Date Awarded
Fall 2016
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Department
American Studies
Advisor
Alan Braddock
Committee Member
Charles McGovern
Committee Member
Francesca Sawaya
Abstract
Commenting on two distinct bodies of visual culture, this thesis examines how the American South has been depicted in photography, advertisement, and popular media. Exploring images of the South ranging from Depression-era Virginia to present day lower Louisiana, these papers seek to better incorporate views of a region traditionally underrepresented in visual depictions of the American landscape. Underlying both projects is an interest in utilizing visual culture as a means to understand humanity’s relationship with the nonhuman world. Taking a closer look at promotional materials from the early years of Shenandoah National Park, as well as the (post)industrial/posthumanist landscapes of Cary Fukunaga’s television serial True Detective - and the Richard Misrach photographs that inspired them - this thesis works to better understand how Americans came to understand the nonhuman world around them.
DOI
http://doi.org/10.21220/S2X30G
Rights
© The Author
Recommended Citation
Matthews, John Barrington, "New South(Ern) Landscapes: Reenvisioning Tourism, Industry, and the Environment in the American South" (2016). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. William & Mary. Paper 1477068427.
http://doi.org/10.21220/S2X30G
