W O N D E R

Kate Hunter

UNEARTHING
SEQUESTERED
C UR I O S I T Y

THANK YOU
to nate
who is not afraid to use inspiration as a learning tool
and to my parents
for letting me be that crazy kid who wielded dandilion seeds as
if it were fairy dust

PREFACE

If I had influence with the good fairy

who is supposed to preside over the
christening of all children I should ask
that her gift to each child in the world
be a sense of wonder so indestructible
that it would last throughout life,
as an unfailing antidote against the
boredom and disenchantments of later
years, the sterile preoccupation with
things that are artificial, the alienation
from the sources of our strength.
Rachel Carson

As characters in this narrative of the world, humans have become
dominators and passive observers simultaneously. Our role in nature has
changed as we have come to enter a pace that coincides with that of capitalistic time. It is a pace in which movies, rapid image exposure and television, in their condensed narrative, become the norm of our perception. We
have come to see everything in condensed modes of communication. But,
I believe that we cannot have genuine experiences at this anticipated, and
often actualized, pace. To truly engage with our life and our environment
we must accept the beauty of reality and the pace at which that reality is
presented to us by nature. We must learn to engage in wonder in order to
experience that which the world yearns so long to share with us: the joy of
living, the joy of sensing.

ABSTRACT

TABLE
OF
CONTENTS

METHODOLOGY
interviews
an experiential experiment
traditional research
INTRODUCTION
what is wonder
where has it gone
THE FADING OF WONDER
technology as a mindful hindrance
the simulated world
interlude one
case study: the curiosity cabinet
changing social dynamics
interlude two
RESURGENCE OF WONDER
preamble
land art: a fight for wonder
zen buddhism
the situationists international
HEURISTIC INQUIRY
introduction
arrival
later in the evening
morning
post retreat: the experiment continues
conclusions
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
as landscape architects
projected future
SOURCES CITED
LIST OF FIGURES

A B ST R ACT

We all recall restorative moments of extraordinary connection
to the environment -for instance, the acknowledgment of a small beetle
resting under the cover of your porch in a rainstorm. Our society has
encountered a deficit in regards to this sense of wonder. Through the
study of articles, interviews and personal observation, the following thesis
aims to reveal factors that inhibit peoples sense of wonder, accompanied
by a second aspect of study which will look into various philosophies,
initiatives, and lifestyles which have enabled a rekindling of this cognitive
and sensual experience. The findings are presented using textual and
visual components. Through the wide range of processes of gathering
this information, the intent of this thesis was to discover a method of
restoring the individuals sense of wonder. My hopes are that the results of
this paper may rustle a desire within the reader to strengthen connections
with their surroundings and foster a more whimsical and genuine
interaction with our world.

JULIAN WARRING
4th Year Landscape Architecture Student

I feel like a chuckle after experiences like

that. Here I am slaving away in studio and
there those leaves are out there falling off
the trees onto the ground. Yet both of those
things, my studying and the leaves falling,
are equally as important as the other.
Wonder for me is almost not wondering,
wonder for me is accepting. Appreciating
something so beautiful I dont want to
know how it works.

METHODOLOGY

The very ability to appreciate this

uncluttered time, the uses of the
useless, often seems to be evaporating,
as does appreciation of being outsideincluding outside the familiar; mobile
phone conversations seem to serve
as a buffer against solitude, silence
and encounters with the unknown.
Rebecca Solnit

Wonder is not easily categorized or defined due to the ephemerality
and multiplicity of experiences between people. From the place one goes
to connect sensually to their environment, to the head space they assume
when approaching wonder, the practices of wondering are carried out in
varied manners in different people. Wonder, I have decided through my
research, is not of a homogeneous nature. It is something that is fluid and
fleeting like the pause of a minnow by ones toe; as soon as you notice its
light presence, it flits back into the blue.
Interviews

It is because of wonders dynamic personality that I felt the need
to expose myself to various aspects of its existence in this world. This
includes some accounts of personal experience as well as self-conducted
interviews. These interviews were a way for me declare a state of holistic
commitment to this topic, as well as peoples experiences with it. Based on
a refined set of questions I have conducted multiple interviews with people
in my life. The basic questions remained the same between each interviewee, yet I ensured enough time was given to maintain a relaxed flow of
conversation, allowing for new revelations and recollection of old reflections from each participant.

The interviews are placed sporadically throughout this thesis, unexpected and pleasant -like encounters of wonder.
An Experiential Experiment

The mentally demanding nature of university has the ability to
exhaust ones curiosity and extract the passion out of aspects of life that
exists outside of a textbook. Due to the intensity of my time commitment
to school this semester, my regular creative endeavours and wanderings
seemed to occur at a less frequent interval than usual. Upon reflection midway through the semester it occurred to me that such diligent work habits
were hindering the embodiment of my subject of study in my everyday life.
I took it upon myself to participate in an experiment to attempt to engage
in a deep state of wonder by placing myself in a restorative environment
for 24 hours. The results of my research were much more valuable to my
progress than ever predicted. Due to my recent explorations into the to the
processes and workings of wonder in our society I was able to place myself
in ideal settings in order to enter into mindful states. This was followed
by analytical and reflective writings on my experiences that facilitated my
deeper understanding of all aspects of my research on wonder.

To invest oneself wholeheartedly in the research of wonder,
one must understand it from a very deep level -from the very root of its

METHODOLOGY

Everything is very ordinary in

Llangollen; everything is nicely
dull, except the summer world of
wind and feathers, leaves and water.
There is, if you are deaf, blind,
dumb, with a heart like cold bread
pudding, nothing to remark surprise.
Tristan Gooley

existence in the soul. Once this comprehension had been realized, then one
is able to understand this theory in the context of society. This research
approach I partook in is a method called heuristic inquiry. This method
is used by psychologists to understand categories of human experience.
One of the major contributors to the foundations of this method was
Clark Moustakas. Investigation of phenomenology was one his major
contributions. With the experiences of phenomenology and wonder, many
correlations seemed to exist and thus it seemed that one of the most
mentally productive contributions I could make with this investigation
was to experience it myself. This excerpt from Moustakass book Heuristic
Research: Design, Methodology, and Applications which describes the heuristic
process, communicates my exact intentions clearly:

It refers to a process of internal search through which one discovers the nature
and meaning of experience and develops methods and procedures for further investigation
and analysis. The self of the researcher is present throughout the process and, while
understanding the phenomenon with increasing depth, the researcher also experiences
growing self-awareness and self-knowledge. Heuristic processes incorporate creative selfprocesses and self discoveries.


During this experiment, I allowed myself to embrace my inner
recluse and retreat to a cottage in a nearby forest for a 24 hour stint. The
discoveries that presented themselves during of this adventure will be disclosed further in the pages of this document.
Traditional Research

Perhaps the most temporally consumptive portion of research was
the collection and analysis of literature relating to wonder. Many books that
are referenced here were already in my possession due to my lifelong inclination to wonder. My other resources were found during my many retreats
to the library, my hours of sifting through scholarly articles and during
my visual arts class wherein I was exposed to the application of working
theories to the human experience. A plethora of books did not so much
as make an appearance on these pages, but I give them gracious thanks for
providing me with a fount of inspiration.
Conclusion

Because of the spiritually intimate nature of this subject, the traditional writing format is interlaced with my own narration and personal
anecdotes.

R A C H E L
V A N D E R
V E N N E N
International Development Major

It is a time of aloneness.
But not loneliness...It is
the overlaying of physical
spaces with mindful-spaces.

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W O N D E R

INTRODUCTION

Bringing wonder into ones life creates balance. This thesis is
neither about a delirious retreat of the masses into nature, nor about living
in a world entirely constructed of fantasy. Wonder allows one to connect
on a deeper level with reality through an exchange with ones environment,
triggered by sent, touch, taste, sound, and sight. It is the playful dialogue
between people and their environment. A beautiful window into wondering
with the senses is that of The Blind Traveller, James Holman. He would
explore by foot, declining any offered carriage ride because he claimed I
see things better with my feet. (Gooley, 2012). His curiosity was his drive,
which allowed him to examine any details in the landscape at a greater
level than most sighted people who are satisfied with only vision. It is this
curiosity of the unknown, this playful exploration that is our window into a
spiritual connection with the natural world.

