{"id":17443,"date":"2026-06-13T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/holistic.news\/en\/?p=17443"},"modified":"2026-06-11T10:10:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T08:10:09","slug":"wealth-and-poverty-in-the-usa-desert-art-and-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/holistic.news\/en\/wealth-and-poverty-in-the-usa-desert-art-and-life\/","title":{"rendered":"USA Through Desert Landscapes: The Juxtaposition of Wealth and Poverty"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Across the American wastelands with a painter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It was April. In California<\/strong>, the heat was starting to build, and without air conditioning in the car, it felt like hell. Add the strong winds and cold nights, and the desert revealed its harshness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was accompanied by my friend Adam Shaw, an American painter of Jewish heritage. Born in New York, his grandparents had emigrated from a small village near \u0141om\u017ca, Poland, before World War II. Had they not left, Adam would not exist \u2014 the Nazis exterminated all Jewish inhabitants of his grandparents\u2019 hometown. At home, Adam never heard Polish and never learned the language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adam dedicated his life to structural painting<\/strong>, specializing to the point of being considered one of the finest artists in creating large-scale, layered oil paintings. Completing a single painting can take over a decade \u2014 a fascinating, almost alchemical process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Karina Obara<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

People and nature<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We set out into the American desert to explore and better understand the rich colors and textures of the landscape. Nothing is better for structural painters. The lush desert flora, canyons, unique rock formations, skies, succulents, and trees \u2014 the pulse of the earth, the freshness of perception \u2014 all became part of our journey from the Sierra Mountains, where Adam lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along the way, we visited national parks: Zion Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Glen Canyon<\/strong>, with rocks rising like cathedrals carved by nature \u2014 sandstone in reds, crimsons, burgundy, and dozens of shades of yellow and ochre. Lakes once abundant with fish supported the Native Americans, who now, confined to reservations, often merely survive rather than live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The poverty of Native Americans is one face of wealth and poverty in the USA<\/strong> \u2014 monumental landscapes on one side, subsistence on the other. Poverty allows only for the purchase of cheap, highly processed food. Lack of employment fosters moral and social degradation. Obesity is widespread, alcoholism passes from generation to generation, and efforts to improve welfare have limited success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

America \u2014 not a myth \u2014 operates on what Donald Trump<\/a><\/strong> calls \u201chaving good cards in hand.\u201d What cards do Native Americans have, stripped of their natural resources and confined to reservations? They sell trinkets, some jewelry, and a few young people try to make it in cities, but few achieve lasting success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Karina Obara<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Wealth and poverty in the USA: where art meets destitution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We drove for several days, passing vast green spaces where cattle grazed \u2014 purebred, shiny, majestic. No European meadows or highlands compare.<\/strong> The road looked brand new, as if built yesterday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes mountains capped with snow surrounded us; other times, vast rock formations or endless sands stretched to the horizon. Roadside diners appeared, staffed by toothless yet cheerful waitresses, never complaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wherever we stopped \u2014 lodging, shops, caf\u00e9s, pubs, restaurants, gas stations \u2014 people showed kindness, even the poorest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I felt that Americans behave as if Ralph Waldo Emerson\u2019s words were embedded in their DNA<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Courtesy is like an air cushion. It seems like nothing, yet it keeps you safe.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In a country still threatened by terrorism \u2014 external and internal, as social inequalities produce derelicts \u2014 a sense of security is vital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poverty, fear, and hope in Trump<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Stories reminiscent of Truman Capote\u2019s In Cold Blood<\/em> are not rare. Many people are allowed to carry firearms, especially in remote areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In villages visible from highways, the scene is different \u2014 seemingly abandoned by God and man, in Arizona and New Mexico<\/strong>. Small clusters of trailers sit in the middle of the desert, often attached to rickety cars to move when necessary in search of work. Moving appears almost a cultural code for the poorest: they take what they need and go wherever opportunity leads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In these poorest places, large banners glorify Donald Trump. To the locals, he is a savior who can turn desert sand into gold. The impoverished, as well as business owners focused solely on wealth accumulation, place their hopes in him, all saying the same: \u201cWe want a better future for our children. Previous leaders failed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Santa Fe \u2014 city of art and toothless musicians<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We arrived in the aspen forests of Utah<\/strong>, a painterly paradise. Touching, smelling, imagining shades of white and gray in our minds, nearly three-dimensional. Trees bore marks of cuts, as if marking paths or performing subtle rituals<\/strong>. The air was lighter, invigorating, and the earth smelled of resin, fragile and alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, we reached Santa Fe, New Mexico<\/strong> \u2014 the culmination of a journey through wealth and poverty in the USA. A city where top-tier art<\/a> galleries exist alongside musicians missing front teeth. How can a city of 70,000 sustain over 350 galleries? Perhaps tradition. Want to buy a painting? Go to Santa Fe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, you find everything \u2014 figurative, abstract, and eclectic collages.<\/strong> Cuisine reflects Pueblo Indian influences, drawing tourists. Even the food is considered art: all dishes made from natural ingredients, with every small eatery protecting the city\u2019s culinary reputation. In Santa Fe, you cannot eat badly or hear bad music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We attended a concert. The singer, thin, dark-skinned, with a powerful voice and missing front teeth, performed jazz at a New Orleans level. Musicians collected tips in a hat. \u201cThe club never pays,\u201d said Jim, smiling and revealing his missing teeth. They paused every few songs to interact with the audience outside. The singer smoked sparingly \u2014 a cigarette lasting three breaks. \u201cI save,\u201d he winked. \u201cCigarettes are expensive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Karina Obara<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why wealth and poverty in the USA coexist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Guitarist David showed me his new cowboy boots: \u201cI paid $200 for these,\u201d he said proudly. Such shoes symbolize prestige. \u201cLife is tough here,\u201d he added, asked if he hoped the new president would change his fate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I didn\u2019t vote at all. I trust no one anymore. Everyone failed<\/strong>. We must survive on our own. We have music; many have nothing. Only humiliation. Watching Trump, I\u2019m glad I didn\u2019t fall for it again. Shameful. Only the rich got richer.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Many musicians thrive here; painters fare better, especially if an art dealer supports them. Yet careers yielding financial security and a home are rare. Adam is lucky: he can rent a house, has a pension, and occasionally sells paintings to live decently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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