An environmental philosopher who owns two pairs of pants might seem like an odd person to help inspire the theme for Vogue’s annual photo contest. But Dr. John Hausdoerffer’s ideas about the connections between the human and non-human world were the perfect fit for this year’s event, titled The Tree of Life: A Love Letter to Nature,” which will celebrate the profound interconnectedness of humans, animals, and ecosystems, according to the event’s website.
The theme for Vogue’s ninth annual photo contest was inspired, in part, by the 2021 anthology Kinship: Belonging in a World of Relations, which Hausdoerffer edited as part of a team from the Center for Humans & Nature, where he’s a fellow.
In Kinship, Hausdoerffer and others explore the interconnection of all living things in five books through the lens of Planet, Place, Partners, Persons, and Practice.
During a panel discussion at PhotoVogue, Hausdoerffer and Gavin Van Horn, the executive editor at Humans & Nature Press, will talk about the Elemental Joys of Kinship and how having a relationship with the living things around us changes everything about how we exist in the world.
“Through shared stories, poems, and reflections, John and Gavin will illustrate how the practice of kinship is not only vital to our collective wellbeing but also a celebration of life itself,” the event website says. “They will discuss how art—whether through words, photography, or movement—can awaken empathy and inspire us to care for a wildly entangled world of kin.”
As one of the photo contest’s judges, Hausdoerffer is looking for photography that sees what others miss in the interactions between the human world and the life all around it. “I really appreciate that PhotoVogue is honoring people who have made a lot of sacrifices to develop a craft and dedicate their profession to photographic art in a world where the photograph can get in the way of letting us see what’s there,” he said. “Excellent photography enriches the way we see what’s there.”
In addition to his role as founding chair of the Philosophy department at Western, Hausdoerffer has co-founded several programs and initiatives at Western, including the Clark School of Environment and Sustainability, the Resilience Studies Consortium, the Headwaters Conference, and the Cold Harbour Institute.
As an environmental philosopher living on a severely altered planet, Hausdoerffer thinks photography that shows a sense of kinship is an important step toward helping people see that kinship is real.
“We know on a physical and ecological level that everything is interconnected. But we haven’t fully come to terms with it on a philosophical level,” he said. “How are we as human part of the larger ecological community from which we evolved? We have continued to live out the illusion, with violent consequences, that we’re separate and above … The reality is that we are part of kinship relationships with the more than human world. It’s not just interconnectivity. We’re in a family with all the species we evolved with.”
Author Credit: Seth Mensing
Photo Credit: Courtesy
