Back Down to Earth is a series of cameraless photograms using the Kirlian process to visualize the invisible: the electromagnetic fields, or auras, surrounding plant life. At its core, the project operates on two intertwined levels – the literal and the metaphorical. Literally, it is an exploration of the natural energies emitted by plants, captured through a photographic technique. Metaphorically, it is a call to return – to ground ourselves in the rhythms, beauty, and intelligence of the natural world. It is both a scientific investigation and a spiritual reflection, rooted in a reverence for the Earth and a desire to rekindle our relationship with it.
The project’s title carries layered meanings. On one hand, it refers to the physical act of reconnecting with soil, roots and organic material – of returning to the ground that supports all life. On the other, it expresses humility, grounding, and awareness; in a world that often facilitates a detachment from nature, I am looking for a re-centering – a return to what sustains us physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Recapturing microscopic details from original silver gelatin images using gum bichromate over palladium adds a material and conceptual layer. Palladium returns the work to the roots of photography, while the earth-pigmented gum physically connects me back to the land. A collaboration between process and nature, my work invites a shift in perspective – an encouragement to see nature not as separate, but as a partner and voice within our shared existence.
