Shannon Benine

Westhope: Above and Below, 2006—2008

This long-term photographic project explores the complexities of rural life in a region grappling with the changing dynamics of the energy industry. Inspired by a family connection to the land – my aunt inherited mineral rights in the area – I embarked on a journey to document life in Westhope, North Dakota, a struggling small town situated on the edge of the oil-rich Bakken Formation.

This project examines the paradoxical coexistence of oil extraction and the burgeoning biodiesel industry, capturing the lives of farmers, oil workers, and the elderly residents who have witnessed the town's transformation over the decades. As oil wells deplete and farmers increasingly turn to biofuel crops, the landscape itself reflects this intricate and often contradictory relationship between resource extraction and environmental sustainability.

"Westhope: Above and Below" offers a nuanced portrait of rural life in the 21st century, exploring the hopes, fears, and anxieties of a community navigating this period of unprecedented change.