NEWS HUB

Edward Burtynsky: The Scale of Human Impact

Musée Magazine, Issue 29

For decades, Ed Burtynsky has been exploring and unearthing the intricacies of our planet's relationship with humanity. Hovering like an out-of-this-world entity above mines, forests, and more, turning them into abstract vistas, seemingly untouched by human presence yet imbued with the undeniable marks of our existence. Through his work, he reveals a dichotomy, highlighting our profound reliance on Earth's resources while simultaneously acknowledging the devastating toll our actions take on the very world that nurtures us. Whether investigating the landscapes of agriculture or peering down at the geometrical patterns of pivot irrigation, his work thrusts us into the Anthropocene, a geological era defined by humankind's profound influence on the planet's climate and ecosystems. Coming from the rural expanses of Canada, he carries an unbreakable, personal bond with nature. This connection transcends the ordinary and resonates deeply within the vast and complex realm of ecosystems.

Read the full interview here.

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Conversations At Scarfes Bar: Edward Burtynsky

By Charlotte Metcalf
Country & Town House

Having seen Edward Burtynsky’s recent retrospective at the Saatchi Gallery, I am eager to meet him. When he arrives, he appears upbeat for someone who has spent much of his life creating images out of the catastrophically destructive impact of industrialisation.

From a distance many of his images look like huge, beautiful, expressionist paintings. Move closer and you see they are photographs, which appear to have been taken from miles up, showing landscapes decimated by humanity’s activity – logging, mining, quarrying, railways, rubbish dumping, ship-breaking, intensive agriculture, building. The beauty he finds in destruction comprises the central ambiguity at his work’s core, imbuing it with persuasive power that urges us to take the necessary drastic action to save our planet.

Read the interview here.

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How Edward Burtynsky's industry roots shape his perspective on art

CBC Radio: The Sunday Magazine

[Re-release from original interview in September 2023] After more than 40 years photographing the industrial sublime around the world, Canadian artist Edward Burtynsky's new project brings him home to St. Catharines, Ont. He's taking an abandoned relic – a 68,000-kilogram sheet metal forge from the former General Motors auto plant, where both Burtynsky and his father worked – and turning it into a sculpture memorializing the industry and people that once drove life in his hometown. He joins Piya Chattopadhyay to talk about his upbringing, the resource industries that define his career and his ongoing work to make audiences connect his beautiful images to the rapid destruction of our planet.

Listen to the full interview here.

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Edward Burtynsky on show in Mestre: photographs and industry wounds on the landscape

National Geographic Italia

An unprecedented retrospective of the forty-year career of Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky is open to the public until January 12, 2025 at the Museo del 900 (M9) in Mestre (VE).

After the successful debut at the Saatchi Gallery in London, the exhibition BURTYNSKY: Extraction / Abstraction has landed in Italy. As expected given the environmentalist background of this photographer, the exhibition focuses on the environmental consequences of human actions, especially industry, on the landscape.

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Edward Burtynsky’s Exhibition Reveals the Devastation of the Earth

By Tim Fujio
Setting Mind

The M9 – Museo del ‘900 in Venice Mestre is set to showcase “BURTYNSKY: Extraction/Abstraction,” the largest solo exhibition of Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky, from June 21, 2024, to January 12, 2025. Curated by Marc Mayer and designed by Alvisi Kirimoto, the exhibition provides an in-depth look at Burtynsky’s extensive work documenting the environmental impacts of human activity.

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Edward Burtynsky's largest solo exhibition on display in Venice

By Georgia Magrin
Exibart

Burtynsky: Extraction/Abstraction is the largest exhibition ever held in the over 40-year career of the great Canadian artist Edward Burtynsky . Curated by Marc Mayer, director of the National Gallery of Canada and the Musée d'Art Contemporain in Montreal, this exhibition, after debuting at the Saatchi Gallery in London, comes to Italy for the first time.

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Bookmark: Edward Burtynsky's Extraction/Abstraction

By Katherine Ylitalo
Galleries West

“If you are going to have only one Burtynsky book, this is the one.” Upon this recommendation from a knowledgeable friend, I dove into the latest book on the work of world-renowned Canadian photographer, Edward Burtynsky. The new take on his 45-year career accompanies the exhibition Edward Burtynsky: Extraction/Abstraction at the Saatchi Gallery, which was shown Feb. 14 to May 6, 2024, in London, and will travel to Italy later this summer.

Read the full review here.

