ISB at the opening of Chris Packham’s More Beautiful Than You exhibition

It was such fun to attend the opening of More Beautiful Than You: The Wildlife Photography of Chris Packham, at Iconic Images Gallery. The exhibition runs from 12 March to 11 April and presents a body of work that is visually exacting and ethically charged: beautiful and unsettling… It was particularly lovely to connect with […]

It was such fun to attend the opening of More Beautiful Than You: The Wildlife Photography of Chris Packham, at Iconic Images Gallery. The exhibition runs from 12 March to 11 April and presents a body of work that is visually exacting and ethically charged: beautiful and unsettling…

It was particularly lovely to connect with Laline Paull, an Early Adopter of ISB who is standing beside the glorious honey bee. Pictured here together in front of Chris’s striking buffalo image, with co-founders Nat and JP.

Chris’s work resists the familiar framing of wildlife as a passive subject. His wonderful images are composed with intent, drawing attention to beings often overlooked or misunderstood, and inviting a more expansive sense of beauty.

It was also meaningful to see this exhibition in light of Chris Packham’s involvement in I Stand Beside. Chris is standing beside the bog sun jumping spider, a species that featured in We Stand Beside: The Ark, the amazing exhibition, curated by co-founder Jane Frere and running at The Barn in Banchory (more on this soon).

Reflecting on ISB, Chris recently said:

“With ‘I Stand Beside’ … people from all walks have found commonality in their commitment to highlight all the things which maybe, but are not necessarily, bright and beautiful. Because in a time of crisis everything counts, and it needs to count at the double. Some of us do the ‘science’, but we must not forget the art, the culture, the connections to communities. We must not forget that whilst the ‘facts’ are our foundation, what we feel is the fuel. The fuel to make a difference. Now is the time to urgently ignite the drive for progress.”

This articulation captures something central to ISB’s approach. Scientific understanding provides the groundwork, but it is affect, imagination, and shared cultural experience that generate momentum for change.