The uppermost strata of soil is called the O Horizon, a layer that is defined by both vitality and decay. Decomposing organic matter and a vibrancy of insect, microbial, algal, and plant life are simultaneously and continuously occurring within its bounds. The phrase also feels like it could be the beginning of an epic poem.
The exhibit O-Horizon is an unedited glimpse into the process of writing a book: a series of poems and essays about soil health, regenerative practices and rural culture. The writing is primarily inspired by a series of interviews that I have been conducting with land stewards located primarily around the upper Eastern Shore.
Here, you can see the tangle of notes, drawings, objects, and experiments that collectively add up to a book. It is a complicated and interconnected process, overwhelmingly full of different life forms: fertile ground for stories to emerge from.
