edward burtynsky water photography

xiaolangdi dam #1, 2011
yellow river, henan province, china
chromogenic print
image courtesy of edward burtynsky/nicholas metivier gallery

edward burtynsky: water
nicholas metivier gallery, toronto
september 5 – october 12, 2013 

beginning september 5th, 2013, canadian photographer edward burtynsky will be presenting a series of images titled ‘water’ at nicholas metivier gallery in toronto. throughout the body of work, burtynsky personifies water, exposing its vulnerability, capability, and power. juxtaposing these visuals, in other images from the set, is the complete absence of water, focusing instead on the consequence of its deficiency. each shot carries the viewer through a complex sojourn — encompassed in rugged landscapes, complex patterns formed by icy rivers, and thick swarms of bathers flocking to the sea. the project documents the world’s water supplies, spotlighting the burden that manufacturing and consumption bear on earth’s natural resources.

‘water’ will include large-format photographs and moving film, and will be accompanied by burtynsky’s fifth book, ‘burtynsky – water’. below is the trailer for ‘watermark’, what will be a feature-length documentary, co-directed by jennifer baichwal and edward burtynsky, that will be released by mongrel media in canada in fall of 2013:

the series is factioned into groups, articulating water’s role in each image. burtynsky spotlights agriculture, as one category, which represents the largest human activity upon the planet — approximately seventy percent of all fresh water under our control is dedicated to agricultural activity. the images presented of dryland farming in rural spain and pivot irrigation in the suburbs of arizona, chronicle the fascinating effects of human interaction with nature. the photos that make up ‘water’ were shot in ten different countries. burtynsky approached each landscape from a unique perspective. for his captures, he used helicopters, both actual and remote controlled, and small aircrafts, ascending into the air to achieve a powerful sense of scale and space.

marine aquaculture #1, 2012
luoyuan bay, fujian province, china
image courtesy of edward burtynsky

veronawalk, 2012
naples, florida, USA
image courtesy of edward burtynsky

greenhouses, 2010
almira peninsula, spain
chromogenic print
image courtesy of edward burtynsky/nicholas metivier gallery

dryland farming #2, 2010
monegros county, aragon, spain
chromogenic print
image courtesy of edward burtynsky/nicholas metivier gallery

 
thjorsa river #1, 2012
iceland
chromogenic print
image courtesy of edward burtynsky/nicholas metivier gallery

 
navajo reservation / suburb, 2011
phoenix, arizona, USA
chromogenic print
image courtesy of edward burtynsky/nicholas metivier gallery

pivot irrigation, 2011
suburb, south of yuma, arizona, USA
image courtesy of edward burtynsky

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