S1E8 | Snow
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Follow this link for a transcript of this episode.
Co-Hosted by Jennifer Gutman and Emma Reimers
In this week’s episode, the Art of Interference team explores the magic and allure of snow as a creative medium. We speak with international snow artist Simon Beck, whose large-scale snow-shoe drawings transform winter landscapes into geometric wonders. Environmental scientist George Duffy helps us to break down the science of snow and the various threats posed to snowy climes in an age of global warming. We reflect on the cultural impact of snow’s disappearance in Arctic regions and on the relationship between the plurality of snow as an atmospheric phenomenon and the vocabulary used to describe it. Most of all, we consider how snow’s capacity to transform the environment into a blank slate inspires all sorts of creative responses—it’s an ecological relationship that stirs our deepest memories of childhood play and instincts toward imaginative world-building.
Simon Beck’s snow art has been covered extensively in the media, but he maintains personal Facebook and Instagram accounts where you can view photographs of his drawings:
https://www.facebook.com/snowart8848/
https://www.instagram.com/simonbeck_snowart/?hl=en
Shelley Jackson’s “Snow” story is available on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/snowshelleyjackson/?hl=en
Here’s a link to Rebecca Thomassie’s 2019 documentary “Names for Snow,” produced by Wapikoni Mobile: https://aeon.co/videos/yes-the-inuit-have-dozens-of-words-for-snow-but-what-does-each-one-mean-exactly
Read more about Finish environmental researcher Panu Pihkala’s taxonomy for climate grief related to winters here: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200402-climate-grief-mourning-loss-due-to-climate-change
