Edward Burtynsky, PhotoEspaña 2023 Award, presents “Abrican Studies”
09/06/2023.
PHotoESPAÑA 2023 [MAD] Spain 01.06 > 09.10.2023
metalocus, JOSÉ JUAN BARBA
metalocus, JOSÉ JUAN BARBA
Today, June 9, the exhibition African Studies, by Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky, opens to the public at CentroCentro, which has received the PHotoESPAÑA 2023 Award at the twenty-sixth edition of the festival.
The exhibition, which is curated by the same photographer, brings together, for the first time in a public space, a selection of 22 photographs from the "African Studies" project, a set of works created between 2015 and 2019, focused on sub-Saharan Africa -Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Madagascar and Tanzania–, with which Burtynsky reflects on landscapes undergoing rapid industrial and productive expansion.
The Festival recognizes Edward Burtynsky with the PHotoESPAÑA 2023 Award, not only for his relevance as one of the key figures in international photography but also for his commitment to the environment and sustainable development, long before these concepts become current issues.
The exhibition, which is curated by the same photographer, brings together, for the first time in a public space, a selection of 22 photographs from the "African Studies" project, a set of works created between 2015 and 2019, focused on sub-Saharan Africa -Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Madagascar and Tanzania–, with which Burtynsky reflects on landscapes undergoing rapid industrial and productive expansion.
The Festival recognizes Edward Burtynsky with the PHotoESPAÑA 2023 Award, not only for his relevance as one of the key figures in international photography but also for his commitment to the environment and sustainable development, long before these concepts become current issues.
Tailings Pond, by Edward Butynsky. Wesselton Diamond Mine, Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa, 2018. Photograph by Edward Butynsky. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto / Flowers Gallery, London.
Sishen Iron Ore Mine, by Edward Butynsky. Overburden, Kathu, South Africa, 2018. Photograph by Edward Butynsky. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto / Flowers Gallery, London.
Gold Tailings, by Edward Butynsky. Doornkop Gold Mine, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2018. Photograph by Edward Butynsky. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto / Flowers Gallery, London.
Tsaus Mountains, by Edward Butynsky. Sperrgebiet, Namibia, 2018. Photograph by Edward Butynsky. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto / Flowers Gallery, London.
Camel Caravan, by Edward Butynsky. Danakil Depression, Ethiopia, 2018. Photograph by Edward Butynsky. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto / Flowers Gallery, London
GERD, by Edward Butynsky. Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Ethiopia, 2019. Photograph by Edward Butynsky. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto / Flowers Gallery, London.
Salt Encrustations, by Edward Butynsky. Lake Magadi, Kenya, 2017. Photograph by Edward Butynsky. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto / Flowers Gallery, London.
Lake Logipi, by Edward Butynsky. Rift Valley, Kenya, 2017. Photograph by Edward Butynsky. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto / Flowers Gallery, London.
The images by Edward Burtynsky present environments shaped by various resource extraction processes, from the artisanal sapphire mines of Madagascar and the salt flats of Senegal to the "residual landscapes" of mechanized industrial extraction. Along with industrialized landscapes, the artist also offers images of the pristine natural environment as a reminder of its fragility and finiteness, such as the rich sculptural topography of the Tsaus Mountains in Namibia; or the unaltered ecosystem of Lake Logipi, in the Rift Valley (Kenya).
With this project, the author seeks to make society aware of the high cost of the growth of our civilization without taking sustainable practices into account and of the need to launch government initiatives organized on a global scale, to protect present generations and the future of what is about to be lost forever.
Burtynsky's works, mostly photographed from aerial perspectives, often show a flattened frontal aspect that transforms the image into superbly graded fields of color or forceful grid-like compositions reminiscent of modernist abstraction. Presented on a large scale and with an irresistible level of detail, his pictorial surfaces and gestural features allow a glimpse of the confluence of natural designs and human infrastructures. Burtynsky's perpetual search for abstraction in landscape strikes a delicate balance between form and content. He describes this dualistic approach as "holding two doors open" for the viewer to enter the work, investigating a very broad subject while, at the same time, exploring the image as a form of intuitive sensory expression.
African Studies is available in book form, published by Steidl in the fall of 2022.
GERD, by Edward Butynsky. Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Ethiopia, 2019. Photograph by Edward Butynsky. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto / Flowers Gallery, London.
