The Petriverse of Pierre Jardin: by Paul A. Harris Main Menu Paul A. Harris

Mineral Evolution

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The erosion of the boundary between organic and non-organic in posthuman eco-theory could be seen as part of a larger paradigm that extends into the natural sciences. Robert Hazen’s theory of mineral evolution traces ten stages in cosmic and terrestrial history through which "varied physical, chemical, and biological processes lead to the formation of new mineral species." In this entangled record, “rock begets life, life begets rocks," beginning with Stage 5 of Earth’s mineral evolution, which "arises from the great global-scale process of plate tectonics, by which wet crustal rocks are recycled into the mantle by subduction. New mineral-forming processes arise from consequent fluid-rock interactions that operate on a vast scale. Immense hydrothermal ore deposits, vast metamorphic terrains, and the appearance of high-pressure minerals at Earth’s surface all characterize Stage 5, which increased mineral diversity to perhaps 1500 species formed by purely physical and chemical processes. According to some origin-of-life scenarios, a planet must progress through at least some of these stages of chemical processing as a prerequisite for life."

At the Crawick Multiverse, Charles Jencks designed a beautiful depiction of cosmic history that integrates mineral evolution into its timeline. On a large slab at the peak of a spiraling path of standing stones, Jencks has incised a conic model of the 13.7 billion year record of the universe. Below it is a diagram or legend explaining its epigraphic expression. Like the history of explosions and extinctions in the paleontological record, mineral evolution is punctuated by periods of sudden increase in the number of existing minerals. In the video at bottom, Jencks offers a whimsical explanation of his installation on a windy day in Scotland.

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  1. Stone is the New Green Paul A. Harris

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