sierra club Archives - John Muir, The Unruly Mystic

Posted on May 23, 2026August 9, 2026 by Michael Conti — Leave a comment

The Thread That Connects Them All: Hildegard, Muir, and the Unruly Mystic Series

A sweeping, cinematic editorial illustration depicting three iconic figures from different centuries standing at a distance within a vast, luminous wilderness landscape — a medieval woman in a dark habit, a bearded 19th-century naturalist in worn trail clothes, and a contemplative older man in a simple suit — each gazing outward into a transcendent natural world that surrounds and connects them. The landscape merges the lush green Rhineland river valleys, towering Sierra Nevada granite peaks and ancient sequoias, and the geometric swirl of a starfield and light beams suggesting the fabric of spacetime. Golden-green light — viriditas — pulses through the vegetation and atmosphere, unifying all three scenes into one continuous visual field. The mood is reverent, awe-struck, and quietly powerful, rendered in a painterly, atmospheric style with rich earth tones, deep forest greens, and celestial blues, evoking both sacred wilderness and cosmic wonder.

What does a 12th-century German abbess have in common with a 19th-century Scottish naturalist? More than you might think — and understanding the connection changes how you see both of them.

Posted on April 18, 2022August 9, 2026 by Michael Conti — Leave a comment

Was John Muir a racist?

A dramatic split composition depicting John Muir as a weathered 19th-century naturalist silhouetted against a vast Alaskan glacier landscape on one side, and on the other side, three Tlingit leaders in elaborate traditional ceremonial regalia and woven blankets, standing proudly before towering old-growth forest. The two halves of the image meet at a misty treeline, symbolizing a complex historical encounter. The color palette contrasts warm golden tones of indigenous heritage with the cold blue-white of glacial wilderness. The mood is contemplative and morally weighty, rendered in the style of a painterly editorial illustration with rich textures and atmospheric depth, evoking both the grandeur of American wilderness conservation history and the painful legacy of racial erasure.

John Muir's racist attitudes toward Native Americans and Black Americans have prompted a difficult reckoning within the Sierra Club and beyond. Filmmaker Michael Conti reflects on the dichotomy — and how Muir's 1879 Alaska trip may have marked a turning point.

Posted on July 30, 2018May 23, 2026 by Michael Conti — Leave a comment

Sierra Club John Muir Exhibit Review

The Sierra Club's John Muir Education Team reviews The Unruly Mystic: John Muir — examining how the film captures Muir's spiritual vision and its relevance to today's environmental movement.