Soil from the artist’s garden, his mother’s home and a Scottish research institute has been transformed into the world’s largest soil painting. Phil Lambert, who lives in Cardiff, created the 61,000-square-centimetre artwork, and the British organisation Official Record Breakers confirmed the record.
The new work surpasses the previous achievement of 59,458 square centimetres. For the painting, Lambert used four types of soil, as well as recycled canvas and a wooden frame provided by Oxford Wood Recycling.
The artwork was created at University College London. It depicts a tree, a hedgerow, a field and hills in the distance. The artist has been working with soil as an artistic material for around ten years and received some of the necessary materials from the James Hutton Institute in Scotland.
“If you go back to the fields where you walked as children, you will notice that the soil layer is thinner and there are more rocks on the surface,” Lambert said, quoted by the BBC.
According to him, working with scientists introduced him to the threats facing soil and the measures needed to protect it. Observations of changes in the landscape also influenced his choice of subject matter for the painting.
The artwork is part of an initiative by the Save Soil movement, which is calling for soil restoration to be made a priority at the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP31.
Save Soil works to improve soil health around the world and cooperates with governments in developing policies in this area. The painting is also linked to a new report by the organisation on the importance of healthy soils and the steps needed to restore them.
In this way, the material that usually remains beneath our feet and out of sight becomes both an artistic medium and a reminder of the role of fertile topsoil.