Juan Downey: Energy anthropologist and artist

ShabanoYanomami.jpg
ShabanoYanomami.jpg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I really like this guy’s stuff. A self proclaimed “energy anthropologist” this video artist travelled deep into South America to find a primal, invisible forms of energy which he documented. Juan Downey, like all the best avant-gardists going right back to the 19th century, had a utopian streak.  He spent seven years traveling back and forth between the United States and South America, where he visited isolated communities in Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile, recording aspects of daily life with a video camera, then playing his recordings back to other communities. In 1976 and ’77, Downey took his wife, Marilys, and his stepdaughter, Elizabeth (Titi), deep into the Amazon. From the Guahibos in Central Orinoco, they canoed upriver to Mavaca and Tayari ,where for half a year they lived among the Yanomami people. Downey documented their lives. He became fascinated in particular by a structure, the “shabono,’’ made from thatched palm leaves or wood and with a hole in the middle, that could shelter several hundred people.

A trailblazer with a utopian streak – Boston.com.

gringoes.com: great site for South American, Brazilian nomads

English: de:Bild:Brasilien_topo.jpg
English: de:Bild:Brasilien_topo.jpg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

gringoes.com – Brazil Travel, Brazil Guide, Brazil News.

The fountain of youth is in Vilcabamba, Ecuador

English: I took this photo while visiting Vilc...
English: I took this photo while visiting Vilcabamba in 2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Every so often a new one springs up. However this town in Ecuador which was noted by anthropologists to feature a high number of centenarians in good health may be the real deal. The secret? Totally pure air, water and diverse fruits, veggies and herbs along with a physically active, low stress, community based lifestyle, mild climate, and minimal hospital based medicine.

A fabled valley – Boston.com.

gringoes.com – Brazil Travel, Brazil Guide, Brazil News

Brazil: Muriqui Hills
Brazil: Muriqui Hills (Photo credit: Rhys Asplundh)

gringoes.com – Brazil Travel, Brazil Guide, Brazil News.