Mats Andersson's photo book "Mother Earth" acclaimed – again

A year ago, Kamera & Bild wrote about nature photographer Mats Andersson's book "Mother Earth" – a unique photo book in several aspects: the size of 360 x 518mm, with the insert delivered as large loose sheets that were then hand-mounted.

"Mother Earth" has been recognized for its distinctive style and was nominated for the Publishing Prize in Sweden, won bronze in the professional class of the International Photography Awards – and now in December also awarded a silver placement in the international competition Budapest International Foto Awards in the Book/Nature category.

When the book was released last year Mats Andersson told more about his book to Kamera & Bild:

– It's mostly about moods and feelings. About life – in the large and the small. Life mostly consists of everyday – perhaps for many boring things. But that's how it looks. I love the everyday more and more and capture a lot of it in pictures. But I also wanted to get a broader perspective when I made the book. Seeing a volcanic eruption was a bit like experiencing the creation of the earth. It gave a breathtaking perspective. Standing there as a small human being and witnessing these primal forces – then you understand how small you are.

– What I want to convey is emotions. My father's passing in 2019 has undoubtedly influenced the visual language and mindset. Of course, I also want my pictures of nature and wild animals to make people realize how amazing this is and that it is truly worth preserving. That it is actually crucial for our continued existence. Scientists are increasingly agreeing that we are now living in the time of the sixth mass extinction. The last time was 66 million years ago when the dinosaurs disappeared. Then it was an asteroid impact that caused the mass extinction – today it is ourselves.

Mats also explains that the book is not really meant to fit into a bookshelf.

– The idea is that it should not be put away but remain out in the open. The book block was printed in Sweden and delivered as large loose sheets. These have then been hand-mounted into the actual cover, which is made of cardboard and where the pages are attached to a rubber band. The cover is also printed in Sweden but due to the construction, a lot is done by hand there as well, he says.