Beneath the Surface: Mining and American Photography

Beneath the Surface: Mining and American Photography explores how photographers over the past 180 years have attempted to picture the extractive industries that power modern life yet often remain hidden from view. From early historical documentation to striking contemporary works, the exhibition reveals the environmental, social, and human impact of mining, drilling, and resource extraction in the United States.

This exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Art in collaboration with the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art and and is co-curated by Kristen Gaylord, Herzfeld Curator of Photography and Media Arts at the Milwaukee Art Museum, and Diane Waggoner, acting head and curator of photographs at the National Gallery of Art.