Oil

An image from Edward Burtynsky's series oil. Burtynsky is a contemporary landscape photographer most notable for having forgone the deeply entrenched traditions of depicting nature in such an extreme way with in his work. The work is born from his consideration of modern western lifestyles which has lead to a disconnect from the source of our resources. In his work as a whole Burtynsky tackles two main issues, the environment and globalization, making visible the impact of our lifestyles.

Burtynsky's work began my interest in the genre of landscape. it also introduced me to romanticism and notion of the sublime, though I'm not sure if Burtynsky's version of the sublime is the same as Kant's as i haven't read anything by him yet. Burtynsky's own brand of the sublime is constructed from an awe at the power of technology but also a remorse at the havoc that has been wreaked with it. His fascination with the destruction of the environment is somewhat echoed in my love/hate relationship with the urban environment.



A very good video of Burtynsky discussing his work.