10/03/2025 - Four Positions of Soil Energy

10th March 2025

Experimentation: Soil Chromatography

In early February, I ventured to Danby in the North Yorkshire Moors to bury pre-coated light-sensitive paper and fabric within the landscape. Alongside this, I gathered soil samples by unearthing material at specific locations and recording electrical energy readings to examine soil activity. To complement these readings, I aimed to create visual representations of soil, images that could reveal the presence and activity of microbial life within the intricate soil system beneath our feet. This entry (within my ongoing research blog) will discuss my findings and below I have documented five images from four soil samples. I must state that I have approached this form of soil chromatography from a different process of making. Instead of working through the centre of the filter paper, I have dipped each filter vertically into the soil solution allowing the solution to soak up and through the filter paper. For the purpose of this analysis, I will be not taking into account zonal parameters (CZ, MZ, OZ) due to the direction of solution travel.

P#1 does not exist as I did not take a sample upon arriving at Danby, where the landscape was dominated by burnt heather growth. I began sampling further into the Moors, distancing myself from the roadside and reducing signs of human presence.

The first soil sample and microbial energy reading recorded a voltage of 0.917. The corresponding soil chroma image reveals nine distinct channels, suggesting a well-developed soil profile with a strong presence of organic matter and nutrients. A slight spiking effect is visible on the right side of the image (at the bottom of the filter dip), though these are minimal and not fully formed, indicating that the soil maintains a relatively positive health status. This is further supported by the chroma image’s colour analysis, warm tones of gold, yellow, and orange appear at the top, signalling healthy soil, while the deeper sections transition into dark browns and blues, indicating areas of lower soil health.

For P#3, I successfully created two circular soil chroma prints, with electrical readings registering at 0.906 volts. The first print shows some spillage that occurred while removing the filter from the solution. While this did not cause cross-contamination, it resulted in a ‘double exposure’ effect. Despite this, the print clearly displays a high number of spikes in the central top channel, indicating an increased presence of organic matter and nutrients in the soil sample. Print two, while lacking the same defined spikes as the first, still exhibits similar activity within the same central top channel.

In print one, the colours appear more scattered across the filter (likely due to the double exposure), featuring a mix of dark browns and blues, which typically indicate lower microbial activity. However, at both ends of the print, warm tones of orange and red emerge alongside a distinct cream base, signalling areas of high microbial presence. This raises the question of whether microbial activity in the soil is concentrated away from central positions. While I am uncertain whether this is a recognised phenomenon in soil systems, my prints appear to suggest a pattern worth further exploration.

Print two, in contrast, presents more defined and intense colours, with slight blurring between channels. The surrounding warm tones, indicative of healthy soil, are clearly visible. A strong, intense blue runs through the centre of the print, signifying lower microbial activity, yet on either side, rich and vibrant colours emerge, reinforcing the presence of active soil life.

Of all the soil chroma prints, P#4 is the one I find most compelling. Its soft, pastel-like textures remind me of blending crayons or pastels by hand, smudging colours together with fingertips. This visual effect almost echoes the physical act of running fingers through soil touching, sensing its texture, quality, and the energy within it.

P#4 recorded the second-highest electrical reading during my soil sampling in Danby, which suggests a relatively healthy soil composition. This is reflected in the chroma print, where warm tones of red, orange, yellow, cream, and gold dominate. There is only a small trace of blue in the bottom right corner, indicating minimal colder tones. However, the intensity of these warm colours appears slightly diffused, suggesting that while microbial activity is present, it may not be at its peak. The channels within the print are not fully developed, yet their increased number still points to a significant presence of organic matter and nutrients within the soil.

My final sample, which recorded the highest microbial activity reading at 1.008V, was expected to reveal a higher concentration of macro energy. However, when analysing the colours and their intensities, the results present a mixed palette of orange, red, and yellow, indicators of a healthy, microbial active soil. These warm tones are vivid and bold, suggesting a strong presence of microbial energy. A point of uncertainty arises with the presence of dark browns and blue tones running through the lower-middle areas of the image. These colours typically signify reduced microbial activity, which complicates the interpretation, raising questions about whether the chroma print has accurately developed in correlation with the electrical energy reading.

While I appreciate the alternative perspective soil chromatography offers, resembling an above and below horizon line of a landscape (even if rotated sideways), a challenge emerges when attempting to extract factual data that aligns with electrical energy readings. As outlined in my research, my approach to the landscape is rooted in artistic communication, yet I integrate scientific methods to reinforce and support these artistic interpretations. I will continue to explore soil chromatography with the buried materials I have yet to retrieve in the coming months. However, for these current samples, of which I still have the prepared solutions bottled and ready for reuse, I plan to create traditional circular prints to achieve a clearer and more precise reading.