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Edward Burtynsky

ICP Photographers Lecture Series: Edward Burtynsky

Date Nov 11, 2003

Nature transformed through industry is a predominate theme in my work. I set course to intersect with a contemporary view of the great ages of man; from stone, to minerals, oil, transportation, silicon, and so on. To make these ideas visible I search for subjects that are rich in detail and scale yet open in their meaning. Recycling yards, mine tailings, quarries and refineries are all places that are outside of our normal experience, yet we partake of their output on a daily basis.

"These images are meant as metaphors to the dilemma of our modern existence; they search for a dialogue between attraction and repulsion, seduction and fear. We are drawn by desire - a chance at good living, yet we are consciously or unconsciously aware that the world is suffering for our success. Our dependence on nature to provide the materials for our consumption and our concern for the health of our planet sets us into an uneasy contradiction. For me, these images function as reflecting pools of our times. "- Edward Burtynsky

Edward Burtynysky studied at Ryerson Polytechnical University, Toronto. Frequently published & exhibited, Burtynsky’s work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the National Gallery – Washington, the National Gallery – Ottawa, the Guggenheim Museum, the Canadian Centre for Architecture, the Bibliotheque National – Paris, the Museum of Fine Arts – Houston, among many others. With Michael Torosian, Burtynsky created the book Residual Landscapes: Studies of Industrial Transfiguration, Toronto: Lumiere Press, 2001. In New York the Charles Cowles Gallery represents Edward Burtynsky’s work, 537 W. 24 St., NYC 10011. Edward Burtynsky’s website is www.edwardburtynsky.com. Edward Burtynsky, Manufactured Landscapes, Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, & New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003.