We slept (or didn't sleep) downtown on a dirty gym floor, picking roaches out of our bags. We landed there as part of a documentary/journalism organization called the American Diversity Project, a super group of folks headed up by fellow Lexingtonians Jim and Carla Winn. ADP takes a simple approach to documentary work, each year choosing a small town somewhere in America and collecting stories of its the people, economy and story. The photos and multimedia are published online and shared with the community as a journalistic record -- of the good, bad, and in-between -- of life there in the early 21st Century.
If you're interested, do check out their website: www.americandiversityproject.org.
Everyone has different tastes, so this sort of "getaway" may sound more fun to some than others. For my part it was well worth the sacrifice, becoming a sort of professional "recharge." Every photographer sought out/stumbled upon different stories during his or her time in Pikeville. I happened to get to know someone who ran a tiny, mom-and-pop coal mine that can only be described as a trip back in time to the 1960s (think October Sky). The men mine with rather old-fashioned techniques, but I felt their hard work and the whole scene really reflect the customs and economy of the coal culture.
It's important to remember that certainly not everyone in and around Pikeville is a coal miner, nor is everyone poor, as society often stereotypes them to be. In fact, I'm so very grateful to the community for trusting us and welcoming a group of international photographers into their lives. It was a big risk for people who have often been burned by the media in the past. To this specific group of coal men and their families I'm particularly indebted, as well as to all the pastors, mail men and others who helped me find them. :)
I the coming days I'll be posting more coal photos on my website. Give them a peep if you're interested. Though I can take very little credit for it, they really are some very rare and beautiful images.
Above: Me looking very serious and covered in coal dust, outside a coal mine near Pikeville, Ky; Three miners prepare to go underground at dawn at the start of their shift; Ronnie Vance, co-owner of this particular coal mine, takes a coffee break underground.
Andy Olsen photos, Copyright 2008, all rights reserved
