Copyright

Edward Burtynsky

Published On

2024-04-08

Page Range

pp. 67–86

Language

  • English

Print Length

20 pages

Landscapes of Extraction

  • Edward Burtynsky (author)
Chapter of: Heavy Metal: Earth’s Minerals and the Future of Sustainable Societies(pp. 67–86)
For more than two decades, Edward Burtynksy has captured images of the indelible marks left by human activity on landscapes, from the uranium mines of Elliot Lake, Ontario to the salt ponds of Senegal. Through a series of photographic journeys across diverse landscapes, from mining sites to recycling facilities, Burtynsky captures the transformative impact of human industry on the Earth’s surface. The essay traces the photographer’s evolving fascination with minerals, salt and water extracted at industrial scales, revealing the intricate interplay between human ingenuity and environmental disruption, and urging readers to reflect on humanity’s relationship with the natural world.

Contributors

Edward Burtynsky

(author)

Edward Burtynsky is one of the world’s most accomplished contemporary photographers, whose depictions of global industrial landscapes have documented the impact of humans on the planet for more than four decades. Burtynsky’s photographs are included in the collections of over eighty major museums around the world. Major touring exhibitions include: Anthropocene (2018); Water (2013); Oil (2009); China (2005 five-year tour); and Manufactured Landscapes (2003). He was also a key production figure in the award-winning documentary trilogy Manufactured Landscapes (2006), Watermark (2013), and Anthropocene: The Human Epoch (2018). Burtynsky’s distinctions include the inaugural TED Prize in 2005, which he shared with Bono and Robert Fischell; the 2016 Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts; the 2018 Photo London Master of Photography Award, and the 2019 Lucie Award for Achievement in Documentary Photography. He was awarded a Royal Photographic Society Honorary Fellowship in 2020. In 2022, he was honored with the Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award by the World Photography Organization, and also inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame. Burtynsky currently holds eight honorary doctorate degrees.