Camel Caravan, by Edward Butynsky. Danakil Depression, Ethiopia, 2018. Photograph by Edward Butynsky. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto / Flowers Gallery, London.
Edward Burtynsky is considered one of the world's foremost contemporary photographers. His extraordinary photographic representations of global industrial landscapes represent more than 40 years of his dedication to testifying to the impact of humans on the planet. Burtynsky's photographs are in the collections of more than 80 museums around the world, including the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa; Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art and Guggenheim Museum in New York; Tate Modern in London, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in California or the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.
Burtynsky's honors include the inaugural TED Prize in 2005, which he shared with Bono and Robert Fischell; the Governor General's Awards in Visual Arts and Media; the Outreach Award at the Rencontres d'Arles; the Roloff Beny Book Award; and the 2018 Photo London Master of Photography Award. In 2019 he received the Arts & Letters Award at the Canadian Association of New York's annual Maple Leaf Ball and the 2019 Lucie Award for Achievement in Documentary Photography. In 2020 he was awarded the Royal Photographic Society Honorary Scholarship and in 2022 he received the World Photography Organization's Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award. He has recently been inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and in 2022 he has received the Pollution Probe Award.
Burtynsky was also a key figure in the production of the award-winning documentary trilogy Manufactured Landscapes (directed by Jennifer Baichwal, 2006), Watermark (directed by Baichwal and Burtynsky, 2013), and ANTHROPOCENE: The Human Epoch (directed by Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, and Burtynsky, 2018). All three films continue to screen at festivals around the world. Burtynsky is currently the holder of eight honorary doctorates.
With this project, the author seeks to make society aware of the high cost of the growth of our civilization without taking sustainable practices into account and of the need to launch government initiatives organized on a global scale, to protect present generations and the future of what is about to be lost forever.
Burtynsky's works, mostly photographed from aerial perspectives, often show a flattened frontal aspect that transforms the image into superbly graded fields of color or forceful grid-like compositions reminiscent of modernist abstraction. Presented on a large scale and with an irresistible level of detail, his pictorial surfaces and gestural features allow a glimpse of the confluence of natural designs and human infrastructures. Burtynsky's perpetual search for abstraction in landscape strikes a delicate balance between form and content. He describes this dualistic approach as "holding two doors open" for the viewer to enter the work, investigating a very broad subject while, at the same time, exploring the image as a form of intuitive sensory expression.
African Studies is available in book form, published by Steidl in the fall of 2022.
GERD, by Edward Butynsky. Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Ethiopia, 2019. Photograph by Edward Butynsky. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto / Flowers Gallery, London.
Camel Caravan, by Edward Butynsky. Danakil Depression, Ethiopia, 2018. Photograph by Edward Butynsky. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto / Flowers Gallery, London.
Edward Burtynsky is considered one of the world's foremost contemporary photographers. His extraordinary photographic representations of global industrial landscapes represent more than 40 years of his dedication to testifying to the impact of humans on the planet. Burtynsky's photographs are in the collections of more than 80 museums around the world, including the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa; Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art and Guggenheim Museum in New York; Tate Modern in London, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in California or the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.
Burtynsky's honors include the inaugural TED Prize in 2005, which he shared with Bono and Robert Fischell; the Governor General's Awards in Visual Arts and Media; the Outreach Award at the Rencontres d'Arles; the Roloff Beny Book Award; and the 2018 Photo London Master of Photography Award. In 2019 he received the Arts & Letters Award at the Canadian Association of New York's annual Maple Leaf Ball and the 2019 Lucie Award for Achievement in Documentary Photography. In 2020 he was awarded the Royal Photographic Society Honorary Scholarship and in 2022 he received the World Photography Organization's Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award. He has recently been inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and in 2022 he has received the Pollution Probe Award.
Burtynsky was also a key figure in the production of the award-winning documentary trilogy Manufactured Landscapes (directed by Jennifer Baichwal, 2006), Watermark (directed by Baichwal and Burtynsky, 2013), and ANTHROPOCENE: The Human Epoch (directed by Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, and Burtynsky, 2018). All three films continue to screen at festivals around the world. Burtynsky is currently the holder of eight honorary doctorates.
More information
Author / Curator
Dates
From June 9 to October 1, 2023.
Venue / Localitation
CentroCentro. Plaza de Cibeles, 1, 28014, Madrid, Spain.
