Edward Burtynsky: The Anthropocene Project
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Paul Kuhn Gallery 724 11 Ave SW, Calgary, Alberta T2R 0E4
Edward Burtynsky, "MARBLE QUARRIES #2 CAVA DI CANALGRANDE, CARRARA, ITALY," 2016
chromogenic colour photograph, 36" x 72"
OPENING: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2019 2 - 5 PM
Another collaboration from Nicholas de Pencier, Edward Burtynsky, and Jennifer Baichwal, The Anthropocene Project is a multimedia exploration of the complex and indelible human signature on the Earth. Originally conceived as a photographic essay and the third in a trilogy of films including Manufactured Landscapes (2006) and Watermark (2013), the project quickly evolved to include film installations, large-scale Burtynsky High-Resolution Murals enhanced by film extensions, 360° VR short films, and augmented reality installations. Embracing and developing innovative techniques, the trio embarked on an epic journey around the world (to every continent save Antarctica) to capture the most spectacular evidence of human influence, while taking time to reflect on the deeper meaning of what these profound transformations signify. The result is a collection of experiences that will immerse viewers in the new world of the Anthropocene epoch, delivering a sense of scale, gravity, and impact that both encompasses and moves beyond the scope of conventional screens and prints.
I have come to think of my preoccupation with the Anthropocene — the indelible marks left by humankind on the geological face of our planet — as a conceptual extension of my first and most fundamental interests as a photographer. I have always been concerned to show how we affect the Earth in a big way. To this end, I seek out and photograph large-scale systems that leave lasting marks. At the heart of my challenge has been the pursuit of vantage points that best enable me to picture the relationship of these systems to the land. - Edward Burtynsky
On February 2, 2019 Paul Kuhn Gallery is pleased to present the exhibition “ANTHROPOCENE”, a new series of landmark work by eminent photographer, Edward Burtynsky. Four years in the making, Burtynsky’s Anthropocene expands the artist’s persistent investigation into the impact of human activity on the environment, what Burtynsky refers to as the “human signature” on the planet. The project title refers to the vigorous discussion within the scientific community to formally recognise the beginning of a new geological epoch – the Anthropocene- in which humans are the primary cause of permanent planetary change.
The Anthropocene exhibition coincides with the release of Burtynsky’s sixth Steidl book of the same title and the internationally acclaimed film Anthropocene directed by Burtynsky and the award winning film makers, Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier.
For the Anthropocene project Burtynsky travelled to every continent except Antarctica, including the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Norway, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Kenya, and Nigeria. The exhibition, comprised of large format photographs, illuminate the artist’s visual exploration into the global consequences of coastal erosion, logging, mining and industrialised agricultural such as the seemingly surreal lithium evaporation in ponds in the Atacama Desert in Chile and the startling beauty of the one last thriving coral reefs on the Indonesian Island of Komodo. While much of the photographs are shot from Burtynsky’s birds eye perspective using planes, helicopters and drones, the artist faced new challenges demanded by underground and underwater locations. To this end, and for the first time, Burtynsky employed specialised equipment to capture these meticulously detailed and richly coloured images.
Throughout his artistic career, Burtynsky’s photographic projects focus on the interchange between industrial growth and ecological consciousness. Burtynsky sees as normal, the fact that humans and all life forms take from nature. The Anthropocene project highlights and gives evidence to is the speed and scale of human taking –a kind of cumulative impact never experienced by the earth.
ABOUT EDWARD BURTYNSKY:
Born in Ontario in 1955, Edward Burtynsky is a Canadian photographer who lives and works in Toronto, Canada.
Burtynsky's photographs are shown in hundreds of touring international museum shows and commercial exhibitions, notably, WATER at the Contemporary Arts Center of New Orleans, Oil at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. and the first retrospective of the artists’ work, MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES at the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. This exhibition subsequently travelled to the Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York; the Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego; and the Cantor Center for Visual Arts, Stanford University.
Burtynsky’s work is held in over 60 major museums, including the collections of the Tate Modern, London; the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto; the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; and the Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid. In 2006, Burtynsky was awarded the title of Officer of the Order of Canada and in 2016, he received the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts
Burtynsky is a recipient of the 2004 TED Prize honoring individuals who demonstrate their positive impact in a global context. Other awards and distinctions include the Roloff Beny Book Award (2003), The Outreach Award at the Rencontres d’Arles (2004), the Rogers best Documentary Film Award (2006), and the ICP Award for art (2008). Most recently, Burtynsky was named Photo London’s 2018 Master of Photography. At present, Burtynsky holds eight honorary Doctorate Degre