Black Coal Miner Memorial

Sarah Hoskins, American, born 1965

Black Coal Miner Memorial, 2017

This photograph of The Black Coal Miner Memorial in Lynch, Kentucky, depicts the centrality of the figure of the black coal miner to Lynch. The memorial consists of the image of the black coal miner alongside various ephemera associated with the occupation of mining. This constellation of images is explained via the gold placard on the left. These placards are a particularly interesting element of the memorial in that while memorials are often didactic, that learning is typically interpretive, not explanatory (this memorial is telling you how to interact with/feel about it). Furthermore, this memorial exists on the side of the Lynch Public Colored School demonstrating that while black coal miners have been integral to Lynch’s economy and community, they are not worthy of memorializing or commemorating in traditionally conceived of forms of commemoration, such as monuments in more highly trafficked areas thus allowing for more public engagement and memory/meaning-making. Label by Jay Jolles

“Please Pass the Bottle Bill!"

Crystal Carter, American

“Please Pass the Bottle Bill!”, 2008

This is one photo taken as part of Shannon Elizabeth Bell’s Photovoice project in West Virginia from 2008 to 2009. By participating in the photovoice project Carter took many photos like this one and accompanied them with stories to highlight why the photo was taken and the significance to Carter (or other photographers). In the case of this photo(story), Carter highlights an environmental issue affecting rural West Virginia that does not necessarily flow from the coal industry: plastic bottle pollution in surface waters. Carter identifies the harm to wildlife this pollution can do in the photostory accompanying this image, though the microplastics breaking off of these bottles can lead to similar health concerns to coal itself. Label by Frank Kennedy

This photograph was taken as a part of Shannon Bell’s Photovoice series, a feminist ethnographic study meant to show the reality of environmental injustices in coal mining communities across West Virginia. Participants were provided a camera and asked to take pictures of anything they wanted to reveal within their communities. This photograph shows plastic bottles washed up after a heavy rainfall, advocating for the passing of a bottle deposit legislature. Not all artwork needs to be aesthetic or artistically composed to tell a story or enact change. Giving marginalized individuals the voice to tell their own stories through an art medium such as photography empowers advocation for environmental justice. Label by Bayleigh Albert

Microscopic Views of a Coal Miner’s Lung

Jerrold Abraham, American, born 1945

Soma Sanyal, Indian, born 1975

Microscopic Views of a Coal Miner’s Lung, 2018

These two pathology professors examined the lung tissue of coal miners to learn more about black lung disease. This microscopic image shows black macules of coal dust that have gathered in this person’s lungs after working in a mining environment for years. These two researchers created artistic images in order to further their message of concern for people working and living in these environments because of a recent increase in this disease. This unusual perspective bridges the divide between the human, environmental, and medical conditions of living in Appalachia. Through this perspective, one also has to question the role that outsiders play when trying to advocate for the health and well-being of Appalachian communities. Label by Katie Lee

Goodbye Gauley Mountain: An Ecosexual Love Story

Beth Stephens, American

Annie Sprinkle, American

Goodbye Gauley Mountain: An Ecosexual Love Story, 2013

This image is a press photo from the film Goodbye Gauley Mountain: An Ecosexual Love Story. The film reflects the critical elements of the sacrifice zone: an abundance of natural resources that are exploited by a powerful capitalist entity that exports the wealth it extracts, leaving the region in poverty; limited visibility of slow violence; and severe consequences to health. At the same time, it highlights the activism that does exist. The exuberant scene set against the background of mountaintop removal destruction illuminates the intersection of environmentalism, queer identity, and artistic expression that guides both the film and the activism practiced by Stephens and Sprinkle. Environmentalism is reflected by the contrast between the stark background scene of the destroyed mountain top. Queer identity, especially where it includes ecosexuality, is represented by the erotic position of the two women amongst the bloom of flowers. Artistic expression as activism is at the core of the film; creator Stephens initiated the project with the intention of calling attention to the hushed exploitation of Appalachia. Label by Hannah London