One of the great things about Road-Tripping through the United States, is discovering the diversity in it’s geography and history as you’re driving by. The Mid-West is home to some of the most stunning states, not least of which is New Mexico or the Land of Enchantment!
Taos is a very unique and inspiring place. Located in the northern part of New Mexico, Taos city is the result of the cultural mix between the Tiwa Indegineous people and Spanish colonizers. To this day, Taos is associated with the art scene, with it’s numerous galleries, events and has been rendered numerous times by famous artists such as Ansel Adams.
Just outside the city centre is the home of the Indigenous Tiwa people, El Pueblo, also known as the oldest continually inhabited place in North America. The Tiwa where known to be a peaceful society and when they were forced to deal with the invaders, they adopted an approach that they call Passive Resistance. This was a strategy to try and smooth out the confrontation by allowing cultural mixes. This is also the reason why the city has adopted the traditional architecture of adobe constructions and why christian signs such as a church and a cemetery can be found in El Pueblo.
A little out of town and yet another surprise awaits… the Earthships! These houses made of recycled materials were originally conceptualized by Micheal Reynolds. In addition to not producing new materials, these constructions combine southern exposure and thermal masse retention to maximise solar energy as a source of heat. These houses have been a source of inspiration for people looking to live an alternative lifestyle where natural elements are considered as non disposable. Today, their community has grown to approximately 600 acres and what a site of creativity!
Between the sustainable Earthships and the absolute absence of modern technology in El Pueblo, the values in and around Taos only seemed inherent to that of the Bolex! The film stock used was expired and thus came out slightly under-exposed as it had lost some of it’s sensitivity…
