Photographer: Lisa M. Merrell, Tulsa, Oklahoma Image Title: Dangerous Creatures Category: Urban Wildlife   Technical Details: A good ol' Canon F1, 35mm film-nothing fancy Location: Marsh's Free Museum, Long Beach, WA. Description: Home of the featured half man, half alligator, Marsh's Free Museum offers all sorts of kitschy knickknacks and somewhat flagrant items for viewing and purchase. I couldn't help but to be drawn to a wall full of trophy heads tagged with danger signs dangling from each stuffed prize. Their beady eyes seamed alive as their gaze pierced my heart. Growing up in Oklahoma, I was never able to appreciate dead animals hanging on the "study" wall as monuments of achievement, nor did I comprehend the fascination with hunting. I discovered that the hunters felt alive and in touch with their existence while pursuing their game. Of course, survival is the greatest instinct of any being. However, does one species need to be superior or is there truly a balance for coexistence?   Lisa works in black and white and shoots with a 35 mm camera for mobility and quickness. She is profoundly drawn to things that are out of the ordinary, perhaps even disturbing. Interested in Latin American studies, she uses photography as a means of exploring different cultures.   Born September 13, 1971 in Oklahoma City, she attended the University of Oklahoma to study physical therapy, later moving to Dallas, Texas, where she became a licensed massage therapist. Taking up an interest in cycling and craving an environmental change, Lisa moved to Seattle where she became a competitive cyclist. After several injuries, Lisa began studying photography in 2001 as a means of staying active artistically, if not physically. Lisa studies photography at the Photographic Center Northwest in Seattle, Washington.   Exhibitions include Celebrating Women in the Arts 2003, Cascades Academy of Photography juried exhibition 2002.   Lisa M. Merrell Open Eyes Enterprise Phone: 206-650-5258 E-mail: openeyes2020@hotmail.com   Return to 2003 Galleries | Return to 2003 Urban Wildlife Gallery     Home | Contact Us | Copyright