Sublime Disruptions
…another visit to the Biennial
Edward Burtynsky Manikarnika Ghat, Varanasi, India 2013
Last week I posted about my love for Geoffrey Farmer’s Leaves of Grass — this week I’ll take you on a little arm chair tour of Sublime Disruptions featuring the work of Edward Burtynsky, Dave McMillan and Isabelle Hayeur. With an emphasis on creating images descriptive of environmental concerns, the gallery was full of large, arresting works.
Edward Burtynksy Marine Aquaculture #1, Looyan Bay, Fujian Province, China 2012
Burtynsky’s work focussed on water, and the human management of it’s vast systems. He puts emphasis on our relationship with it: not one of just biological need, but needs that are encompassed in a complex social system such as religious rites, and engineering projects. His photographs are a mixture of photographic documentary techniques and painterly effects. He wants us to think about how we’re engineering our own demise.
Edward Burtynsky Pirot Irrigation #11, High Plains, Texas Panhandle, USA 2011
Edward Burtynsky Xiaolangdi Dam #2, Yellow River, Henan Province, China 2011
This is one of my favourites. It’s an image that lacks the geometric symmetry that is so common in Burtynsky’s oeuvre. Standing in front of this immense photograph you can feel the mist and become engulfed by the scene. It feels chaotic and apocalyptic – reminiscent of John Martin‘s 19th century depictions.
David McMillan, images of Chernobyl, 1998, printed in 2013
I’ve written about our obsession with ruin porn before, but McMillan’s work predates this phenomenon. The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident took place in 1986, and McMillan first travelled to the zone in 1994 to document the devastation. The area had become a time capsule, highlighting the fragility of the human world. These photos represent a horrendous period in our history and this project made him realize that this area isn’t static, but alive with growth and change. Check out his website here for better photos and full label information.
Isabelle Hayeur Death in Absentia II 2011
Hayeur’s series, entitled Underworld, is also quite apocalyptic feeling. It’s a series close to her heart. She lives on the banks of a river, and has witnessed it become progressively more polluted over the years. As the viewer, you’re submerged under the water’s surface and able to observe the degradation of both land and water. It’s an interesting, eerie series. While looking at her work I was reminded of the film Beasts of the Southern Wild – set in a murky flooded southern landscape. See more of her work here.
Here are all the details for Shine a Light: Canadian Biennial 2014 on now until March 2015 at the National Gallery of Canada.