Research is increasingly supporting the notion of nature improving
cognitive health and development, results exposing such potency that they
say, nature affects our health at an almost cellular level. (Louv, 2008). But
as is implied in the book The Last Child in the Woods, that the depth of
that connection to nature has an impact on the restorative values. Through
my research I attempt to claim that wonder can act as one of those
mentalities wherein those strongest bonds can cultivate.

Wonder is a way in which to know the world from an intrinsic
perspective. Through the percolation of technology into our world,
creating a predominantly simulated and visually stimulating culture, we have
had to adapt our way of knowing and understanding the world. Because
of this, so many people do not recognize that we are part of this living
system on earth, Gaia if you will; they view humans as separate. But we are
part of something greater than ourselves and wonder allows us to attain
that mentality. As Rachel Vander Vennen so insightful suggested in our
interview, Wonder inherently is, or should be, being intrigued and inspired
by what we dont know.

According to David Pitt, people have a desire that he calls Human
Naturalness, wherein we attempt to reconnect to the natural environment of
our past. This is apparent in landscape preference tests where participants
consistently select landscapes that have dominant natural features (Pitt,
1982). To support these claims with more heuristic evidence, stemming
from a similar concept, we can look at research conducted about the
aesthetic experience. In one particular article it is stated that people often
encounter these experiences when in a vast landscape or are somehow
triggered into a feeling of oneness with nature. (Chenoweth & Gobster,
1990). Through examples, as well as through my own research, it becomes
evident that our wonder towards the natural world acts as a catalyst to
attaining our harmonious cognizance.

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WHERE

When you are not feeling good you go

find a butterfly and follow it and it
will lead you to a medicine that will
make you better.
Elder medicine woman from the Seven Sisters
mountain range in British Columbia

IS

IT?

Our society has let their sense of wonder become neglected
-relegated to an afterthought or a pastime for children. I believe that it is
necessary for a harmonious life to rekindle that relationship throughout
all stages of life. This is not to say that all people neglect their sense of
wonder, as I believe that most types of artists have an innate connection to
the world around them: the poets who find sadness in the translucent film
of a ladybugs wing; the musicians that catch the pitch of trickling water
from the eves; the painters who can be seen observing the patterns in the
branches of trees. These expressions of wonder could be seen especially
in the past, as with Monet, who could acutely recreate the dynamic process
of visual perception (Robertson & McDaniel, 2013). He was able to
capture this by painting intricate scenes over and over again, expressing the
transitory presence of time in the landscape.

At what point of human existence did our sense of wonder
begin to wane? One could argue that it began with the introduction of
rationalism from Descartes as the view that true knowledge of the world
derives from reason and not from embodied, subjective experience and
empirical observation. (Sturken & Cartwright, 2009, p.156) But at that
time, even Descartes, with his mechanistic view of human functioning
recognized the importance of our senses to the human experience, stating
that All the management of our lives depends on the senses, and since
that of sight is the most comprehensive and noblest of these, there is no
doubt that the inventions which serve to augment its power are among
the most useful that there can be. (Descartes, republished 1965). It is
with this information that I was able to select the most pivotal era of
time when the sense of wonder began heading towards nullification. The
technological bombardment of our senses disrupted the management of
our lives, and the spiritual balance we held. Thus, it is from the evolution
of photography, into video, into digital simulations that our lack of wonder
stems. Simultaneously, our Western society took on more rigid design
foundations and began to lack in exposure to natural spaces, which hinder
the spiritual interactions with place. Our internal and external worlds have
the potential to become balanced once again, through the rekindling of the
bond between the conscious and unconscious mind. Through these types
of experiences we have the potential to realize self-actualization through
a mindful and balanced manner (Koh, 1983). Due to the limitations of
this thesis, not all of these ideas will be explored, but acknowledged to the
greatest extent possible.

In short, our sense of wonder is dormant. Not yet disappeared. It
lies hibernating in the thick duvet of nature and will stir upon the presence
of our openness and our curiosity.

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14

T E C H N O LO GY
AS A MINDFUL
HINDRANCE

Technology has put our relationships with places in an open market
so that we are able to (or forced to) develop such relationships before
we even see them in reality1. Places are visually exploited in instagram or
tumblr, thus demeaning the importance of its existence on the non-inter
web realm. Thus, when we have the opportunity to enter that real place we
have preconceived notions of what it is and what our experience there will
consist of, our senses are not as acute and our minds not as open when we
enter a place. We may attempt to enter that space with an open mind, but
our expectations and often schedules have been predigested.

In terms of movies and video games, it is easy to allow oneself
to be misguided into thinking that when they present extraordinary
simulations or stories, we are using our imagination. Although they can
be inspirational, they are doing most of the wondering for you. You are
tricked into thinking that you are engaging yourself into that experience but
it does not require mental effort on the part of the viewer (Thayer, 1994).
That, I suppose, is why it is called entertainment or leisure time, because
the mental work is not required on our end of things. It is much easier to
engage in simulated wonder than actually going out and searching for it
yourself.

THE FADING OF
W O N D E R

Technological simulation of creative expression and engagement
tend to have a placebo effect. They make us believe we are using our
imagination and thus we feel as if we are experientially satiated, but there
is no authenticity or invested spirituality on our part. The real context is
non-existent. The senses are not fully engaged, nor is the energy exchange
between us and the environment around us. The exchange is between us
and a screen -a non-living structure that is not part of the reciprocity of
natural occurrences.

In what age did technology begin to sever our ties to reality? One
could argue that the early wielding of tools in the hands of prehistoric
humans and the harnessing of fire could represent the emergence of
our dominance. I am more interested in this in dichotomy in terms of
the modern view of (and through) technology. I believe that it was the
emergence of visual technological advances that had the most impact.


The camera obscura is a device which has led to the literal and
metaphorical inversion of reality. Using a lens the size of a pinhole and
a mirror, artists and philosophers have reproduced the tactile world,
projecting it in a two dimensional image, in turn, fading the authenticity
that exists within the subject.
1 Here I refer to reality in the sense of being in the location and not experiencing it through a secondary medium. Although it may appear to be the current reality as we view an image of the Eiffel
Tower online, but we are not experiencing that place in terms of the tactile, unmediated experience.

16

Image projected using the

camera obscura technique.
Photo by John Lewis

T E C H N O LO GY
AS A MINDFUL
HINDRANCE

Camera obscuras became somewhat sensationalized in the upper
class of the 19th century (Sturken, 2009). They were built into the pastoral
parks and picturesque landscapes of the American and European wealthy.
The author of The Practices of Looking, Marita Sturken, argues that the
introduction of the camera obscura into popular culture had a large
influence on how people view their surroundings. It brought about a new
way of looking that involved reorganization and reconstituation of the
subject. There is much truth behind this and so much complexity within
the perception of its reproductions.

But what are the repercussions of these reproductions? One
would be standing in a landscape where nature would call to the people
through its birdsong or gusts of wind that would ruffle the hems of long
coats, but such attempts at interaction would have been fruitless against
the power of the entertaining camera obscura. The people were no longer
interactive participants in the sensual experience of the landscape because
the interaction had inverted itself along with its distorted display. It had
become a new dynamic of exhibition and audience. The camera obscura
was not intended to strengthen ones relationship with the natural elements
of the space, or bring attention to the senses. The camera obscuras intent
in these settings was one of leisure and amusement.

The camera obscura does stimulate a wonder of sorts, but is one of
superficiality and one that weakens the tie between the self and the earth
for all of the beautiful reality it houses. It was a gateway for technological
reproduction methods, progressing the visual and digital world. This has
ultimately led to a distortion of the way we perceive and accept reality.

