Scott Mead: Above the Clouds

Mountain peaks, scraggy rock faces, urban landscapes traversed by meandering rivers, distant oceans with rippling waves and the whitest, fluffiest clouds you have ever seen: these are the diverse geological and architectural subjects of American photographer-philanthropist Scott Mead's latest body of work, Above the Clouds.

Over the past decade, Mead has traveled by plane all over the world. Whilst in transit, he has snapped the wonders of the world from up high. From the Deep Blue at sunrise to vertiginous mountain ranges cast in shadows, and densely populated, sprawling cities to sparsely inhabited villages, Mead's breathtaking vistas capture the diversity of our planet's shapes, structures, forms and surfaces.

Scott Mead: Above the Clouds. Installation shot, Hamiltons Gallery. Image: Culture Whisper

Mead sees Above the Clouds as a tangible means to develop an emotional and philosophical understanding of the world. Ever since his first journey above the clouds, Mead has found gazing out plane windows at the endless metamorphosing horizon both enriching and inspiring. For the photographer, the journey is more than just a means to a destination.

It's a means to disconnect. To journey physically is to journey metaphorically. During tranquil moments above the clouds, Mead lets his mind wander to unknown lands where daydreams, forgotten memories and new perspectives run free. In the air, it's possible to surrender control, muse over endless possibilities, and accept life's more challenging moments with a sanguine calmness difficult to find 'on the ground'.

Although Mead's recent exhibition, Scott Mead: Above the Clouds, has just closed at London's prestigious Hamiltons Gallery, his recently published book, Scott Mead: Above the Clouds, is now available to buy online; all print and books proceeds will go to Great Ormond Street Children's Charity.

An expression of a 'deeply-lived exploration, reflection and discovery', it's one of the most captivating and aesthetically engaging art books we've seen in recent months.