Burning Man is named after the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy at the end of the annual eight-day experience. Kirchheimer first went to the Burning Man event in 1998 on assignment for a magazine, and has returned every year since.

"I was struck by the amazing artwork, interesting people, and surreal environment; the barren, featureless playa of the dry desert," he said.

"I've gone on assignment to Burning Man several times for Rolling Stone and other magazines."
Kirchheimer keeps going for a myriad of reasons. He described his interest in temporary spaces that aren't restricted by formal structures of control found in everyday society.

"I'm very interested in temporary autonomous zones (TAZ) and nontraditional, nonreligious spirituality. I also love surrealist art, which is probably my greatest visual influence. So it all comes together for me at Burning Man. And it's just a really great time," he said.

The phenomenon has become personal for him.

"There was all this fantastic art related to that," Kirchheimer said. "Of course, the theme was interpreted in very different, abstract ways, like the Big Rig Jig twisted truck sculpture, which makes for interesting photographs."

He hopes his art and tours will spread goodwill and the ideal of building a better society.

"I believe that the world needs new and progressive community models, and Burning Man is a fine example of social diversity and cooperation," Kirchheimer explained. "A key tenet that elevates Burning Man is the aspiration for a `gift economy,' where everybody gives each other what they need to survive and thrive in the harsh desert conditions, and by extension, in life itself."

He wants to return to a more simplistic, less materialistic culture, as seen in isolated parts of the world, where globalization hasn't completely remade the landscape.

"I hope to somehow capture the magic and dust of those unique times where spirituality, art, and the environment come together in a higher moment, and offer that to everybody through the pictures. At Burning Man, art is not an elite realm.

Everything is art and everyone is an artist, much like in tribal cultures," he said.

His interest in photography began after a trip to Mexico.

"I actually started kind of late; not until 1985, when I went to Mexico for a month. I had never picked up a real camera before, and I couldn't put it down."

Exposure to his work and themes has increased through the years with shows in numerous galleries. The audience for his work is as diverse as his subjects.

"I had two solo shows in Paris, which was really thrilling. I made a decision early on that I would try to consistently document the event, focusing on the fantastic art and surreal environment, so I've tried to adhere to that," he said.

Kirchheimer's fans are worldwide. On the edge of Paris, in a town called Créteil, schoolchildren were brought to the gallery to view the pictures, which was a new experience, he said. His Web site attracts about a thousand people each day from many countries, particularly Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Netherlands.

"`Burners' are obviously interested in the pictures, but I hope the pictures might be interesting to everybody," he explained. "The deputy mayor for culture of Créteil, France came to my show there in January and she asked lots of questions and loved the photos, and the Nevada Legislature ordered a big enlargement of an aerial photo that apparently hangs there. Even governments are interested in Burning Man!"
With years of experience in the magazine trade, he thinks of himself as more of a photojournalist than an artist. He works part-time as an editor and fact-checker for a national financial publication.

"I've worked for magazines since the late 1980s as a photographer and writer. Magazine journalism is my background," he said. "Not everything is perfect at Burning Man, and I've also photographed some difficult moments. I don't think artists are obligated to tell the truth, but journalists certainly are."