Secret Sides of Soil by Elizabeth Sanford

Secrets Sides of Soil invites the viewer to wander deep into the hidden worlds beneath our feet. A skink basks on top of this origami flexicube, pausing in its search for a meal; an ant hides on the bottom. Opening the front of the cube reveals an earthworm depositing its nutrient-rich castings on top of the soil; on the left, two plants start to network through their roots. This page opens to display a closeup of a plant root partnering with beneficial mycorrhizal fungi. The last hidden page unfolds from the cube's back and features soil bacteria arranged to form a word chain referencing aspects of the soil food web. Each word in the chain may be coupled with the one before and after, such as back ground and ground story. I chose this playful structure to reflect the interdependent relationships of the soil food web. Each page is made up of several smaller units linked together. Moving one affects the others; focusing on one side changes the others and their relationships.