February 12, 2021David Best

Born California, USA, 1945

David Best is an internationally acclaimed American sculptor. He originally trained in sculpture at the San Francisco Institute of Art and his practice includes sculpture and collage using found objects such as the skeletons of old cars and recycled wood.

He is best known for his extraordinary, cathartic temples ritually sent up in flames as part of Nevada’s annual Burning Man festival. Made from recycled wood, Best’s soaring Temple structures are built with the help of hundreds of volunteers. His Temples have taken on a spiritual significance as spaces for remembrance and forgiving and are ritually burnt to the ground at the end of Burning Man, along with personal messages, mementos and offerings left inside by participants.

In 2015 Artichoke worked with Best in Derry~Londonderry, Northern Ireland to produce Temple, a temporary public artwork to encourage the local community to let go of the past and look to the future.