SALTING THE EARTH

Salting the Earth is a site-specific installation designed as a simulation of the effects of saltwater intrusion and desertification on coastal lands.

Salting the Earth was commissioned by Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, Massachussets. The work was a part of an exhibition regarding water cycles and climate change. It was installed on the banks of Judkins Pond, which is situated adjacent to the museum. The installation was a 24-foot (7-meter) mosaic of earthen tiles made of local soil, limestone, and sand from the Mojave Desert. The installation's grid design drew inspiration from the rectangular plotting of farmlands. This simulation of gradual soil salinization visualizes the devastating process of saltwater intrusion on coastal lands; and reveals the inevitable future of Judkins Pond and all bodies of water.

The work was completed in July 2023 and deinstalled four months later in October 2023.