Photography book of the week: Black Maps - American Landscape and the Apocalyptic Sublime, By David Maisel
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference."These photographs," writes David Maisel, one of a group of landscape photographers dubbed "the New Topographics", "depict the landscape of the American West as the site of human-induced trauma."
Black Maps is full of polluted and otherwise environmentally ravaged terrain. But the paradox which makes his work so interesting is that such human interventions give birth to new kinds of beauty – at least when viewed in the abstract. For example, the minerals and blooms of algae in Utah's Great Salt Lake, shown in Terminal Mirage 24 (2005), above. Or Owens Lake, California, in The Lake Project 14 (2002), shown above.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments