Today I watched a video of Siberian nomads assembling their tent-like homes up in the Arctic snow. Beautiful people making beautiful living spaces.
"The Nenet reindeer herders need to move their tent every few days throughout most of the year. Every time they migrate they must pack the whole tent away, drag it across the tundra on sledges, and erect it again in a fresh place, sometimes in temperatures of minus thirty degrees. Survival depends on working together as a team."
There is no art on their walls, of course, because their walls are art. The purpose of art in our "Western" culture is at least partially at all times to counteract the offensive ugliness of the rest of what we surround ourselves with. But if you are already surrounded on all sides by beauty, what would be the purpose of art? To tell stories, perhaps, or to record history? I suppose. But there seems to be no need for contemplative art. Their entire lifestyle is contemplative. Am I romanticizing? Perhaps.
In any case, I admire these people. You may find the video here, with more description of their life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gI6q4R8ih4
"The Nenet reindeer herders need to move their tent every few days throughout most of the year. Every time they migrate they must pack the whole tent away, drag it across the tundra on sledges, and erect it again in a fresh place, sometimes in temperatures of minus thirty degrees. Survival depends on working together as a team."
There is no art on their walls, of course, because their walls are art. The purpose of art in our "Western" culture is at least partially at all times to counteract the offensive ugliness of the rest of what we surround ourselves with. But if you are already surrounded on all sides by beauty, what would be the purpose of art? To tell stories, perhaps, or to record history? I suppose. But there seems to be no need for contemplative art. Their entire lifestyle is contemplative. Am I romanticizing? Perhaps.
In any case, I admire these people. You may find the video here, with more description of their life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gI6q4R8ih4
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