Excerpt from the introduction of the catalog:
Soil to Skin brings together a diverse group of artists whose work transcends the traditional boundaries of environmental art. With a shared focus on the material, cultural, and historical dimensions of ecology, land, and the body, this exhibition invites us to reflect on the complex and often fraught relationships between humans and the natural environments we inhabit. Through an interdisciplinary array of mediums—ranging from photography and painting to sculpture, installation, and film—the artists in this exhibition explore the interconnectedness of the land and the body, and the memory and projection of both.
At its core, Soil to Skin is about acknowledging that the environment is not an abstract space. It is a living, breathing entity—one that bears witness to the actions of those who have shaped it, and one that continues to shape us in return. Whether through the visible scars of environmental degradation, the traces of human intervention in ecosystems, or the more subtle yet equally powerful marks left upon the human body, the exhibition highlights how the world we live in is shaped by both our history and our present choices.
This exhibition seeks to deepen our understanding of how landscapes serve as repositories of memory. Soil, water, and air bear the effects of human activity, whether through industrial practices, colonial histories, or the ongoing transformations brought about by climate change. The land carries the stories of these interventions—stories often untold or forgotten. As these artists remind us, the land is not passive; it is an active participant in the stories of environmental change and justice. And just as the earth absorbs these histories, so too do our bodies, which bear the imprint of the environments we inhabit and the legacies we inherit and bequeath.
In a world where the language of ecology is often scientific or policy-driven, the artists in Soil to Skin offer a different kind of engagement—one that is rooted in empathy, memory, and embodied experience. Their work challenges us to consider not just the ecological implications of human action, but also the social, cultural, and personal dimensions of environmental change. For example, the work of Lynn Cazabon interrogates the invisible labor behind scientific research in sustainable aquaculture, while Ara Koh’s ceramics speak to the intimate intersections of identity, labor, and memory, particularly in the context of migration and femininity.
At the same time, the exhibition acknowledges the ways in which these environmental changes are inextricably tied to histories of colonialism, exploitation, and racial injustice. Through the work of artists like Raymond Thompson Jr. and Jonna McKone, Soil to Skin confronts the legacies of empire, settler colonialism, and environmental exploitation. Thompson’s Appalachian Ghost revisits the tragic silencing of African American workers during the Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster, while McKone’s cyanotypes expose histories of displacement in the American West, offering a counternarrative to the dominant stories of conquest and progress.
Yet, amidst these urgent reflections on loss, displacement, and degradation, the exhibition is also a call to action. Soil to Skin is not merely an exploration of environmental despair; it is also a space for reflection on how we can repair and renew. The work of artists like Elena DeBold and Brooks Dierdorff challenges us to think about how media, memory, and materiality intersect to create a more sustainable and just future. DeBold’s cyanotypes, which explore medical textures of the body, invite us to think about the permeability of the human body and its connection to environmental systems, while Dierdorff’s investigation into the role of media representation prompts us to reflect on how cultural narratives shape our collective understanding of ecological crisis.
In each piece, Soil to Skin points to the power of art as both a reflective and a transformative tool. Art allows us to engage with ecological and environmental issues not only intellectually, but emotionally and physically. It offers a language that speaks to our senses and our bodies, allowing us to experience the weight of history, the complexity of ecological systems, and the urgency of environmental justice in ways that traditional scientific or political discourse cannot.
The works in Soil to Skin offer a nuanced understanding of the relationships between land, labor, memory, and justice. They serve as both a testament to the deep injustices that have been inflicted on the land and its people, and an invitation to imagine alternative futures, ones rooted in sustainability, repair, and collective action. The exhibition challenges us to reconsider our connection to the world we live in, reminding us that the earth is not just a resource to be consumed, but a living partner in a shared, fragile existence.
As you journey through Soil to Skin, you are invited to experience the artwork not as separate pieces, but as a collective meditation on the present and future of our environment—an invitation to reflect on the urgent need for ecological responsibility, justice, and repair. Each artist, through their unique practice, offers a lens through which we can view our world more clearly, see ourselves as part of a larger ecological and historical tapestry, and take action in the ways we care for the land, the body, and each other.
