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Mountains of Inspiration: Interpretation
of Extreme Landscape
Artists, poets, musicians and writers have been inspired by
extreme landscape since the days of cave paintings. Entire schools
of creativity have grown up around extreme landscape: the Lake
District poets, the Group of Seven painters, and generations of
adventure writers and photographers.
The inspirational value of these landscapes has
resulted in some of the most memorable examples of creativity
imaginable and, at the same time, continues to inspire countless
others in smaller, less obvious ways. The carting of cameras,
camcorders and journals around the countryside is indicative of
our overwhelming urge to respond to the inspirational quality of
extreme landscapes.
Mountains such as Mount Sinai, Mount Kailas and
Mount Fuji are at the heart of several world religions. In these
cases, mountains have come to symbolize the highest level of
spiritual values. Outside of formalized religion, many of us look
to extreme landscapes for renewal, inspiration, and the nurturing
of our souls.
Generations of climbers and others focused on
challenging physical activities see extreme landscapes as their
ultimate source of inspiration.
This very diverse panel presented a wide variety of
inspirational points of view, from the sublime to the physical.
Sacred-mountain expert Edwin Bernbaum is a world authority on the
role that mountains play in spirituality. John Amatt’s
relationship with extreme landscape is that of one who was
inspired to climb. For Julia Taffe, that inspiration moves her to
dance — in a vertical world.
Dermot Somers is an author whose works interpreting inspirational
landscape have become an inspiration to all who read them.
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