Debra Solomon, "Soil Portraits," 2016-2017
As artist-in-residence at Waag Society's Open Wetlab and AGA Lab (Amsterdam Graphic Studio), Debra Solomon created soil samples using soil from the Urbaniahoeve forest garden (DemoTuinNoord) and nearby public spaces. To visualise the soil nutrients available urban land, she employed soil chromatography, which registers the humification process driven by soil biota in collaboration with plants, moisture, and soil minerals. In just one year, she has produced about 90 such soil portraits, nine of which are featured here. Her innovative technique produces soil chromatographs that are sixteen times larger than are ordinarily available. To develop this technique, Solomon consulted soil scientist Ruben Borge (Rockin Soils in Almere, NL).
Copyright 2017 Sue Spaid