The integrity of the true experience is essential to entering a state
of mind which is receptive to wonder. According to my interviews, one
does not usually have aesthetic experiences or restorative interactions with
their surroundings when their senses are mediated by technology. The
technology of the camera obscura was adapted to the first capturing of a
type of photograph. Perhaps the technicalities of the production process
seem irrelevant, but I believe the evolution of the process is somewhat
relevant because as the technologies progressed, the faster the imprints
of the subject were captured. As this speed intensified, the authenticity
of the original object became more and more negated. With this, the first
capturing of a daguerreotype took form, which used a chemical reaction of
light onto a metal plate. These reproductions still held some semblance to
the original because of the singularity of their nature and the integrity of
the subject matter with the time commitment it took to capture the scene.
From here, the industry of mechanical reproduction accelerated.

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T E C H N O LO GY
AS A MINDFUL
HINDRANCE

By realizing we are a part of

nature, even if we live abstracted,
decontextualized lives in major
cities, we can gather a holistic sense
of purpose in our lives that would
otherwise be relegated to distraction,
delusion, and distempered life.
John K. Grande

The German social critic and essayist, Walter Benjamin, wrote
extensively about the authenticity of the world and the effect of
photographic reproduction on experience and perception of reality. He
claims that the photograph was a catalyst in the transformation of modern
perception. With the flash of a bulb, we are able to obtain an image
as fast, or faster than the eye perceives. This mechanical reproduction
has implications on the idea of authenticity (the authenticity of the
original space and the authenticity of our experience of that place). The
photograph creates a new type of reality, as it gives us a new experience,
but one which has lost its luster of life. The sphere of this authentic
experience is left outside the sphere of reproduction. The price of these
reproductions may seem trivial but it has a great impact on our ability to
wonder; it is the depreciation of presence; it is the withering of aura
(Benjamin).

Photography has enabled spaces to become privatized experiences
wherein we may capture them on a small piece of paper, negating the
essence of the interaction. When we view a place through images only,
the distance between us and the objects is skewed and with it, the insight
towards authentic connection. This aura that Benjamin mentions has
multiple facets. It is the prying of the subject from its shell of context. It
is the removal of all other senses from the experience. It viciously guides
our perception into becoming visually dominant. Without the tactile -that
ability to connect so intimately with surroundings, and without scent
-where one is able to smell the ongoing narrative of the place, what is left
but visual contemplation and judgments? The aura of place lies in the
ability to access its mystery. Through the photograph we only succeed in
fragmenting it, pluralizing it through meaningless copies. Again, iterated
throughout the interviews, that mystery is a key trigger for wonder.


As the mechanistic properties of photography became faster,
Benjamin would say the more aura we lost of our places. This is important
to note because it is through this aura that we connect to places on a
spiritual level. Without them we have no window to wonder. No fibers of
spirit to bind ourselves to a place. The dichotomy this speed implies when
applied to the increased speed of life reveals that our pace does not permit
enough time to wander, and as a result, less time to nurture the bond from
which wonder emerges.

Through photographic reproduction, places are stripped of
their presence and what we interpret is a culturally reinscribed meaning
overwritten with ideologies. Often these images are presented to us in the
form of an advertisement or entertainment. Thus, our financial investment
turns these images over to a spell of commodification. Presented with
great speed, we become accustomed to the instantaneousness of our

19

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information gathering and may forget to carry with us the desire to truly
observe.

Reality is a social construct that has become a fluid term, as we
force it to adapt with our trivial modifications to its meaning. It has had
to change in order to bring our life meaning, to still extract what it means
to exist in reality from the simulated world around us. Although, when
scrutinized we find that many of the various meanings of reality have lost
their anchors (Thayer, 1994).

THE SIMULATED
W O R L D
The implications of the simulacrum

Built upon Benjamins theory of the withering of aura, is John
Baudrillards theory of the postmodern world as the simulacrum. This
theory arose from analyzing sociological responses to mass digitization and
replication of our environment. From Baudrillards perspective, technology
became so pervasive in our cities that the media and information
being presented to us has become the city itself. The more elaborate our
simulations, and the more copies we reproduce of those simulations, the
more intense the estrangement becomes between us and our tangible
world. The simulacra are the visual signifiers, which are perceived as reality.
They are not illusionary disguises of reality, just as they are not intentionally
hiding reality. The simulacrum is a veneer that has glazed the surfaces
of our reality with images and structures which have no physical root in
the real world. At the pinnacle of this theory lies a society with such a
profusion of copies that reference reality that the reproductions of images
no longer stem from our profound reality, but the copies themselves. Thus
the lives of consumers are dedicated to the artificial reality, experiencing
simulated environments.

We are enraptured by the allure of these simulations, yet what we
fill ourselves with consists of superficiality. Because they are comprised
of ideas and built of synthetic and processed material, they are a result of
pure human efforts. This means that as well as the audience, we are the
subject. We are reflected into ourselves, and our ideas of anthropocentrism
are reinforced. Unfortunately, such ideologies do not lend to the
occurrence of wonder and spiritual engagement in our environment.
To gain restorative support from our natural world, we must be open to
what it has to teach us, and we must free to marvel at its intricacies. Our
perceptual world is bombarded with visual stimuli, yet our other senses,
ones that contribute to our aesthetic experiences, are nullified. Our
investment in this adapted construction of reality lends itself back to the
theory of the withering aura. The simulacrum is so far removed from the
original likeness that its aura of mystery, context, and ethos has waned into
infinite nothingness. There is a loss of that reciprocal exchange of wonder
within a place and we become restless for lack of spiritual satisfaction.

21

Photo by Gateway Photography

Edited by Kate Hunter
2


Another distinction that seems to be of critical importance, is the
differentiation between wonder and commercial seduction. If it still seems
ambiguous after the previous section, through this example I attempt to
clear up any incertitude. The following example was chosen because it has
been able to harness the very essence of simulated reality -the omphalos of
hyperreality.

Las Vegas is the epitome of decadence for the senses. The city sits
like mirage on the horizon of the Nevadian desert, transforming any ounce
of energy into a visual display. One may marvel at the fountain shows,
the veils of lights that mask the brutality of the concrete high rises, or the
abundant palms. The purpose of these places is to intentionally force awe
upon you. The designed experience of such places exist for indulgence and
are leisure lures. The palms and fountain features that stand in plentitude
are natures elements put on conspicuous display for visual consumption.
Although engaging, this is not the true meaning of what wonder is. Just
as it would be if two people fell in love, only to discover that it was at the
hand of a love potion. Would it be correct to assume the same level of
emotional sincerity from their induced interaction? Such is the simulated
world to our sense of wonder. It may function as love, but it will not
embody love. Places like Las Vegas have all the veracity of a mirage -it is
a jungle of pixels, a rainstorm of plastic, where it is only intoxication and
sensory deception that fills the crevices of our pining soul. It is in these
places where reality and originality are difficult to distinguish between, yet
this is a deliberate blurring of lines, and snubbing of the genuine. The core
of this landscape has been dissolved in illusions of allusions, and we are
left with all of this glimmering debris embedded in the throbbing heart of
desert.

An article which I read recently, articulated this effect of this
subject with elegance:

With the natural world -our true home- removed from our lives,
we have built on top of the pavement a new world, a new Eden. Perhaps; a
mental world of creative dreams. We then live in these fantasies of our own
creation; we live within our own minds. Though we are still on the planet
earth, we are disconnected from it, afloat on pavement, in the same way the
astronauts float in space. (Mander, 1991).

