Of Rock, Clouds and Soil (2026)
[On wonders regarding the wilderness, the sublime and
the garden ]
In this thesis I explore how wonder can help us think beyond our established perspectives. particularly through the concepts of the wilderness, the sublime and the garden. By combining philosophy, literature, photography and personal reflections, I reflect on the relationship between humans and the natural world.
I focus on philosophers such as Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant for their thoughts on the sublime. The literature works of William Cronon, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Mary Oliver and Nan Shepherd provide me with new ways to talk about the separation between humans and the natural world, while the work of scientist James Lovelock provides a new way forward. At the same time, the visual works of Thomas Struth and Noémie Goudal show wonder through photography. Throughout the thesis, I've woven in quotes from my favorite authors, who find the right words when I cannot.
[On wonders regarding the wilderness, the sublime and
the garden ]
In this thesis I explore how wonder can help us think beyond our established perspectives. particularly through the concepts of the wilderness, the sublime and the garden. By combining philosophy, literature, photography and personal reflections, I reflect on the relationship between humans and the natural world.
I focus on philosophers such as Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant for their thoughts on the sublime. The literature works of William Cronon, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Mary Oliver and Nan Shepherd provide me with new ways to talk about the separation between humans and the natural world, while the work of scientist James Lovelock provides a new way forward. At the same time, the visual works of Thomas Struth and Noémie Goudal show wonder through photography. Throughout the thesis, I've woven in quotes from my favorite authors, who find the right words when I cannot.
Ultimately, I argue that wonder can be a counterforce to th e human-dominant perspective, challenging the binary separation between humans and the natural world. Through wonder, the wilderness, the sublime and the garden become spaces where we can embrace, care and coexist in the world we are part of.
See here the project ‘ The Looking Garden’ related to this thesis.
See here the project ‘ The Looking Garden’ related to this thesis.