Photography: Black & White, Digital on Paper.

Parts of the earth
Erika Masterson Photographic Artist
Parts of the Earth

In my work, I revisit our relationship with nature. I am attracted to the vulnerability of the human spirit and the spiritual trials we all go through which some of us know we are in and some do not. I am intrigued by the inner battle of complete submission of losing ourselves and our physical trappings to this world and gaining a new life. I am fascinated by the power and beauty of life physically and spiritually. And even when we physically leave this earth our legacy remains.

To create this work, I found several taxidermy collectors throughout the state of Florida. I chose a simple backdrop to feature the beauty of the living models and the preserved animals. I chose to shoot large format film to capture the details of these beautiful creations without distraction. I chose white vintage dresses to represent the purity of the girls and also as a remembrance of the souls that wore them before. The animals have been preserved as a visual legacy.

. This is my current series
“Parts of the Earth” limited edition of 25 archival pigment print