FIRE GUARDIANS

 

Artica traditionally ends with the burning of the big wooden effigy, traditionally Our Lady of Artica but modified for this year’s new location. The organization takes fire safety very seriously - it has to. Permits are required from the city fire department and one of their big pumper trucks is always on standby. There has to be insurance. There is a group of well-trained volunteers in full protective gear to manage it all.              

Conflagration

As noted earlier, the Sunday night of Artica ends with the immolation of a wooden effigy, Our Lady of Artica. The central figure is essentially the same every year but the details and surroundings vary. I liked this year's version with the multiple arms/flags suggesting a Hindu deity and the halo-like structure surrounding all of it. 

These pix could be better. I was seated some distance away and didn't have a tripod. What was scary was that part way through the burn a gust of wind blew up from the northwest, sending a blast of fire toward the crowd on the right of the lower picture. The crew were all in professional fire protection suits and several members of the STL fire department were on hand. Still, I'm told that some of the audience had a wow, cool man attitude and didn't clear out quickly. Fortunately, no one was hurt.                             

Burn

Artica's grand finale: Our Lady of Artica is put to the torch and reduced to ashes. The crowd gathers in a circle outside the fire control perimeter, gapes in wonder and eventually starts to dance and chant, revolving around the blaze.

In the end, nothing is left but cooling embers. The crowd drifts away. Very Buddhist.    

Embers

As the fire at the end of Artica slowly died, the spectators formed a circle and walked or danced around it. In the end there were just embers and the eerie illuminated fin atop the Four Seasons Hotel floating above them.          

Bonfire

Artica ends with a bonfire on Sunday night. It is usually some kind of human figure, like at Burning Man. It's been an angel recently. This year the artists and carpenters who make the structure collapsed the form into a circle and lattice, incorporating the angel's wings into the structure and spray painted onto the front.

It's interesting to observe the stages of the pyre: wings of fire growing into a disk, engulfing the whole structure until it collapses among the viewers.  

Bonfires 8, 9 and 10

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I keep learning things about my city because I must wander around with my camera to feed the monster. In a corner of Forest Park, the Parks Department puts out big steel drums in a picnic area at this time of year. News to me. They also provide cardboard boxes of firewood wrapped in plastic sheeting. I'm sure you need a permit. It would be great to come back and shoot this when several fires are going at the same time.

One week from today, December 13, will be STL DPB's 1,000th post. Come back to see the new header (about time) and, if the Force is with me, an appropriate image.

42 DAYS OF FAME DEPARTMENT: the opening reception of the SEEN 2009 photography competition and show was held last night at Studio Altius. There were 84 images in 15 categories. To my amazement and delight, I won second place in architecture with a picture of San Francisco's Transamerica Building in fog, first place in children with my photo of five stairstep siblings at the Mitrata Children's Home in Kathmandu and first place in portraits with a shot of my mother-in-law's next door neighbor, Ray, with his 1929 Model A. Woo hoo! Somebody get me an agent, stat. The show is on view until January 16.