Edward Burtynsky and manufactured landscapes: don’t say I didn’t talk about games

First and foremost, the most urgent: if you are near St. John’s, run to The Rooms and see Burtynsky’s photography exibition. It is fenomenal and will end August 15th. I’m serious, don’t miss it.

Yesterday I was there with Mary’s parents, they came to visit us here in St. John’s. I was not aware of the exhibit at all and, when I saw it, my jaw dropped. His work is amazing.

So after the initial impact, I started really contemplating the pictures and couldn’t stop looking. I got home, googled Burtynsky and my respect for him grew even more. Edward Burtynsky is a Canadian photographer who, at some point, decided to dedicate his career and I dare say his life to what he calls manufactured landscapes: landscapes that display in dramatic fashion the impact of mankind and heavy industrialization on our planet.

The most amazing thing about his work is that the images are gorgeous, unbelievably beautiful, but they portray very sad, disturbing, horrifying sceneries we conceived ourselves. These mixed feelings are in all of his work. And the photographs are so big, taken with such wide lenses, so crisp, that every one of them has multiple small details; nuances that make you think more and more.

But this is obviously more than a simple work of art. It is a meaningful way to remind people of what we are doing to our planet. And if you know me, you know I’m not much of a green talker. But this guy really reached me, that’s how powerful his work is. His pictures are used by worldchanging.com and others to impact everyone the same way they impacted me, and inspire mankind to start thinking (and acting!) about sustainability. It sure is inspiring.

For his work, in 2005 Burtynsky won the TED Prize. There are many TED talks with him (like this one) and, afaik, they are all worth watching.

I went to his website and put some of my favorites here on the blog. Not because they are hard to find, but just so I can look at them and remember them often.

Now I want to suggest you click this link to the very first picture of the gallery so you can see it full size. Done it? Now tell me: is the world of Fallout 3 that far away? Don’t those pictures remind you of the Wasteland and Megaton?

Did you notice? I told you I would talk about games.

See you space cowboys…