THE SIMULATED
W O R L D
Dissecting

Las

Vegas

INTERLUDE ONE
A

tale

of

intimate

discourse

I went for a walk this morning. It
was more of a wander I suppose. There were
these expired goldenrod stems, already set
its tiny tufts of seeds out into the autumn
wind. The tops of these greying stalks were
woven together with intricate lace-like spider
webs that held the smallest droplets of dew
that you could imagine; they were so small
and sat so close, they almost touched. The
weight of the water made each strand of web
droop in the middle, so with the light behind
them they sparkled like twinkle lights, hung
around the tops of the empty stem at the last
attempt to shine in the grandeur of summer.

It is from this sensory deficit and lack of playful dialogue between
us and our environment where movements of resistance began to stir in
the underpinnings of society. Some of these will be introduced later in this
paper but the list is by no means exhaustive.


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Walking along the trails worn into the forest floor, marked only by
thin lines of flattened debris, it is easy to find yourself mindfully glancing at
the ground, keenly observing the path, dodging roots and noticing patterns
of leaves on the ground. When slow and spiritually immersed in the act
of walking through the forest, intently aware of being in the moment
-that is when we see the secrets the forest sends our way, when we exist
deliberately. It gives us gifts for our contemplation. This can present itself
through moments of restoration and wonder, as well as physical gifts. In a
forest, these are small items washed up through processes of the places
cyclical life -the flotsam and jetsam of the forest floor: the small bone
of an animal, the shell of a departed snail, a fragment of porcelain from
a resident long gone, a twig with a particularly elegant form, or an eager
spring flower ready to be pressed between the pages of your favourite
book. Such anomalies used to be collected by wanderers, back in the age
of the curious. But, we are the information age, the age of answers. Most
people do not harbour that desire to seek the unknown in nature anymore,
to ponder in its mystery and submit to the pleasures of the imagination
(Solnit, 2002).

There are objections to the act of collecting natural objects because
of the ownership we force upon the object and the place it represents. We
attempt to snatch that moment and attempt to pull it into the future. While
in truth, that place is dynamic and embodied in our memory to reflect upon
with fondness. The place has potential to be distorted when we attempt to
smush all of that meaning, all of the sounds, textures and images that we
know of the site into an object. But nevertheless, those objects bring that

25

CASE
STUDY:
THE CURIOSITY
C A B I N E T

reminder of wonder and nature into our built environment. Although this
collecting of objects distances our intimacy with the natural experience,
the intent behind this action remains important, as it is our human
subconscious coveting of the natural world shining through.

Curiosity cabinets were plentiful throughout European history.
Their historical existence is important to note, especially compared to
their endangered presence in the modern world. Most people do not have
enough exposure to the natural spaces that offer such gifts, let alone the
desire to gaze fancifully at the ground in search of treasures. In the past,
curiosity cabinets were important in the progress of ornithology, botany,
and zoology (Arnold, 2006). That curiosity and wonder that drove natural
exploration used to be ubiquitous, but this is diminishing in the common
population due to lack of exposure to nature and an immersion into the
digital information age. Even our naturalists have a more mechanistic
approach to the world of observation. The poetic prose of naturalists and
their deep observance has perished under the systematic collection of the
modern era (Dayton & Sala, 2001). We have separated ourselves from that
bewildering web of relationships in nature. The maintenance of a diverse
and understanding mind is a matter of keeping your eyes and soul open to
the beauty around you. (Dayton & Sala, 2001).

The loss of the curiosity cabinet reflects the demise of the
inclination to explore our natural surroundings. It also reflects the demise
of the sense wonder and our overall exposure to nature.

26

It requires a very unusual mind to

undertake the analyses of the obvious.
Lyanda Lynn Hoept

27

28


One of the interviews conducted in Derrick Jensens book
Listening to the Land is with an Environmental Studies professor from
York University, John Livingston. In this dialogue, one is exposed to the
psychological pressures that influence curiosity and going out into nature.
He delves into the dynamic web of social influences that inhibit our
experiential mode.

Livingston also discusses his own hypothesis for our level of
spiritual disconnect from nature. He believes that this modern dichotomy
is substantiated by social ideologies. The crux of his argument lies in the
existence of a social other. In recognizing through language that an
other exists, we polarize ourselves from it -man vs. nature. We come
to identify with the term humans in an oversimplified and aggregate
manner, differentiating ourselves from everything outside of that ideology.
That view of humans versus the other (which Livingston uses in this
instance for us to infer nature) is an essentialist one. In the context of
the planet, using evidence of animal interactions with nature, Livingstons
claim certainly seems to uphold its validity.

Animals seem to be appropriate beings to compare ourselves to in
relation to nature. They are sentient, yet they do not distinguish themselves
as others in relation to the world. Spiritually they are their environment.
There is no self/other conflict. It does not require any mental exertion
for them to radiate their consciousness into their surroundings as it does
for us. Animals seem to embody a seamless holism with nature where the
sensory perception is constant. They rely on sensing every moment as a
matter of life or death, thus can know no life without it. We, as humans,
as separate beings from nature have maximized this otherness so that
it may leach into every facet of our existence. Our spiritual, social, and
physical environments are all affected by the gap we create when separating
humans from nature. Because of our manufactured environment, we do
not require this level of dependency on our senses (Livingston, 2004). It is
not life and death for us. Thus we are positively rewarded for our lack of
sensory perception as we construct more safety features to buffer us from
the realities of the world. The mystery of our landscapes is snatched from
our minds as we live regulation-based physical lives and socially constructed
intellectual lives. Perhaps that is why we resonate so much with the holistic
mentality of wonder. It is pure connectivity with our environments. It is
surrendering ourselves to the moment. It is the juxtaposition between the
rest of our anthropocentric life and the pure experience of our evanescent
world.

Each time one participates in their sense of wonder they
are using themselves as a tool of self-initiated rebellion that allows them
to escape from capitalistic time that consumes such a large percentage of
29

CHANGING
S O C I A L
DY N A M I C S

CHANGING
S O C I A L
DY N A M I C S

In an economic and digital world

conflict

of

ideologies

our lives. Wonder is embodied in brief moments, gathering in our minds

as nothing more than a collection of ephemeral sensuous experiences.
But the implication of the power this gives us in a time of such temporal
consumption is immense!


Between wonder and the norms of our culture, a contradiction
exists. Post-industrial societies tell us that our lives must be comprised
of work and leisure. Work entails (paid) time spent physically or mentally
engaged in achieving an end result and modern leisure is the time in
ones life when one is not working. But, this leisure time is increasingly
constructed and converging with economically consumptive activities
(Gershuny, 2000). We are increasingly encouraged to account for our time
through exchange of money. Working where one is paid for their time,
and leisure where we are pressured to consume during free time. Wonder
allows us to exist in a non-monetary passing of time where we are able to
experience life diverted from the speed of modern capitalistic and digitized
lives. We are able to exist in what my art professor, Amanda Boetzkes, calls
simultaneous time. When we are focused on perception and our senses.
During these times we are living in a durationless present and we can see
the world without a temporal lens. This slowing of time equates to an
intensification of our sensory experiences because we may meditate in their
enlightening presentations. No socially constructed influence has any sway
during these pensive moments.

