THE UNDERNEATH: FIELD AND LABORATORY STUDIES OF SOIL
Marion Belanger + Martha Willette Lewis 

Friability of soil refers to its crumbly texture, which is somewhere between sand and clay.  It is not so fine and grainy like sand, or so thick and mushy like clay. A handful of friable soil when pressed hard, should form a lump, but the lump can be easily disintegrated.  Friable soil has a plentitude of micro-organisms which maintains a crumbly, fertile soil. It holds many times its weight in water, like a sponge, and allows for root spread.  Plants grown in friable soil will be healthier, will have lush foliage, strong root systems and be resistant to diseases and pests.

The Underneath is an ongoing collaborative installation by Marion Belanger and Martha Willette Lewis.  The work was initially commissioned by Artspace New Haven in 2018 when the artists were in residence at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. While the shape of the installation varies, all utilize recontextualized archive records of scientific root and soil studies, and entomological and plant pathology documentation drawn from the library and archives of the agricultural station. These, and additional photographs made of contemporary root studies are hung as wallpaper to create a “soil room” where the viewer is surrounded by roots, soil, hands, and insects.  A video of worms in compost is projected onto a screen and beyond, activating the soil walls as it slips beyond the projector screen. Glass containers hold compost, filling the air with earthy scent, and historic definitions of roots and soil are projected within the darkened room.