“What will future cultures think of the scarred earth we leave behind? My work contrasts past iconography with the surreal conditions of the Anthropocene era.

In my work, I imagine future archaeological discoveries and the potential narratives that will emerge about our lost civilisation. I document the diverse landscapes surrounding extractive industries worldwide and create large-format photos, unique prints on metal, and installations from the images I capture. I am fascinated by mining sites, quarries, and tailings ponds.  The concentrations of minerals and acidity buildup from mining and quarrying result in unique visuals and chemical elements that I capture in my work. Above all, I view these landscapes as aesthetic spaces while acknowledging our dependence on natural resources. 

Each photograph I exhibit is captured and created on location. Although extremely difficult to produce, these works are not the product of Photoshop or AI. The series is a search for meaning and physical connection to our environment in a time when image overshadows reality. Witnessing and documenting these sites on the ground level is an important part of my process and helps me address my anxiety about the prospect of living in a future with an uninhabitable environment—one that has been excavated, depleted, and polluted by industries fueled by our consumption. These sites are not easy to access—reaching them requires extensive research, planning, and difficult travel.  My experiences in these spaces are a vital element of the series, which has taken me to dozens of locations across Germany, the United States, Romania, North Macedonia, Spain, Greece, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Turkmenistan, Indonesia, Czechia, Italy, and Svalbard.

I see parallels between our culture’s exploitation of nature and its objectification of the feminine. A distinguishing feature of my contemporary photography work is that I offer a female perspective of these landscapes by photographing myself on location. I create surreal compositions by documenting my figure at each location, covering my body in self-designed costumes that obscure my identity, rendering my figure an anonymous, female-coded subject bearing witness to the terrain. The fabric enveloping the body serves as a protective layer against the harsh environment and delineates my figure in the scene. Some of my draped figures evoke the mythological femininity seen in ancient art, recalling the Venuses, effigies, and fertility figures, while others reflect contemporary notions of sexuality, like influencer culture. These archetypes echo forms of objectification that have shaped perceptions of women and female roles throughout history, embodying the enduring trope of female mystique often presented through a male lens. Though I do not create traditional self-portraits, I do challenge the notion of age-appropriate behaviour for women by including my ageing body in my work.”

-Liz Miller Kovacs