Edward Burtynsky's "Water"
This was one exhibition i desperately wanted to see.
"When you develop a concept that you want to follow, you move away from the randomness of taking photographs to the idea of making photographs."
- Edward Burtynsky
What Burtynsky's work is showing is an investigation into our world's continuous compromised environment. He takes photographs mainly from an aerial perspective which take on a unique abstraction and painterly quality.
These images focus not on the water itself but on the systems that humans have put in place in order to hardness this element.
"Colorado River Delta #2, Near San Felipe, Baja, Mexico, 2011"
Chromogenic Print
Edition 6
122 x 162 cm
Isn't this beautiful? Even more breath taking if it were to be seen for real. I looks like a tree with branches expanding from within. The water is creating all this! The colour of the water contrast with its white surroundings giving the element more focus.
"Glacial Runoff #1, Skeidararsandur, Iceland, 2012"
Chromogenic Print
Edition 3
152 x 203 cm
From a distance the image looks like a pattern, an image split into 3 different colours.
The details collide together making it rather difficult to determine what exactly the subject is at first.
" Greenhouses, Almira Peninsula, Spain, 2010"
Chromogenic Print
Edition 3
152 x 203 cm
The landscape here has been carved into dramatic patchwork patterns. Like we have control over this terrain. Human intervention has led to these rich lands being bled of their natural resources.
Colour combination really appeals to the audiences eye.
Chromogenic Print
Edition 12
122 x 162 cm
It makes you think about the different ways we humans interact with our environment.
How we are trying to control them, the outcome of what they can produce for our benefits.
To me, it gives off a sense of alien. Maybe from movies...
The large circles look like radars to me, signals, marks on the ground created by large pieces of technology.
"Pivot irrigation #1, High Plains, Texas Panhandle, USA, 2011"
Chromogenic Print
Edition 12
152 x 203 cm
I really quite like the composition of this image. Its like a framed photograph inside a photograph.
Rather abstract and really emphasis human activity on land
"Dryland Farming #27, Monegros, Spain #27, 2010"
Chromogenic Print
Edition 9
99 x 132 cm
You know those long roads in a desert, and it's just endless, a slight comfort of freedom arises inside you.
This is even better. Not only do you see the road, you see what's ahead and around. A clearer more descriptive perspective
The sizes of these photos were a good fit to the space provided for them in the gallery. People could interact with them from different distances, far and close
Well lit, creating more focus on the photographs.
"Rice Terrace #2, Western Yunnan Province, China, 2012"
Chromogenic Print
Edition 6
122 x 162 cm
This is majestically beautiful, the labour that has been done on the land has overall created a piece of art. Without knowing, this is a good example of Subconscious art.
It has a slight impressionism in it, how it concentrates on the light reflecting off the water surfaces, the orange and yellow colours in the middle give a nice contrast to its surrounding greens.
Inside the gallery, bottom floor, they have a nice little library where you can have a look at current artist and other artist work.
Edward Burtynsky's book is a whopping 75 pounds so if your pocket is low on cash, come and have a look as well as his original work.
The photographs were really well presented, there weren't any air bubbles beneath the image like you see in some photographs.
Details were very clear, minimal noise in the photographs.
A good size, would make a perfect addition to someones collection
In the gallery, consumers were continuously asking about sizes and prices. It is clear that this theme and Burtynsky's work has appealed to the majority of the population
"Xiaolangdi Dam #2, Yellow River, Henan Province, China, 2011"
Chromogenic Print
Edition 6
122 x 162 cm
"Xiaolangdi Dam #3, Yellow River, Henan Province, China, 2011"
Chromogenic Print
Edition 6
122 x 162 cm
Near the end of this show, i thought to myself that most of his images are a more artistic and beautifully shown google maps. Like the crop land ones.
I am fascinated with his work. People stick with the perspectives that are comfortable with them, but Burtynsky goes beyond this.
This is my Favourite!!!
"Stepwell #4, Sagar Kund Baori, Bundi, Rajasthan, India, 2010"
Chromogenic Print
Edition 3
152 x 203 cm
It has a story, a purpose, a previous life.
At the bottom of this well, all you can see is trash thrown about. This is a beautifully constructed piece of architecture and its colouring on the walls tells us an age.
Reminded me of M.C. Esher's work with the stair illusions.
Overall this exhibition was one worth travelling to see.
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