Edward Burtynsky at Flowers East

Posted 06/01/2009 by jaimes

“Edward Burtynsky’s large-scale colour photographs document the many facets of nature as it is transformed through human industry. Exquisitely detailed and exactly rendered, Burtynsky’s images strike an intricate balance between a sombre reportage and a powerfully seductive aesthetic. His various series, including shipbreaking yards, urban mines, quarries and industrial refineries, reflect the dilemma between man’s desire for prosperity, and the suffering we exact on the environment.

Born in St. Catharines, Ontario in 1955, Burtynsky graduated from Ryerson Polytechnical University in Toronto with a B.A. in Photographic Arts. He was awarded the inaugural TED Prize in 2004, honouring individuals who raise awareness of life in a global context to inspire positive change. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in August 2006, a centrepiece of Canada’s Honours System, which recognises a lifetime of outstanding achievement. Burtynsky’s photographs are included in the collections of fifteen major museums around the world, including the Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, National Gallery of Canada, Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris and the V&A in London.”

http://www.flowerseast.com/FE/Artists_Originals.asp?Artist=BURTYNSKY

Text from Flowers East
Images from Edward Burtynsky