Between Destruction and Beauty: Exhibiting Photographs of Militarized Landscapes

A striking juxtaposition of destruction and beauty emerges from the photographic documentation of militarized landscapes, particularly in the context of nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll. The exhibition 'Devour the Land: War and American Landscape Photography since 1970' at Harvard Art Museums highlights the enduring impacts of nuclear experimentation on both human communities and the environment. Photographs, such as Ashley Gilbertson's 'God shot,' capture the stark contrast between everyday life in historically Black neighborhoods like Hunters Point, San Francisco, and the ongoing cleanup of radioactive waste from a former naval shipyard. This visual narrative underscores the legacy of environmental racism and the incomplete remediation of toxic sites, revealing how nuclear testing and industrial pollution persistently shape landscapes and communities.

Hecht, C. (2022). Between Destruction and Beauty: Exhibiting Photographs of Militarized Landscapes. American Quarterly, 74(4), 1095–1108. https://doi.org/10.1353/aq.2022.0075