The G2 Gallery

On Tuesday, May 15, The G2 Gallery will present Wild on Earth: Piper Mackay, a solo exhibition focusing on the wildlife of the African continent.  A stunning set of emotional images captures a range of African wildlife including elephants, zebras, and cheetahs by Piper Mackay, the only known solo female safari leader in Africa.

Piper shoots documentary style images while in the field in Africa and then use special software by Nik Filters to bring the emotion she felt in the presence of wildlife to her finished product.  The rich tones and sepia shades bring a glow to the dust of places like the Serengeti and Amboseli.

Featured in the exhibit is Cheetah Mother and Cub, which appeared in the January 2012 edition of National Geographic and was a part of the 2008 Nature’s Best photo exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute.  Among all of her images, Piper states “Cheetah Mother and Cub is the one I’m most emotionally invested in,” in part because she spent an entire week observing and photographing the interactions between mother and cub.  The mortality rate for cheetah cubs is 95% and, according to Piper “this mother was especially protective of her sole surviving cub and watching them together was something so incredibly special.”

The exhibit will be comprised of 16 of Piper’s original prints in sizes ranging from 20x30” to 40x60”.  All proceeds from art sales will be donated to support African wildlife.  Piper hopes that her images will inspire viewers to “protect what’s right in the world.”  The area in which Piper photographs faces many challenges.  “The Serengeti is in so much trouble,” she says, “rhino and elephant poaching are at an all time high, the Masai Mara River is drying up, and a proposed road that would affect the migration” all bode trouble for the wildlife that Piper says makes the region so magical.  “It’s very empowering to experience seeing these animals in the wild,” she explains, “it makes you come back and feel like the world is fake.”

An artist’s reception is scheduled for Saturday, May 19, from 6:30–9:00 PM.  Admission is $5 at the door and RSVP is required to RSVP@theg2gallery.com.  All proceeds from the event will benefit environmental causes.