Soil chromatography is a simple photographic process that separates a soil's mineral, carbon, and humus content, resulting in pictographs resembling tree rings. While largely used by environmental artists, this process was once a method for farmers to assess their soil's health — the healthier the soil, the more complex the chroma in the pictograph.

The workshop will be led by Shoshana Zambryski-Stachel, who is known for her experimental analog photographs printed on eggshells. Since moving to the Mendocino Coast, she has continued to work and play with non-traditional natural and organic materials. Shoshana’s background in darkroom photography and passion for the natural world come together in this workshop; soil chromatography is a perfect blend of how chemistry can illustrate and illuminate the intricacies within the composition of our natural world.

For our workshop, we will be using soils collected locally on our SOIL COLLECTION WALK from the Redwood Forest, the Fort Bragg Mill Site, Glass Beach, and the grounds of the Larry Spring Museum. You are also welcome to bring a dry soil sample of your choosing to test. Masks will be provided as participants will be working with ground soils and a silver nitrate solution. We will experiment with using filter paper and fabric for our pictographs. The results may be used in the Mysteries of the Round HAPPENING and on the fabric round timeline as a record of the life that pulsates beneath our feet.