Photographer Edward Burtynsky, noted for his ability to capture the diverse ways in which humankind has forever altered the landscape of Mother Nature, can often be found exploring and memorializing on film the road less traveled.
From our hidden away refineries and quarries to recycling yards and mines, he is drawn to imagery that both seduces and repulses us.
The photographs that he captures act as bittersweet symbols of our industrial progress since our success has come at a tremendous price, one that our planet continues to pay dearly for.
In Burtynsky's own words, "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."
Considering all of the resources that we consume and then transform into new incarnations, there always seems to be a by-product of our industry that falls to the wayside.
Conduct your own research on what happens to something as simple as tires at the end of their useful lifecycle and you'll encounter myriad informational snippets offering practical repurposing solutions.
What a relief, you tell yourself. Someone's looking after our environment...it's okay after all!
And then you lay your eyes on Burtynsky's work and you can't help but be struck by the sheer insanity of it all.
Anita Quincy
said on December 03, 2009