Soil through an artist’s eyes

Summary

Through the eyes of an artist, there is much more to soil, soil profiles and the environment than is seen by most soil scientists - we were challenged to take a wider view of the materials and environment with which we work.

Research findings

Richard MacEwan presented an exciting account of modern simulation techniques for illucidating the nature of soil, its inhabitants, its importance to indigenous communities and the simple fact that we probably only see what we want to see. Through the eyes of an artist, there is much more to soil, soil profiles and the environment than is seen by most soil scientists - we were challenged to take a wider view of the materials and environment with which we work.

A dynamic fly-through using Google Earth showed in a very practical way the changing landscape in which we place pipelines, locate agricultural land and build cities. The new perspective offered by rapid advances in emerging technologies enables soil scientists to explore the environment of soil in ways that were not previously possible. An exciting part of Richard’s presentation was a digital animation developed by school children on the theme of soil health and soil biology. It combined art and science to investigate the soil environment in an amusing and highly successful manner for the children involved.

Reference

MacEwan R (2006) Keynote Presentation at the Combined National Conference on Soils, Adelaide, Dec 2006.
 

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