Scott Mead, an American born photographer and philanthropist living in London, exhibited his most recent series of photographs, Above The Clouds, at Hamiltons to benefit Great Ormond Street Hospital. In this most recent body of work, Mead captures the physical, emotional and philosophical wonder of air travel with his images of the world above the clouds. All profits from print sales and the book have been donated to Great Ormond Street Children’s Charity in London, where one of his children was cured of a life-threatening illness many years ago. Since then Mead has been a deeply involved supporter of the hospital.
Above the Clouds is a portfolio of images taken from Mead’s extensive air travel on regularly scheduled flights over the last several years. During these journeys, Mead has been extremely inspired whilst gazing out of plane windows at the endless horizon, finding that the journey itself can be more meaningful than just a means to a destination. Mead’s photographic career can be seen as an expression of a deeply-lived life of exploration, reflection and discovery.
“I have always found a sense of magic in travel. Anticipation, a feeling of liberation and boundless promise arise when journeying into the unfamiliar, making us acutely conscious of ourselves. But with travel above the clouds, there is something unique: we surrender control and immerse ourselves in the journey and the moment…And within those rarefied moments and that space above the clouds, we can often find our way back into an inner world that is otherwise difficult to access. Looking out can therefore allow us again to look within.” Scott Mead
Scott Mead, JFK-LHR 11-10-2015 08-14-20-Pastel morning, New York departure (mid) © Scott Mead