Architecture and landscape architecture sometimes sit
uncomfortably in the space between science and art. This exhibition brings into
question the prevalent single-minded view of ‘dirt’ and the mineral soils and
subsurface conditions that make it up. Few know what lies beneath, and those
who do are generally investigating soils solely for economic reasons. The
contribution of soils to place and site-specific identity is lost to both
designers and the public as the soils are buried under a flattened urban
infrastructure (asphalt and buildings), eradicating the unique shape of our
landscapes and the formation of ‘place’. This exhibition asks how an earth-based
expression of place and its identity can inform design decisions and develop a
distinctive local aesthetic.
More specifically, the exhibition investigates the
uniqueness of soils in a transect from sea to sea, from the Kapiti coast and
the Tasman sea in the west to the Wairarapa region and the Pacific Ocean in the
east. As we penetrate the surface and
delve below the upper organic conditions, we ask how should we acknowledge the
soils beneath, their diversity and complexity.
Soils are formed in layers, called horizons, which offer a
history of place. Following careful excise of the soils from existing cuts in
the landscape and taking care to only sample on public lands, our method
commenced with an examination of soil using a rationalist framework but with an
awareness of its limitations—selecting, extracting, processing and revealing,
before probing the hidden meanings and complexities of this approach. Each
horizon was sifted to understand the nature of the soil and then reconstructed
to show the variability of textures within the layer. Next, the topmost soil
was placed at the base of the tube and the soil profile was recreated. Where two horizons join, the texture of the
soils of each was matched, so coarse grain with coarse grain and fine grain
with fine grain. The depth of each
horizon provides a unique proportioning system specific to that location. A variety of techniques and media were
explored to reveal the beauty of the hidden. The uniqueness and richness of the
layers of soil can lead to new ways of understanding place through texture,
colour and proportionality.
This exhibition seeks to expose and
explore the artistic potential of subterranean soil conditions to express
unique regional identities and to challenge global emerging trends in soil use.
For design professionals, it offers a reference catalogue of colour, structure,
proportionality, and texture to be considered in practice. It also demonstrates
how an exhibition can be used to curate soils and, in doing so, inform design
decisions to encourage the development of an authentic regional aesthetic. The
confrontation of the immense beauty and complexity of our samples initiated a
moment of reflection, a reconsideration of the hidden inner world of soils and
a deep desire for a different way of knowing.