Hyenas, American Museum of Natural History , NYCopyright (c) Traer Scott /All Rights Reserved
Leopards, American Museum of Natural History , NYCopyright (c) Traer Scott /All Rights Reserved
Ostrich 2, American Museum of Natural History , NYCopyright (c) Traer Scott /All Rights Reserved
Hunting Dogs 2, American Museum of Natural History , NYCopyright (c) Traer Scott /All Rights Reserved
When I was nine, my mother would take me to the Natural History Museum in Raleigh (where she was a volunteer curator) all day, everyday in the summers. I spent very long, lonely weeks communing with the museum's animals, both living and dead, as well as operating the manual elevator for employees and rummaging through the collection of ancient periodicals and books housed in a private library. I have since harbored an immense affection for all things old and musty and mysterious, particularly preserved animals whose half dead/half alive presence is both fascinating and unnerving.
Natural History is a series of abstract in-camera constructions of visitors viewing the legendary dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The taxidermied animals in these dioramas were collected (and killed) by "naturalists" primarily at the beginning of the 20th century. Many of these long dead specimens now represent endangered or extinct species. I feel that the unintentional juxtaposition and interaction between the viewers and the animals creates highly allegorical narratives of our troubled co-existence with nature.
Scott won a 2010 Rhode Island State Council for the Arts Photography Grant on the merit of this Natural History series. More American Museum of Natural History Reflections: Gallery
Traer Scott Website
These are really quite wonderful. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThe images shown here are haunting, especially the last one of the woman with a priceless expression.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised the photographer Traer Scott managed to take these photographs, especially since most places do not allow photography.
That is also what makes this collection 'priceless', considering that today it is most difficult to take any public pictures and I know this first hand.
Thank you for sharing and have a wonderful weekend.
Egmont
this series treat every single element of the picture with so much caress ...
ReplyDeletemy goodness, these are fantastic!
ReplyDeleteTerrific, these photos look like just out of some specialFX movie! Superb!
ReplyDelete- Pixellicious Photos
Something very moving about these. I know I'll be "seeing" them in me for the rest of the day.
ReplyDeleteI love these. :)Bea
ReplyDeleteSuperb. Thank you for bringing them to my attention.
ReplyDeleteevery time i come here i say to myself " well that is it, it don't get no better than this." then i come back to take another peek, and you out do your self again. thank you so much for giving me a few moments of serenity when i come here.
ReplyDeleteyou are my idol :) these are amazing, as always.
ReplyDeletelove the story behind your interest in them.
thanks EA!
These photos really do illustrate our uneasy alliance with nature/animals. Beautiful stuff here.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great back story, the photographs are spiritual and primal simultaneously- Art at its best. GT
ReplyDeleteMoving.
ReplyDeleteElegant.
Thoughtful.
Truly amazing collection, the reflections are incredible.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing these elegant, and hauntingly evocative photo's
ReplyDeleteWho knew that those long days in
ReplyDeletethe summer would create such
moving masterpieces?
Yes, I am the mother of this talented
artist, and if I were not, I still
would love her work.
She always had a talent that was
unique.
I am thrilled that she can share it
with the world.
Terry Scott
I had the honor of meeting Traer and seeing this work in person while sharing some wall space at a photo festival in Shanghai in 2012. Traer herself is a lovely person, and the work matches her perfectly. So glad to see these images get more exposure! Congrats!
ReplyDelete