America's Coal Miners | thorneylieberman

fine art

A Photographic Project

Since moving to West Virginia, there have been several coal mining tragedies that have brought coal mining, and especially the people who do the mining, to my attention … and to the attention of the world.

With America looking for ways to reduce dependence on Middle Eastern oil, the coal industry is in the national spotlight. The future of American energy may depend in no small part on those who serve on the front lines, the coal miners themselves.

In making life-sized photographs of miners, I hoped to celebrate their valuable place in American society and honor their importance to the future of us all.

The West Virginia Coal Miners Project resulted in twenty four full-size, images, mounted on steel, now permanently exhibited in two museums in West Virginia: Museum in the Park, Chief Logan State Park in Logan, and Grave Creek Archaeological Complex in Moundsville.

PURCHASE THE BOOK