What Will I Say to the Sky and the Earth II

Meryl McMaster

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Among the coastal ice flows of Lake Erie I am covered by various insect species – members of a poorly understood and very important class of lifeforms. There are millions of insect species that are unknown to us but play an important role in maintaining ecological equilibrium. To me they represent the fragile, harmonious balance that we are a part of and that we must take care to protect. Their silence is a warning that we are falling into a disharmonious condition. One of the species present in this image is the Mayfly and its presence within an ecosystem is seen as a reliable indication of a clean and unpolluted environment. The garment that I am wearing resembles the Inuit gut-skin coat, a piece of protective clothing that is waterproof from the outside but allows for moisture to escape from the inside. It was worn while fishing, among other activities. To me this protective outfit represents the care that has been taken throughout history when interfering with the equilibrium of nature, but also our need to interact with our environment and to find our place within it.