In a state of soft contemplation, one is able to abandon the
plethora of daily tasks. The bombardment of images and capitalistic
time onto our lives can be quite distressing and nature has the ability to
reclaim our inner peace if we find the strength or provide ourselves with
opportunities for restoration. Richard Louv, in his book The Last Child in
the Woods, suggests nature as the key instrument of soft contemplation
and restoration where a child finds freedom, fantasy, and privacy: a place
distant from the adult world, a separate place. Louv communicates the
enormity of natures impact on children, but I believe that these same
freeing properties can exist within the nature-adult relationship as well. The
discoveries made through the interviews and heuristic research are proof
of this. Nature is a more encouraging place to connect to the sense of
wonder for anyone because of that removal from the adult world. That
adult world that Louv mentions is a term that encompasses all of the flaws
of our socially constructed world. I do not believe that it is simply adult,
but harsh and unreceptive to the playful tone of child-like curiosity. Nature
provides us with a place of juxtaposition to that of the constrained and
fabricated world. It may be difficult for adults, who are accustomed to
being spiritually stifled, to surrender to fantasy and the right side of the
brain. But, it is much easier to become lost in wonderment when assisted
by a receptive and living place of mental sanctuary.
30

CHANGING
S O C I A L
DY N A M I C S

CHANGING
S O C I A L
DY N A M I C S

In an economic and digital world

conflict

of

ideologies

The theme of venturing alone into wild spaces predominates most
of the findings of restorative and aesthetic experiences. When discussing
the presence of creativity in nature, an article concluded that peer
pressure destroys the imagination (Dayton & Sala, 2001). Social influences
maintain a tenacious grasp on our curiosity because we fear judgment.
One must possess the courage to venture alone to observe the pinnacle of
wonder within themselves. It is in the company oneself that they are able
to hear the whispering shreds of intuition emerging from the recess of
their soul. We tend to stifle intuition during our daily motions because it is
not incredibly necessary for our success in modern society. Yet, intuition
is another lens in which to look through when within a natural setting
in order to enhance the experience and engage the senses. This could
ultimately lead to an aesthetic experience. Intuition has the ability to lead us
to that sensory trigger, whether it be a natural curio tucked beneath a leaf,
or a ray of sun that paints a flower in iridescence.

32

INTERLUDE TWO

Aristotle said that philosophy begins in

wonder. I believe it also ends in wonder.
The ultimate way in which we relate
to the world as something sacred is by
renewing our sense of wonder. Thats why
Im so opposed to the kind of miraclemongering we find in both new-age
and old-age religion. Were attracted to
pseudomiracles only because weve ceased to
wonder at the world, at how amazing it is.
Sam Keen

33

dialogue

with

mud

We often forget that we ourselves are tangible things. We separate
ourselves from the world around us. I am guilty of this myself, often
overloading my brain with so many thoughts that I forget, momentarily,
that I am being. Or, that I am a body -that I even have a body- because
my mind is so dominant. During these times when the inner disputes of
the mind seem to be the predominant sign of my existence, it is possible
to surprise myself when peripherally catching a glimpse of my body in a
window. Those moments are sometimes the only verification I have that I
am indeed imbedded into this world physically.


When connecting to nature I am able to see myself in relation to
what I observe, my height providing me with perspective, my body freely
moving in the space, and my senses awakening to stimuli. When my body
engages in sensory experience, my mind clears, a dust storm settling. It is
perhaps not always as deep as a meditative experience, but always centering.
It is almost an explorative art form where I am free to test my body and
my senses; this experience is so vivid it exceeds judgment. Such deep
sensations seem to be where my mind and body become one.

It can wake ones senses when submitting to curiosities. One
moment recently when I encountered a strong bout of curiosity, I was
walking alone down by a river and spotted a delightful opening in the
brush by the shoreline where a patch of mud shone from a recent rain.
The texture was enticing, and my impulsivity was being suppressed as I
rationalized why I should refrain from sinking my finger tips into the rich
mire. Thankfully, this left side of my brain is easily swayed and I made note
of the fact that I was alone, immersed in nature and without judgements of
social pressures. I succumbed to the beauty of the right side of my brain,
that place of overwhelming peace. I crouched down by the riverside and
dipped my hand into the murky brown shoreline. Rich and cold, the mud
encompassed my hand. It was odd sensation of embrace, sanctuary. The
earth accepted my hand with no resistance. The feeling was overwhelming
and almost surreal. But due to recent readings I had read from Yi Fu Tuan,
I was able to recognize this experience as not surreal, but hyperreal. It was
a state of pure existence where I was not thinking of the past or future.
This connection with nature had allowed me to be completely present.
I think that these experiences are so important to the quality of our
existence because they allow one to achieve a higher spiritual order. One
must desire to attain this connection with the natural world and be open
and respectful to their sense of wonder. We must not constrain it when we
feel it ebb in the pools of our thought. Instead, we must learn to excite it,
letting our souls steep in the sensation.

34

Nature is still complete and inexhaustible

in her most remote refuges, her magic
is still real. At any time, meaning any
season, in all weathers, in things great
and small. Always. Potential Utopias
are under every leaf and behind every
tree, in the clouds and in the wind. Pitting
poetry against the inhuman river of time.

R E S UR G E N C E
OF
WONDER

Nils-Udo

35


Expressions of wonder could be seen especially in the past, as with
Monet, who could acutely recreate the dynamic process of visual perception. He was able to capture this by painting intricate scenes over and over
again, expressing the transitory presence of time in the landscape. His act
of impressionism was actually a revolt to the emergence of photography
(Sturken & Cartwright, 2009). To understand this we must go back to the
point that we have altered our construct of the real world to adapt to our
technological and simulated environment. See, realism refers to a set of
conventions or representations that are understood at a given historical
moment to accurately represent nature or the real (Sturken & Cartwright,
2009). Modern realism was being represented mainly through the photograph at that time but Monet was resisting photography and was perturbed
by this immediacy of the image and its lack of material connection to the
natural process of the world. He saw the photograph as being a strange
exemption to the processes of time.

PREAMBLE

LAND
ART:
A FIGHT FOR
W O N D E R

It is said in some yogic literature that the recounting of a spiritual
encounter with nature can mar the memory. Such a solitary experience is
meant to be as such and the strength of the memory can be diminished
by attempting to put it into words or express it through an art form (Edmonston). Certain aspects become enhanced in a distorted manner and
other aspects may be lost altogether in the shadow of the accentuated. By
recalling it to oneself as a spiritual cache to tap into, one may revel in the
original, non-reproduced moment. Many artists try to capture these moments of genuine aesthetic experiences in their work, and many of which
have been magnificently successful, such as Thoreaus rich prose or Emily
Carrs paintings, which delight in the grandeur of nature. These are certainly valuable to the viewer, but to what extent do they replicate the original
experience of the artist? This question is why I have taken an interest in
land artists as an example of advocates for the aesthetic experience, they
often do not attempt to replicate their own experiences in nature through
representation, but create pieces that are a manifestation of the romantic
impulse. (Grande. xi)

Some critics view land art as a civilizing of the natural order in that
we attempt to derive some meaning from it, even if it has not been injected
with such impositions during the creation of it. After reading reflections
from twenty or so land artists I must refute this argument. Some land art
is created with the human application of theory in mind (especially those
of which show in exhibitions) but most of the artists do not impose such
deep meanings into their pieces, focusing more on the harmonious integrity of the piece, working side-by-side with nature. They are open to the
process of decay and the effects of time.

Land art is meant to act as a catalyst of sorts to activate our wonder
and fascination with nature, to indulge in our surroundings, with the actual
pieces importance lying mainly in the existence of the piece itself. Is that
not more beautiful in a way? Acknowledgment of nature can seem simple
at first, for example, the leaves used in some of Andy Goldswothys works.
But, we can admire those leaves for the purity they represent. The acknowledgement is only the first step -which is taking notice of the superficial
existence of the art. To notice the context and to perceive the playfulness
of the land artists actions is to wonder. An example of this would be
the acceptance of the subtle envy I feel towards those leaves sometimes.
They have the freedom to exist without thinking. They do their thing and
participate in the worlds natural progress, undertaking incredible feats like
photosynthesis, without so much as a thought. Land art brings those wondrous contemplations into being where they might not have existed before.
Of course we may enter into those reflections of our own accord, but for
those of us who find it difficult to engage in nature mindfully, these land
artworks are invaluable.

37

38


Land art is a quiet force in this movement to resist the simulated
world. The essence of the tactile world brought about to engage the stifled
mind. It facilitates our experience of the natural world by making us become a participant in the place, simply through observation.

This view of land art as anthropomorphizing of the site is skewed,
in my view, because it is only seen as a disturbance to those who see humans as only a dominating force, or a force that intervenes with nature. If
one recognizes that humans can partake in natures wonder as part of a reciprocal bond, then these expressions of land alteration can be seen as our
playful responses to nature. They are a way of inviting others to partake in
this interaction through aesthetic experience of the place.

