Twentieth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

This paper explores the legacies of American mining. I approach the topic through the analysis and interpretation of select works of art (literary and visual) about silver, gold, and copper. “America” in this paper refers to both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The artifacts central to my analysis thus include work by artists from Mexico (Diego Rivera 1986-1957), Chile (Patricio Guzman 1941- ) and the U.S. (C. Pam Zhang 1990- ). Combined, their creative output reflects the story of American mining from the mid-twentieth century to the present day. With an emphasis on the role the arts play in defining, critiquing and re-imagining America, my study reveals how closely the stories and legacies of mining in America are linked to the history of immigration, the myth of prosperity, and the destruction of the landscape. Given the centrality of these same concerns today, my paper concludes with recommendations about the role the arts might play in re-imagining and re-constructing the world we inhabit now.

Presenters

Teresa Longo
Executive Director, Reves Center for International Studies, Modern Languages and Literatures and Global Studies, William & Mary, Virginia, United States