To you, the Red Wriggler
you don’t have eyes but I see you
balmy and turning as you labour unseen
you are the red wiggler
a long pink taste bud
a chemoreceptor aerating tunnels
a networker
you taste and I stop to think about what I feed you
fronds of fennel grown too big
torn up letters and teabags
cardboard and bolted rhubarb
rose petals
modest, you deserve this banquet
decomposing in and around you
chemical reactions phosphate
and from it, you give me humus.
Lauren says: The Noticeboard highlights things; bringing things to the attention of whoever stands in front of them. With the concept of ‘noticing’ in mind, To you, the Red Wriggler considers what processes are enacted constantly and consistently around us, but go unseen.
The Red Wriggler is a variety of worm most commonly found in compost heaps. Highly evolved creatures, they are incredibly efficient at breaking down organic matter to generate humus; a rich organic material that forms in soil as plant and animal matter decays. Taking the worm’s vital work as a metaphor for undervalued acts of labour, often undertaken by those with marginalised identities, the photographs invite you to look beneath the surface, or more precisely: under the compost bin lid. Soil is fundamental to our planetary health and it is in noticing the work of the worm that we are reminded of all the other multispecies entanglements that we humans benefit from and should be thankful to be part of.
Lauren Wilson observe nature. Lauren’s creative practice encompasses curating, talking about and making art, growing and collaborative organising. She advocates for modes of practice that aren’t outcome focussed. Which challenge extractive ways of working and hyper-productivity and embrace the questioning ‘messy-ness’ of being a person. Lauren takes care to enact love-centric values of empathy, kindness, curiosity and openness.
IG: @lauren_emily_wilson