Petrichor by Saro Calewarts

Issue 162

pet·ri·chor: a pleasant, earthy scent that often accompanies rain after a warm, dry period. The word is constructed from Greek petros, "stone", and īchōr, the ethereal fluid—or, “Blood of the Gods”—said to flow in the veins of the Greek gods.

Made in my hometown of Santa Fe, NM, Petrichor explores the psycholog- ical, neurocognitive and geophysical poetics of how we connect to place through the scent of rain. The aromas of the high desert waft in the air like an intoxicant, beguiling and imbued with the land. It is heady and complex and “blood of the gods” doesn’t seem hyperbolic once you’ve experienced it. The work interweaves themes relating to olfaction, meteorology, bota- ny, earth science, drought, climate change, memory and place—as they all intersect through the lens of petrichor. This dynamic combination forms the visual basis for this work; a blend of diverse photographic styles each evoking a synesthetic response.

Scientifically, petrichor is the result of raindrops aerosolizing the secretions of soil-dwelling bacteria and plants. The compound geosmin—to which the human nose is acutely sensitive—gives petrichor its musty, earthy scent. Terpenes from plant oils give a fresh, balsam aroma. Displaced by the force of the rain and carried in tiny bubbles, these molecules rise from the earth to our noses, directly to our brains. It is, in every sense, the aroma of place and informs our connection to the land.

Of all our senses, olfaction is the most direct pathway to the center of the brain. It takes only two synaptic connections for scent molecules to reach our cortex. Our sense of smell is subconscious, precognitive and emotion- al—it is the sense that conjures nostalgia, memory and their physical refer- ents. In the case of petrichor, the aromatic result of rainfall and its life-giving qualities, we are evolutionarily hardwired to have a poignant response to its scent. As the effects of climate change and drought conditions worsen, so does the intensity of our relief with each rain.

Far more complex than a meteorological event; petrichor manifests a kinship to place that links back through time—geological and personal. It mediates between the land and our bodies as a visceral reminder that we are not separate from our environment.

Saro Calewarts (she/her) lives and works in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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