LAND
ART:
A FIGHT FOR
W O N D E R

Some pieces will inspire very different thoughts than others. Large,
solid pieces such as Ursula von Rydingsvards Bowl with folds may bring
in thoughts of permanence of natural species or allude to surrounding
landforms, while other pieces like one of Andy Goldsworthys leaf pieces
will send one into storm of thoughts relating to impermanence and fragility (both seen on opposite page). To encounter even a small arrangement
of leaves by the riverside is a noteworthy occasion. How lucky to happen
upon this piece before a breeze carries the leaves back into a haphazard
pattern across the shore.

The image reproductions lack the essence of the site and the serendipitous event of running into such a piece, but they still hold value as they
inspire future human-nature interactions. They are commercials for the
wild places, a commercial for the connection we seek to attain. Perhaps that
is the most effective method of getting peoples attention on this subject,
because it is difficult for nature to advocate for itself in a world that is
dominated by economic reasoning. Natures invitations are much too subtle
for the majority of sensually desensitized individuals. Nature yearns for us
to participate in a fruitful conversation with it. Land artists speak for nature
in a way that the modern human can understand and take meaning from.
Even as a photograph, it is a replication full of meaning and advocacy.


When one is immersed in nature, they are not often urged to critique it. One does not walk through a meadow and exclaim at a blade of
grass that lies askew. Nature has this innate flawlessness hidden beneath
the display of its complexities. Natures expressions present themselves in
any manner of patterns or chaoses, simply existing. Land art is driven by
this self-awareness of material. It is the manipulation of natures mediums
to enhance the sensory experience and to entice the sense of wonder. It is
through this visual and tactile trigger that we are able to exist in nature with
a purity of mind, uncritically observing, wondering. Simply being.

39

Von Rydingsvard, 1999

Goldsworthy, 2013

Z
E
N
BUDDHISM

Sit still and do nothing. The spring

comes and the grass grows on its own.
Buddhist Proverb

I do not look to Buddhism as a solution to societys lack of wonder,
but as an insight into how a sense of wonder can effect the soul through
spiritual discipline. Through Buddhism, we are able to see the effectiveness
of silence, solitude and simplicity, when such a practice is actualized.

As was mentioned in a thesis from a previous Guelph student, We
are impelled by the hope that we will be rendered purposeful beings, as the
thought of being without some sort of purpose is devastating to our felt
existence. (Neilson, 1998). Buddhism can show us that time spent being
still, and reflective are indeed productive because they bring peace. Such
practices are just not productive in the modern, conventional sense.

In John Grandes book of interviews, Art Nature Dialogues, he simply articulates the impact of Buddhism on cognitive processing:

If we make a distinction between body and mind, we choose mind
over body. Artists have been trying to push us back into our bodies. In the
Buddhist tradition, for instance, the body and mind are not separate and
in fact the mind is connected to the heart. The body is actually the brain.
The head, the mind is related to the body. True intelligence forms a kind of
loop between the mind and body.

Through the sense of wonder, I believe that such connections can
be realized. This again, is iterated through the supplementary interviews
that I conducted.

Time equals money.

Western Proverb

41

We often forget that we ourselves are tangible things. We separate
ourselves from the world around us. I am guilty of this myself, often overloading my brain with thoughts that I forget momentarily that I am being,
I am a body, that I even have a body because my mind is so dominant.
When I connect to nature I see myself in relation to what I observe, my
height proving me with perspective, my body freely moving in the space,
and my senses awakening to sensations. When my body engages in sensory
experience, my mind clears, as if a dust storm has settled. It is perhaps not
always as deep as a meditative experience, but centering, always. It is almost
an explorative art form where I am free to test my body, my senses, and
this experience is so vivid it exceeds judgment. Deep perceptual sensations
seem to be where my mind and body become one.

42

T
H
E
SITUATIONISTS
INTERNATIONAL

In the 1960s, during a peak realization of Baudrillards philosophy
of the simulacrum, a group of people called the Situationists International
emerged from the underbelly of the art world. Founded by Guy Debord,
this movement initiated a resistance to the simulacrum, or the spectacle
(Sturken & Cartwright, 2009). The spectacle was a term that Debord used
as a metaphor for society, how we force awe upon our consumers to the
point of sensory paralyses. They aimed to point out the emptiness of the
spectacles foundation, as it is supported by the economy which itself is a
human construct. One cannot hold the economy, one can only support it
through consumption, thus our goods represent it, but do not equate to it.
It is not a tangible thing we have come to invest our lives in. Just because
it is the Western Worlds imposed reality does not mean that it is the only
reality. Guy Debord and The Situationists aimed to reveal the illusion and
deceptiveness within the spectacle by fashioning cracks in its foundation
(Plant, 1992).

The goal of this movement was to interrupt the flow of images in
urban settings in order to alter our interpretation of the stimuli. Simply put,
they forcefully injected bits of wonder into capitalist society. It was quite
genius at the time -the subtle infiltration of resistance through situationbased media. They attacked what they saw as the problem by reframing
the problem itself. An example of their work would be the installation
of dollar symbols over an ESSO gas station sign (Boetzkes, 2013). These
public pieces coerced people into pausing and wondering in an urban
setting. The sort of wonder they were spurred into was most likely of a
more existential sort. This would not provide the restorative properties
of a natural setting, but is an example of whimsy in the modern built
environment. Its importance is one of legacy. It has been a keystone to the
emergence of more prominent forms of contemporary street art, such as
guerilla art.

The continued influence of this movement in the built
environment is crucial, as the only way to break free from the spectacle is
to remove oneself from its influence. Urbanites must be spurred to visit
nature, where humans are not consumers, but living beings. In nature,
people do exists for a monetary account for their work and leisure time.
In nature we are all able to connect to the essence of the world. When we
acknowledge the awe inspiring world that we live in, through wonderment,
we provide an opportunity for our spirit and natural environment coalesce.

If we can continue to foster such movements, we may not directly
connect the participant to wonder, but we may expose them to whimsy and
provide them with evidence that there is still an opportunity to strengthen
society to the root of reality.

44

BEN

OBRIEN

4th Year Landscape Architecture Student

& Plant Enthusiast

Wonder starts with a seemingly mundane

thing, like a water droplet on a leaf or a
patch of moss growing from the concrete,
its a little tiny thing that then initiates this
deeper thought about the miracle of it all.

45

46

HEURISTIC
I N Q U I R Y
A personal account and experiment

It is dark out. The horizon line out my window is nearly
indistinguishable as the night sky eats up the land. Two candles placed on
the windowsill in front of me light my tiny nook. There are lights here
but right now the idea of electricity seems wrong. Even typing on this
computer seems strange. If it were not for the speed of typing and my
previous vow to myself to come here to devote these 24 hours to thesis, I
would be going without my laptop. As a compromise with myself, I have
vowed to refrain from using my phone, playing music, watching any form
of video and lastly, I have vowed to remain silent.

After reading many articles and gaining much insight into the topic
of wonder, it became very apparent that most wondrous experiences occur
when one is alone. Being an introvert, I am very often alone, but frequently
it is not true solitude as I am interrupted by social interactions from friends
and passersby. 1
Arrival

HEURISTIC
I N Q U I R Y

As an experiment for my thesis I have come to this place called
The Hermitage. It is a private cottage for one that stands in a small and
old retreat property in Puslinch. Although affiliated with the Presbyterian
Church, one need not be religious to participate. The cottage itself is
stone and has only two rooms. Although the semester is not long enough
to take a solo camping trip somewhere, I felt a desire to withdraw with
my newfound insight, investing myself to my greatest mental capacity,
exploring the boundaries and connections wonder possesses.

My endeavor began auspiciously as I ventured out on a hike.
The ground was thick with debris but firm from the cold. Even with my
attempts to take on the silence and acute sensitivity of an animal, my
footsteps made slight crisping noises. The frost had already encased the
leaf litter on the ground even though the sun hadnt been down more
than twenty minutes. The last dregs of sunlight were slinking beyond the
hedgerow at that moment when I looked up, so that the last slivers of pink
and orange were held in the crooks of the distant trees, preparing to dip
down for the night. As I walked further into the woods my eyes adjusted
to the paling dusk. It was not quite dark but just at the time when your
surroundings drain of luster and begin to fade into infinite shades of blues
and greys.

A deer stood in the nearby field watching me walk along the edge
of the forest. He seemed to not acknowledge my animal guise and watched
1.This is no to say that I dislike these interruptions, occasionally they prove to be distracting or occasionally mentally jostling, but for the most part I welcome such encounters. They simply do not
reveal themselves to be beneficial to the thesis process of wondering and writing..

48

as if I were an unknown -an other in the forest. In attempt to prove

the authenticity of my intent, I walked even slower with an aim to be as
silent as possible. My succeeding encounter with a squirrel brought to my
attention that perhaps complete silence is not the goal of all animals. It
frantically scurried through the fallen leaves as if it were under threat of
attack.2 It is not silence so much as awareness -a blind reverence for the
present moment.

I have come here wielding curiosity and a strong desire to escape
from the pressures of social conformity. It is necessary to be without
judgment for the mind to engage in deep experiences with the environment
and it is with a feeble approach that I make such attempts in public for fear
of ridicule. In this place, even though it was unfamiliar, it was safe.

Later in the Evening

A staleness encroached on my metal processes by about a half an
hour ago causing my efficiency to falter. At that moment of realization I
was reading quotes from a source and noticed that upon the fourth review
I was still unable to decipher the authors intent. Taking my own advice,
the only reasonable solution was to go outside and cleanse my mind. After
layering on an enormous sweater and coat, I stepped outside to inhale the
scents of the nearby forest.

Walking down the path, thoughts of coyotes pervaded my
thoughts and fear took hold of me. The shadow of the forest weighed
in inky mystery in the distance. Curious, yet still frightened I reached a
compromise with myself, as the desire to be outdoors was still strong
despite the cold and my irrational fear of being mauled by a coyote.

HEURISTIC
I N Q U I R Y
A personal account and experiment

If you foolishly ignore beauty, you

will soon find yourself without it.
Your life will be impoverished. But
if you invest in beauty, it will remain
with you all the days of your life.
Frank Lloyd Wright

A large tree with a contorted trunk that arched like the back of
a dancer seemed to twist itself out of the ground. The patterns of bark
wrapped themselves around the tree like the ribbons of a maypole. Seeking
out security in my exposed state, I approached the tree and leaned my back
on its curve so that I was as arched as it was. This place against the tree
allowed my head to lean back and was greeted by the stars. Until my eyes
began to water with cold I stood there, supported and protected by that
tree, slipping in and out of this state of delightful reverie.

2. I suppose I could have been capable of such an attack, but little did he know, this two legged
intruder was a forest-wandering-vegetarian in search of spiritual enlightenment with such peaceful
intent that I felt guilty disrupting the sound of the forest with the swishing of my coat.

49

50

Morning

Sitting again, in my nook that faces out the window where I
currently am writing, I felt this urge to go outside, not to walk, not to
have a purpose of being there, but just an urge to sit outdoors. I almost
didnt go out of pure laziness but I forced myself once again to bundle
up and step outside. Walking out onto the grassy knoll beside an old barn
foundation I found a stump. It housed a robust patch of lichen but the sun
had dried the frost from it and so I perched myself there. There was an
Adirondack chair nearby but the stump had more appeal, the bright lichen
almost an outright invitation. Facing the sun I sat up tall and anticipated
the warmth the sun would bring to my eyelids as they rested shut. It was
so bright that I could see yellow and orange spots through my eyelids, as if
the sun desired my gaze so intently that it seeped through my skin.

With my body bundled, my face slowly warming, and my feet
planted firmly on the ground, I felt supported. Like this, I let the time slip
by, attempting to let go of temporality of life and meditating on the senses.
Observing without judgment, I let my body register my surroundings: the
smell of a distant farmers fire, the leaves rustling on the ground near my
feet, cold air entering my nose and warming as it was drawn in deeper.
Outside of me was this presence of the natural world and by breathing
with my eyes closed, I could realize with the entirety of my mind that
I welcomed that external world into my internal one with each breath.
Each breath was an interaction, just like the ingestion of food is the
coalescence of earth and body; I came to the realization that every breath
is us subconsciously inviting the air, that part of the external world into our
bodies to sustain us. Feeling so open and receptive to this energy of breath
I felt an overwhelming sense of love.

Upon receiving it I was able to open further, due to its comfort,
and give back. The reciprocity of the situation was illuminating. I finally
opened my eyes and was able to observe the fleecy tops of the autumntouched goldenrod with not just my usual dedication, but with such
affection. The support I felt just then came from nature.3 As I sat there
acknowledging and observing the physical and mental support I was
exchanging with nature, I understood this place; I understood why it was
referred to as a retreat where one can connect with God. That feeling
is what they must refer to as the connection with God, that fathomless
presence and support, that reciprocal energy and love. How interesting
it is to reflect on that moment from an atheists perspective as one

HEURISTIC
I N Q U I R Y
A personal account and experiment

of the only near-religious experiences of my life. And to think I almost

succumbed to my laziness and didnt go out to sit on that stump.
Post Retreat: The Experiment Continues

After leaving my newfound physical and mental refuge, I happened
to go straight to the university. Upon reflection of my return to what I shall
call here the built world, I noticed a lack of calling from my surroundings.
When in nature it is difficult for me to not submit myself to pondering its
intricacies, but after my excursion, and with my new background on the
subject, I was able to observe my mental processes on the subject as an
outsider.


What I found was that I was attempting to approach my cognitive
engagement with the university setting at the same level of spirituality I
had at the cabin. That level was one of openness, yet in this university
setting a sense of vulnerability existed inside instead of the reciprocal love
and energy sharing I had experienced earlier in the day at The Hermitage.
More extensively, or more externally rather, I began to observe the foliage
with the eagerness I had in the forest and found little reward within their
verdure. One, it seems, cannot expect the same amount of pleasure from
a euonymus shrub border as in that of a forest. There is no complexity
of structure that yearns to be awed at. With the built structures of the
campus there was also a discrepancy. There is no mystery in the surface of
a concrete building in contrast with the organic shapes of the stones used
to make up old barn foundations. It is so easy to process and to understand
our modern built environment. It is if this type of environment does not
only lack an invitation to engage in wonder, it stifles most attempts to
activate it through the lack of return, sensually and spiritually.
Conclusions

I believe that sense of wonder can exist within the built
environment, as proved earlier with my admiration of the stone cottage,
but not with the design and execution of our current architectural
structures and under-diversified landscapes. The flatness, the regulationbased design, and the redundancy that comprises our built environment
does not condone passionate connectivity between it and the human spirit.
That was certainly proved through my experience of returning to campus.

Looking back, it seems that my encounter with the cottage in the
country was all too evanescent.

3. I have had this feeling before as I am a frequent confider and solace-seeker in the natural world,
but after much research into the topic, I was able to reflect upon the magnitude of the occasion with
a more appreciative comprehension.

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52

S H V E T A
KANETKAR
Economics and Finance Major and
Trip Leader with Project Canoe

When youre out in nature for extended

periods of time, like on the canoe trips I
took the trippers on this summer, nature
becomes a character itself. You have
a leader, a comedian... and you have
nature. Nature brings a new dynamic
and introduces new ways of interacting
with others and places we explore.

