I first saw Edward Burtynsky's work at one of the myriad galleries on Geary St. in San Francisco. I was absolutely engrossed by the photos: industrial landscapes from China. Each piece was amazing. The color. The composition. The fascinating scenes he captures. Burtynsky is a master at capturing the horrific beauty of degenerate industrial landscapes that has for so long drawn me to them.
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Chinese Oil Refinery
Burtynsky is not only a master of form, but his subject matter is chosen in such a way as to reveal the dichotomy between economic necessity and environmental decay present in all our industrial activities. Thus, his work succeeds both as industrial formalism and as social commentary.
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Bangladeshi Shipbreaking
Burtynsky is, for me, a role model for both aesthetically engaging and socially relevant industrial photography. If this kind of work appeals to you, I highly recommend checking out Burtynsky's work.
1 comments:
What I really like about industrial photography is the boldness of the subject. It creates a certain drama without any human emotion present. Sometimes i dont know how to explain it but...you can just feel it when you look at the picture. great shots!
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