Water

Between 2009 and 2014 Edward Burtynsky travelled to five continents - from the Gulf of Mexico to the Ganges riverbanks – to capture the life cycle of water. He followed the course of rivers and studied the seas; he has described the different uses of water from worship to farming and he has once again peered beneath the surface of things, as is typical of him. Actually, the photographic work of Edward Burtynsky is the result of a refined ability to investigate and synthesise. The analysis starts with a precise study of the impact of human progress on the Earth and goes on with the accurate research of exemplary sites. The synthesis is expressed by images which are able to gather the multiplicity and transform it into symbols by means of an aesthetic that satisfies the senses and invites to contemplation. The artist offers amazing images which actually make an impact, since they portray us, the human beings that shape the world according to the logic of greed; however, the Earth is exhausted and utters a cry for help, also by the art of photography.

All images © Edward Burtynsky