Photo by Colleen Gleason Shull

The H Gallery
2356 Rice Blvd.
Houston, TX 77005
Phone: 713-962-5767

Photographs from 'Field Work', now up at The H Gallery in Houston, TX

Burtynsky’s exposition of the uneven exchange between industrial and natural forces is formally riveting. His subjects are out of the way of our daily experience, yet they form the support system upon which the status quo of our contemporary human population depends. In these images of the reshaped terra firma, we are unquestionably aware of the epic results of our human actions upon the natural environment. I find guilt welling up as I stare at the disturbing content of these photographs and acknowledge their visual allure.

I think any time an artist is able to capture a world that appears self contained in its aesthetic and out of any possible ordinary existence, it is bound to achieve some success. But perhaps the very fact that these images seem so foreign should be a cause for concern. Burtynsky’s artist website aptly states that he, “raises all kinds of questions about ethics and aesthetics without trying to easily answer them.”

I am reminded of Thomas Cole’s The Course of Empire with it’s five stages: The Savage State, The Pastoral State, Consummation of Empire, Destruction and Desolation in its attempt to capture the stages of advanced societies. But where Cole is pedantic, Burtynsky is questioning. Burtynsky does not speak in metaphors of white marble and ancient states; in his own words, “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.”

Thomas Cole
The Course of Empire: The Savage State
1834
courtesy sbu.edu

Thomas Cole
The Course of Empire: The Pastoral or Arcadian State
1834
courtesy sbu.edu

Thomas Cole
The Course of Empire: The Consumation of Empire
1835-1836
courtesy sbu.edu

Thomas Cole
The Course of Empire: Destruction
1836
courtesy sbu.edu

Thomas Cole
The Course of Empire: Desolation
1836
courtesy sbu.edu

The canadian photographer refers to his images as the residual landscape. He says, “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.”

Three Gorges Dam

“Building mega dams in the 21st century… The winners of this massive undertaking include those who improved their standard of living and benefited from new housing and new opportunities. China’s industries, hungry for electricity, also win. However, there are many who must face short-term hardship. For instance, farming families stand to lose much as their ancestral lands disappear, often without sufficient compensation. Farmers relocated to land parcels further uphill face the prospect of poor soil, steep slopes and erosion. Furthermore, schemes aimed at integrating farmers into urban economies have met with very limited success. Environmental degradation, escalating costs and human rights concerns are the main issues entangling mega-dam projects today. Experts argue that a series of smaller dams may enable more effective strategies for dealing with flood control. However, the Three Gorges Dam project is a source of intense national pride and the government’s masthead project to show the world what kind of formidable accomplishments it is capable of.”

Edward Burtynsky
Dam #6
Three Gorges Dam Project, Yangtze River, 2005
courtesy edwardburtynsky.com

Edward Burtynsky
Feng Jie #4
Three Gorges Dam Project, Yangtze River, 2002
courtesy edwardburtynsky.com

Old Industry
“In the late 1990s, China’s government came under intense financial pressure to turn around failing industries. Under Zhu Rongji, China’s then economic czar, tough decisions were made. Ensuing massive layoffs rocked the Northeast’s SOEs, inciting protests and riots by workers angry about inadequate severance promises and compensation packages. Factories once employing 20,000 now function at similar or increased productivity levels using 75 per cent less employees – a testament to the effectiveness of the government’s restructuring policies.”

Edward Burtynsky
Old Factories #5
Shenyang Heavy Machinery Group, Tiexi District, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, China, 2005
courtesy edwardburtynsky.com

Edward Burtynsky
Old Factories #8
Shenyang Heavy Machinery Group, Tiexi District, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, China, 2005
courtesy edwardburtynsky.com

Bao Steel

“Bao Steel is the sixth largest steel producer in the world. The company employs 15,600 people. Almost all of Baosteel’s iron ore is imported, being sourced in Australia, Brazil, South Africa and India. In 2005, Baosteel will produce 16 million tons of steel, consuming over 18 million tons of domestic coal in the process.4 The firm’s products are exported all over the world: East Asia, Southeast Asia, North America and the European Union. Baosteel also supplies steel to Chinese vehicle manufacturers like Audi, General Motors, Ford and Volkswagen and domestic appliance manufacturers, as well as the tubular needs of the Chinese oil and gas exploration industry.”

Edward Burtynsky
Bao Steel #2
Shanghai, China, 2005
edwardburtynsky.com

Edward Burtynsky
Tanggu Port
Tianjin, China, 2005
courtesy edwardburtynsky.com

Upcoming Exhibtions

Edward Burtynsky: The China Series (touring exhibition) curated by David Brown – Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA), – Winston-Salem, North Carolina October 22, 2007 – April 30, 2008

Representation

Toronto – Nicholas Metivier Gallery
New York – Charles Cowles Gallery
San Francisco – Robert Koch Gallery
London – Flowers East
Calgary – Paul Kuhn Gallery
Barcelona – Galeria Toni Tapies
Cologne РGalerie Stefan R̦pke
Montreal – Art 45

All quoted text courtesy edwardburtynsky.com

Steel Mill and Workers’ Houses, Bessember, Alabama, 1936, 1936-1971

Courtesy MoCP