A GLOBAL SEARCH FOR WONDER: NATURE’S ART AND OUR STATE OF MIND
Join The Explorers Club on May 11 for a beautifully illustrated talk about nature’s ability to inspire awe, and the importance of these moments of wonder in an increasingly fragmented world.
In this talk, Jon McCormack MN ’23 explores the inherent artistry of the natural world across scales—from the minute and intimate to the vast and monumental. Moving between close observation and expansive perspective, he reveals patterns, textures, and abstracted forms that often go unnoticed in everyday life. The images invite viewers to slow down, look more carefully, and engage in a sustained form of attention that opens the door to wonder. Here, photography becomes both record and meditation, blurring the boundary between documentation and abstraction while fostering a deeper emotional connection to the living world.
The work draws from a decade-long project photographing nature across all seven continents. It reflects a commitment to seeing the natural world not simply as scenery, but as a dynamic, interconnected system shaped by time, scale, and fragility. By holding beauty and vulnerability side by side, the images encourage reflection on the complexity of the Earth—and on our shared responsibility to care for it.
In an age when the world feels endlessly photographed, it is fair to question the value of making yet more images of nature. Jon addresses this directly by framing the project around the experience of awe. Drawing on recent research in psychology, the talk explores how moments of awe can quiet our sense of self, expand our perception of connection, and increase our capacity for humility and care for others. By guiding viewers toward this emotional state, the work suggests that awe is not a luxury, but a vital psychological and social resource—one that may be especially necessary in an increasingly fragmented world.