Developer
PHotoESPAÑA
Sponsor
ACCIONA.
Edward Burtynsky
Edward Burtynsky was born in 1955 of Ukrainian heritage in St. Catharines, Ontario. He received his BAA in Photography/Media Studies from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) in 1982 and has since received both an Alumni Achievement Award (2004) and an Honorary Doctorate (2007) from his alma mater. He is still actively involved in the university community and sits on the board of directors for The Image Center (formerly Ryerson Image Centre).
In 1985, Burtynsky founded Toronto Image Works, a darkroom rental facility, custom photo laboratory, digital imaging, and new media computer-training center catering to all levels of Toronto's art community.
Early exposure to the General Motors plant and watching ships go by in the Welland Canal in Burtynsky's hometown helped capture his imagination for the scale of human creation, and to formulate the development of his photographic work. His imagery of him explores the collective impact we as a species are having on the surface of the planet — an inspection of the human systems we've imposed onto natural landscapes.
Edward Burtynsky is considered one of the world's foremost contemporary photographers. His extraordinary photographic representations of global industrial landscapes represent more than 40 years of his dedication to testifying to the impact of humans on the planet. Burtynsky's photographs are in the collections of more than 80 museums around the world, including the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa; Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art and Guggenheim Museum in New York; Tate Modern in London, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in California or the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.
Burtynsky's honors include the inaugural TED Prize in 2005, which he shared with Bono and Robert Fischell; the Governor General's Awards in Visual Arts and Media; the Outreach Award at the Rencontres d'Arles; the Roloff Beny Book Award; and the 2018 Photo London Master of Photography Award. In 2019 he received the Arts & Letters Award at the Canadian Association of New York's annual Maple Leaf Ball and the 2019 Lucie Award for Achievement in Documentary Photography. In 2020 he was awarded the Royal Photographic Society Honorary Scholarship and in 2022 he received the World Photography Organization's Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award. He has recently been inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and in 2022 he has received the Pollution Probe Award.
Burtynsky was also a key figure in the production of the award-winning documentary trilogy Manufactured Landscapes (directed by Jennifer Baichwal, 2006), Watermark (directed by Baichwal and Burtynsky, 2013), and ANTHROPOCENE: The Human Epoch (directed by Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, and Burtynsky, 2018). All three films continue to screen at festivals around the world. Burtynsky is currently the holder of eight honorary doctorates.
In 1985, Burtynsky founded Toronto Image Works, a darkroom rental facility, custom photo laboratory, digital imaging, and new media computer-training center catering to all levels of Toronto's art community.
Early exposure to the General Motors plant and watching ships go by in the Welland Canal in Burtynsky's hometown helped capture his imagination for the scale of human creation, and to formulate the development of his photographic work. His imagery of him explores the collective impact we as a species are having on the surface of the planet — an inspection of the human systems we've imposed onto natural landscapes.
Edward Burtynsky is considered one of the world's foremost contemporary photographers. His extraordinary photographic representations of global industrial landscapes represent more than 40 years of his dedication to testifying to the impact of humans on the planet. Burtynsky's photographs are in the collections of more than 80 museums around the world, including the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa; Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art and Guggenheim Museum in New York; Tate Modern in London, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in California or the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.
Burtynsky's honors include the inaugural TED Prize in 2005, which he shared with Bono and Robert Fischell; the Governor General's Awards in Visual Arts and Media; the Outreach Award at the Rencontres d'Arles; the Roloff Beny Book Award; and the 2018 Photo London Master of Photography Award. In 2019 he received the Arts & Letters Award at the Canadian Association of New York's annual Maple Leaf Ball and the 2019 Lucie Award for Achievement in Documentary Photography. In 2020 he was awarded the Royal Photographic Society Honorary Scholarship and in 2022 he received the World Photography Organization's Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award. He has recently been inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and in 2022 he has received the Pollution Probe Award.
Burtynsky was also a key figure in the production of the award-winning documentary trilogy Manufactured Landscapes (directed by Jennifer Baichwal, 2006), Watermark (directed by Baichwal and Burtynsky, 2013), and ANTHROPOCENE: The Human Epoch (directed by Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, and Burtynsky, 2018). All three films continue to screen at festivals around the world. Burtynsky is currently the holder of eight honorary doctorates.
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