Growing up in St. Catharines, Ontario Edward Burtynsky was introduced at an early age to the breathtaking beauty of the northern Canadian old growth forest. This early inspiration, and the experience of witnessing untouched landscapes, helped shape the expansive career ahead of Burtynsky. As he matured as an artist Burtynsky began to explore the relationship between nature and human progression. His work shifted from landscapes of mountains and trees to landscapes of mountains and trees that have been hacked up and altered in order to manufacture some sort of product. Burtynsky says in his artist statement, "We are drawn by desire- a chance at a good living, yet we are consciously or unconsciously aware that the world is suffering for our success." Burtynsky manifest this concept into powerful images. His work reminds the viewer of the fragile relationship between a product and the process to create that product. It could be argued that since the industrial revolution- the birth of large scale manufacturing- people have lost sight of where even simple luxuries in our lives come from. We walk into a grocery store and buy some food, or walk into a clothing store and pick up a new shirt, but how often do we stop and consider how that food or that new shirt ended up on the shelf. Burtynsky's photographs place these processes in front of the viewer, and forces them to consider the results of their "desires".
Burtynsky's work almost seems to suffer from an identity crisis. There is a duality that permeates each image. On one hand, his large format photographs are overwhelming beautiful, full of movement, form, and incredible colors. On the other hand, he is documenting the destruction of various habitats and ecosystems. In addition, Burtynsky must work in conjunction with the corporations causing the destruction. He explains the complexity of this situation in his 2005 TED talk saying that while he is not trying to demonize any corporation (noting that there are practical benefits to the things they produce), he is trying to promote the necessity of sustainable practices in the modern world. Burtynsky frames most of his photographs from very high above, or very far away, in order to capture the grand scale of the subject. His colors are rich and often mesmerizing. And, because he documents scenes of nature, his work in filled with a vast amount of organic shapes.
Edward Burtynsky's exploration of these subjects have garnered him great success. He has given lectures all over the US and Canada, and has had exhibitions around the globe. He has received many awards and honorary degrees from various schools and organizations. More information on Edward Burtynsky can be found at his website: http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/
Oil Spill #13
Mississippi Delta, Gulf of Mexico, June 24, 2010
Oil Refineries #34
Houston, Texas, USA, 2004
Dam #6
Three Gorges Dam Project, Yangtze River, China, 2005
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