VANISHING POINTS
Mountains, mining, and Appalachia’s disappearing landscape.
Artist Statement
This project is the culmination of over two years of research into the consequences of extraction in and around Central Appalachia. Vanishing Points explores the transformation of landscape at the hands of mountaintop removal (MTR) mining. MTR is an extremely destructive form of surface mining which includes large-scale deforestation, detonation, and excavation of mountain ranges to extract coal. This immersive exhibition allows viewers to witness the landscapes forever altered by industry to fuel our livelihoods. Vanishing Points creates dialogues between images, materials, and sites to generate a nuanced, regional narrative discussing the implications of extractive industries and environmental injustice.
The Harvested Horizon - Kayford Mountain (triptych)
80” x 36” stone lithograph, hand-printed with coal-infused ink
Kayford Mountain is located near Eskdale, WV, about an hour south of Charleston. It became a site of controversy in the mid-1980s when the late Larry Gibson, whose family has lived atop Kayford for over two centuries, witnessed the profound destruction of land surrounding his family’s property. Gibson became a crusader against the practice of mountaintop removal (MTR) mining, earning the nickname “Keeper of the Mountains.” Kayford has since been “reclaimed” by the coal companies. However, the landscape we see today is a far cry from the dense, forested peaks that once stood there .
Hope on the Highwall - Mingo County, WV
120” x 60” recycled house paint, acrylic, sand, and pigments reclaimed from mining pollution on canvas
The Highwall Project is a former mountaintop removal site owned by
Coalfield Development, a large West Virginia-based nonprofit. Their mission is
to rebuild the state’s economy through workforce development and community rehabilitation. At the Highwall site, crew members use permaculture design, sustainable agriculture, and livestock rotation to revitalize the land and
rebalance the ecosystem.
One Small Sample – Eskdale, WV (triptych)
80” x 36” stone lithograph, hand-printed with coal-infused ink
This image depicts just one section of the Samples Mine, part of the larger Paint Creek mining complex operated by Blackhawk Mining near Eskdale, WV. In 2018, Samples was the 9th largest coal mine in Central Appalachia, producing 1.3 million tons of coal in the year prior.