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Edward Burtynsky In Conversation with Charlotte Metcalf

The Oldie Podcast

Charlotte Metcalf is a journalist, editor, award-winning documentary film-maker and was co-presenter of the Break Out Culture podcast.   She is Subscriptions Editor and a frequent contributor at The Oldie.

Edward Burtynsky is a Canadian artist and photographer and award-winning film-maker. A recent major retrospective at London’s Saatchi Gallery showed his large format photographs, many vast, of industrial landscapes all over the world.  While they resemble beautiful abstract paintings, they depict industrialisation’s devastating impact on nature and human existence.

Listen to the episode here.

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Edward Burtynsky and the Anthropocene

A Lens on Sustainability
Prix Pictet

Renowned for his large format photographs of industrial landscapes, acclaimed Prix Pictet shortlisted photographer and jury member Edward Burtynsky has spent a lifetime capturing the scale and magnitude of human impact on its environment. In this special mini-documentary and podcast, we discuss his journey into Anthropocene photography, traversing the globe in search of landscapes marred by human intervention. Watch the short video and listen to the podcast to learn more about his work, which serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to address the climate crisis.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

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McGill announces Honorary Degree recipients

McGill Reporter

Luminaries in their fields, this year’s Hon Docs will be honoured during Spring 2024 Convocation ceremonies, running from May 28 to June 5.

Ten exceptional individuals will receive honorary degrees from McGill as part of Spring 2024 Convocation ceremonies. This year’s recipients represent a diverse array of leaders whose contributions span disciplines, industries, and continents.

Read the full list here.

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Image Arts Photography alum Edward Burtynsky showcases work at Saatchi Gallery in London

By Asmaa Toor
TMU The Creative School

The Creative School's renowned alumnus and Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky displayed his exhibit Extraction / Abstraction at Saatchi Gallery in London, UK. The exhibition, which ran from mid-February to early May, featured 94 of Burtynsky’s large-format photographs as well as 13 high-resolution murals, and an augmented reality (AR) experience.

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Modern Landscapes By Edward Burtynsky

By Matt Growcoot
PetaPixel

Photographer Edward Burtynsky has spent his career capturing stunning large format photographs that — despite their beauty — actually show the damage that’s being done to the planet.

His incredible photographs are currently on exhibit at the Saatchi Gallery in London where he is making use of large format by displaying enormous prints of his arresting work.

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THE TOP 5 ART EXHIBITIONS TO SEE IN LONDON POST-EASTER

By Tabish Khan
FAD Magazine

Tabish Khan the @LondonArtCritic picks his Top 5 Art Exhibitions to see in London Post-Easter. Each one comes with a concise review to help you decide whether it’s for you. If you’re looking for museum exhibitions to visit, check out last week’s top 5 where all three remain open to visit.

Read the full article here.

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The beautiful but deadly world of Edward Burtynsky

By Helen Gordon
Apollo Magazine

Crawford Lake is around an hour’s drive from Toronto, home of the photographer Edward Burtynsky. Scientists studying sediment layers in the lake have found samples of plutonium from hydrogen bomb tests, carbon particles from fossil fuel burning and nitrates from the mass application of chemical fertilisers. Some want the lake to become an international reference point marking the dawn of the Anthropocene – the period when the human species began to alter the planet irrevocably, becoming a geological force comparable to immense volcanic eruptions or the variations in the Earth’s orbit that drive glacial cycles.

Like these scientists, Burtynsky has long been fascinated by the effects of large-scale human activity on the landscape, especially industry and agriculture. His Anthropocene series (2012–17) and accompanying documentary of 2018 did much to popularise the term beyond the scientific community, and ‘Abstraction/Extraction’ – his sumptuous, thoughtful new retrospective at the Saatchi Gallery – continues this line of inquiry.

Read the full review here.

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Will the Standing Whale withstand the wind? Western University model testing a unique art piece inside WindEEE

Reta Ismail
CTV News London

A collaboration between world-renowned Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky, Queen’s University, and Western University, is working to realize a new art piece titled ‘Standing Whale.’

A 3D printed stainless steel scale model is being put to the test inside the Wind Engineering, Energy, and Environment Research Institute (WindEEE RI) in London, Ont.

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Whale of a job: Western's wind tunnel puts unique sculpture to the test

By Beatriz Baleeiro
The London Free Press

A model of what will be a massive sculpture of a blue whale skeleton by a Canadian photographer and artist is being tested at Western University’s wind dome.

The Standing Whale, conceptualized by Edward Burtynsky, is envisioned as a life-sized sculpture, part of Burtynsky’s portrayal of the impact of human industry on the planet.

Read the full article here.

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