Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky defines ‘epic’ in images. He has made a name for himself observing human industry against natural beauty, touring China’s Three Gorges Dam project, Italy’s marble quarries, and more recently large-scale open pit copper mining operations in Western Australia.
There are two reasons why I love Edward Burtynsky’s work. One, he shows us the Earth in ways very few others have, and secondly, he still finds something aesthetically appealing about all the ugliness that he photographs. He isn’t simply a documentary photographer; he is an artist, but he is also a conservationalist, and he uses his artistic ability to bring awareness to the issues on his mind. It’s poetic in a way.
If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and go watch his Manufactured Landscapes documentary and have your mind blown.
Edward Burtynsky has a new exhibition going on January 9th to February 7tg at the Flowers East gallery.
UPDATE: This post comes fresh on the heels of a NASA scientist declaring that “Australia is destroying life on Earth.” Coincidence?