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For a new age of exploration to be

worthwhile, the aim must be to return
to celebrating the acts of discovering
and sharing, on however modest a scale.
Tristan Gooley

CONCLUDING
THOUGHTS

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AS LANDSCAPE
ARCHITECTS
The

landscape

as

catalyst

As landscape architects, we have the ability to use our sense of
curiosity and creativity to solve problems, such as the lack of wonder in
modern society, through design. Yet, we seem to forget that we have this
ability to share our insights. Even the way we view nature in some parks
seems so decontextualized, as if some designers covet nature but the
actualized plans manage to produce only a fragment of the intent. These
parks are sometimes only shadows of nature, where handfuls of vegetation
are put in a bed surrounded by grass. They are boxed in and kept tame by
clippers. It is as if these little beds have been boxed by our regulations and
guidelines and put on display like products. It is the anomalies in a place
which deem them wonderful -that allow the mind to wander. These seem
more abundant in Southern and Eastern Europe, such as Florence, where
the sidewalks in the alleys would start with a standard width, but as one
advanced they had a tendency to peter out and one was forced to tiptoe
along the curbs edge or risk an untimely encounter with a vespa. Perhaps it
is due to the historical dimension or the different intensity of government
presence, but nevertheless, we could learn from their embrace of intuitive
urban spaces.

If landscape architects could encourage communities to desire
more intuitive spaces, or take on more whimsical and ecological design
methods, the mindful shift towards wonder would accompany it seamlessly.
As deep ponderers and wonderers ourselves, landscape architects have
the ability to create this bridge into urban and suburban spaces. This type
of design is already emerging with strength, which is encouraging. But it
has not yet become as pervasive as it has the potential to be. We have the
power within our field to make changes. We have the ability to create these
spaces of abundant wildflowers where people may sit on a stump at dawn
and open themselves to the reciprocal energy exchange they are part of. It
will take time, but eventually our ideas can percolate into society. Eventually
a world full of places that encourage wonder could be the norm.

Nate Perkins captured our role quite well quite well in our interview
where he thoughtfully recalled the following:


I really do believe that at its core, to get down to the meaningful
stuff, the spiritual stuff, I think we are really trying to create experiences for
people that we value. Yes, we must do benches, yes we must do this or that,
but those are only the things we manipulate. I dont think youll find many
landscape architects that disagree.

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encourage

an

active

state

of

being...

58


Through my research I attempted to uncover a solution to the lack
of wonder in modern society, which in part, I did. But the major discovery
that was encountered on this intellectual and spiritual endeavor was: if we
could apply the theoretical solutions to the problem of a society lacking in
wonder by enhancing their spiritual vibrancy through introducing them to
appreciating the natural world, we could solve many societal problems.

The progression into a technological age has come upon our
society with intensity and an ever-quickening pace. We are welcomed by
ad campaigns and the pressure of efficiency to perform our mundane
daily tasks through the aid of technological devices. We are promised
that our participation will be rewarded with effortless results. But at what
cost are we altering our methods of work? Due to these more efficient
modes of living, we are able to function as a member of society with fully
neglected senses. We are positively reinforced for our lack of sensuous
attention by the constant adaptation of our built world to accommodate
this mindset. From a retrospective glance, it seems that we have created
a catch-22 of sorts. This will continue unless we resist. Many people
believe that a pending transformation exists within society, hinted at by
the ever quickening pace of the unravelling of the worlds economic and
environmental systems (Macey, 2012).

A great many of us have the ability to see potential in something
as small as a pebble: to a child they are the magic coins of a great emperor,
they are the wish we made when skipping stones at the lakeside, or perhaps
to you perhaps they represent the lineage of the great rock from which
they came. If we can learn to marvel at the small things and open our
minds to the creativity we house in our minds, letting go of judgments.
And if we can learn to appreciate our world for the intricate web it is,
perhaps we can once again recognize ourselves as an entity of this greater
whole.

I am not attempting to suggest that every moment should be
engaged in an active sense of wonder, nor am I suggesting that all of
society should retreat into nature and live in a hermit-like manner. It is
about balance. It is about balancing what currently, is asymmetrical. I
am suggesting a strengthening of that relationship with nature to create
a harmonious way of being. Through wonder and soft fascination of
our environment one can allow the mind to relax or observe in a nonjudgmental state, opening the spirit up to the reciprocity and love that
the earth can provide us with. I am simply suggesting that wonder should
become a more integrated part of everyday life, incorporated into our
routines and encouraged by the design of our urban environments. The
more difficult it becomes to connect with the sense of wonder, the more
imminent the need.
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PROJECTED
F U T U R E

The way that Richard Louv presents the idea of a mental shift
seems to be relatively simple: They need only a taste, a sight, a sound, a
touch...to connect with that receding world of the senses. The know-it-all
state of mind is, in fact, quite vulnerable. In a flash, it burns, and something
essential emerges from its ashes. He speaks here of this pending mental
shift within each of us. He speaks of it as if it for all its imminence
-pressing on the souls of all individuals. But these moments of sensory
awakening can only happen when we are removed from our technological
lenses.

It is essential to our progression towards a movement of
conservation and harmonious living that we use wonder as an approach
to build a reverence and appreciation for our natural environment. It must
be through this feeling of respect and homogeneity that we approach
sustainable living, as fear tactics do not resonate with people.

Pondering the effects of this societal movement are beyond the
scope of my research and the ones I am able to fathom may seem much
too radical to most. At the height of my optimism, I see a wondrous
society becoming more playful, and more peaceful. With a society of more
spiritually fulfilled people, I can see the slow decline of people attempting
to fill those spiritual voids with objects and with simulated experiences -a
lifestyle founded more on voluntary simplicity. As people learn appreciate
the reciprocity of the earths systems, I see an increase in ecological design
and a subversion of the advertisement industry. I see the rejection of
individuals being labeled as consumers and the consolidation of the idea
of community. Yes, these futuristic projections are radical, but I believe
that encouraging society to wonder and engage in restorative aesthetic
experiences could initiate the pending cultural shift.


It is with hurried footsteps that we tread this earth. If we could
learn the value of a silent pause in nature...

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NATE PERKINS
Faculty at The University of Guelphs
Landscape Architecture Department
PhD Rural Studies

We live in a world now where we have

reduced the element of danger; its a pretty
predictable place. And, just like behind
every great perfume, there is that pungent
scent that triggers you, in wonder there has
to be that element of danger -that feeling of
returning to our evolutionary roots. We still
pine for that connection to the unknown.

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S O U R C E S
C I T E D

Thayer, R. (1994). Grey World, Green Heart: technology, nature and the sustainable
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Boetzkes, A. (2013, October). The Visual Arts Today. Lecture conducted at
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Livingston, J. (2004). D. Jensen (Ed.), Listening to the Land: Conversations about

Nature, Culture, and Eros.Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing Company.

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Mander, J. (1991). In the Absence of the Sacred-The Failure of Technology and the
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Neilson, A. (1998). A Place to Find the Spiritual Response. Guelph: University of Guelph
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Robertson, J., McDaniel, C. (2013). Themes of Contemporary Art: visual art after
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Kanetkar, S. (2013, November 6). Personal interview.

OBrien, B. (2013, November 15). Personal interview.
Perkins, N. (2013, November 15). Personal interview.
Vander Vennen, R. (2013, November 3). Personal interview.
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All figures are my own unless otherwise stated.

Gateway Photography. (Photographer). (2012, January 17). Pyramid in Las
Vegas [Web Photo]. Original retrieved from http://www.bhmpics.com/
pyramid_in_las_vegas-wallpapers.html. [Edited by Kate Hunter].

LIST OF FIGURES

Goldsworthy, A. (Photographer). (2013, October 20). Rivers and Tides

[Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://oduadvanced.blogspot.ca/2013/10/
weekly-post-russell-jones.html
W
Lewis , J. (Photographer). (2008, December 18). Melty Day [Print Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonlewisphotography/3117779687/sizes/l/in/photostream/
Von Rydingsvard, U. (Photographer). (1999). Bowl with Folds [Web Photo].
Retrieved from http://www.ursulavonrydingsvard.net/site/selected_sculpture/index.html

THANK

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YOU