Earth Frame Project: Prologue is a photographic series by Yasunori Matsui, conceived with support from the Alaska National Park Service Fire Management Program during the wildfire seasons from 2012 to 2015.

The series draws inspiration from the primordial power of fire as it follows a non-linear path to transform landscapes overnight. Ignited by lightning and extinguished by rain, these conflagrations represent one of nature's purest ecological processes. The end of a life cycle, often perceived negatively, can also be vi ewed as the cycle’s apotheosis, wherein the consumed landscape is transfigured into a renewed origin—the birth of a new life cycle.       

Since the beginning of time, our planet has served as a host for a myriad of organisms. Humanity, merely a blip on a cosmic timeline, is an innumerable conglomeration of beings granted conditional residency here on Earth. There are forces of immeasurable energy operating within this macrocosm, demanding that every organism evolve or face extinction. Common sense among scientific communities suggests that there has been a significant departure from previous ecological cycles to which our species has been accustomed. The change threatens the world’s habitats and affects the frequency and intensity of natural disasters. We have entered an unprecedented cycle that will challenge our relationship with the natural world and define the future ecosystem within which this civilization must survive.

The mission of the Earth Frame Project is to capture the changing face of our planet by framing scientific, historical, and technological data with imagery and preserving the opportunity to return and document the same cataloged landscapes in the years to come. The ultimate objective is for this expanding archive to serve as a tool for future generations to study an Earth that will continue to host our humanity and cohabiting species.