culminating Oracle ritual Friday night. Omphalos 3D

Omphalos Oracle Ritual

People of Opera Camp 3D

Other Playa Sculptures 3D Pre-playa preparations



A professional welder, Robin was Annie's primary collaborator in building the Omphalos. Here he sits on the spot where, at night, the fire flamed.

Omphalos Acolytes selected Petitioners from the audience and guided them in their encounters with the Oracle.

During the ritual singers Kara and Jennie amplified the words of Petitioner and Oracle for the benefit of the audience. Here they dance with the sculpture's shadows at dusk, their shadows making the fabric behind them briefly transparent.

BM Org requires that an experienced fire marshal be involved in any playa art project involving elaborate fire. The Omphalos project was fortunate to be gifted with Balou.

Here Jennie plays with the flags created by Annalisa and Alison this year for the 'torchiers' Pepe Ozan created years ago for another Opera.

Linton, Jehanne and Raven at the gate to the labyrinth Alan built in front of the Omphalos. This is Raven's second BM--he was conceived at BM 2001.

Balou again in the foreground. Here we are preparing the long stretch of fabric that encircled the Omphlalos Lantern space.

Another under-construction image. By Sunday night, the Omphalos had lost its encircling veil. A neighboring Dreamcatcher sculpture can be seen in the distance. In the foreground, another Dreamcatcher, which had spent the week as the roof of Mahout's "Spirit Lair" space within Opera Camp, awaits transportation to the Temple of Honor. It was placed against the Temple and burned with it Sunday night.

Click here for night images of the Omphalos in flames