In her art work Different Kinds of Air, A Plant’s Diary (2004), Emily Parsons-Lord re-creates air from distinct moments in Earth’s history — from the clean, fresh-tasting air of the Carboniferous period to the soda-water air of the Great Dying to the heavy, toxic air of the future we’re creating. On her website she writes about her project: “300-350 million years ago oxygen levels were nearly double what they are today, supporting mega flora and fauna. 252.5 million years ago, the Earth experienced the greatest extinction event with 93-97% of species on land dying out and a simultaneous spike in carbon dioxide levels. The history of the atmosphere on Earth is inexorably linked to the history of life.”
“Different Kinds of Air, a Plant’s Diary” offers the audience the opportunity to taste the air from some of these different eras in Earth’s evolution. The gaseous composition, temperature, taste, and smell of air has changed drastically over the course of geological history, these differences affect human physiology, emotional states, and consciousness.
What do these air taste like? How do they make you feel? How do they affect your body, your consciousness and your memory?”
Check out her Ted Talk here: