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Edward Burtynsky – Manufacturing #17, Deda Chicken Processing Plant, Dehui City, Jilin Province, China, 2005

Edward Burtynsky’s China photos

For Edward Burtynsky, photography is much more than immortalizing a scene; while his focus is on taking photos, he is keen on sharing his point of view with the rest of the world. One of the most outstanding aspects of his works is his ability to connect to the real world. China, for instance, is a massive country, comprised of 3.7-million-square-miles of manufacturing landscape and that means people are busy all the time. What is a picture of China without a hint of humanity? The many pictures Burtynsky has taken of China appear to be carefully thought out; each one makes use of a location that not only captures what is happening on a large-scale but also the people who make it happen.

As an artist his role is to bring out the best of what he chooses to put on film; this he has done so well in this particular country. The Chinese people, through the eyes of Burtynsky, are part of the greater mechanical system that keeps the country’s economy afloat. There is no doubt that there is so much negativity to write home for that but his work is about impressions of the world. Human nature is such that the bad outdoes the good and this is replicated even in photography. While China is renowned for its production of any kind of goods as well as a booming housing sector to boost the ever-growing population, all this eventually comes to an end in a cycle of destiny.

Edward Burtynsky portrait by Stewart Churchill/kulturbloggen.com

The role of nature & industry

Looking at the pictures he takes, one can easily get into his mind frame and view humanity from a point of humility, awe and outrage. Some of these might be hard to acknowledge, but it is the reality of what life is that keeps people hooked to what Burtynsky does. On one hand, is the natural aspect of the world that cannot be changed which is nature and on the other is what people make to simplify their lives. A photographer who finds this link finds a balance which they project beyond the lens. There is an unseen struggle between seduction and fear, attraction and repulsion that he manages to capture in his works.

Conclusion

Everybody is aware that China is a superpower but not many people are able to visualize what that means. As the world keeps changing to accommodate the millions that are born every year, it is expected that natural resources will be depleted over time. It might be possible to tell why Burtynsky chose China as his canvas, but this modern-day superpower is gearing up for an industrial tsunami to meet the needs of everyone. This is the nature of work that has earned him international recognition and acclaim.

Photos: Manufacturing

Edward Burtynsky – Cankun Factory, Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, China, 2005

Edward Burtynsky – Manufacturing #2, Shift Change, Yuyuan Shoe Factory, Gaobu Town, Guangdong Province, China, 2004

Edward Burtynsky – Manufacturing #6A and 6B, Hongqingting Shoe Factory, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, 2004

Edward Burtynsky – Manufacturing #6A, Hongqingting Shoe Factory, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China (detail of original diptych), 2004

Edward Burtynsky – Manufacturing #10A and 10B, Cankun Factory, Xiamen City, China (detail of original diptych), 2005

Edward Burtynsky – Manufacturing #10B, Cankun Factory, Xiamen City, China (detail of original diptych), 2005

Edward Burtynsky – Manufacturing #11, Youngor Textiles, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China, 2005

Edward Burtynsky – Manufacturing #16, Bird Mobile, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China, 2005

Photos: Three Gorges Dam Project

Edward Burtynsky – Dam #4, Three Gorges Dam Project, Yangtze River, China, 2002

Edward Burtynsky – Dam #6, Three Gorges Dam Project, Yangtze River, China, 2002

Edward Burtynsky – Feng Jie #3 & 4, Three Gorges Dam Project, Yangtze River, China, 2002

Edward Burtynsky – Feng Jie #3, Yangtze River, China, 2002 (detail of original diptych)

Edward Burtynsky – Feng Jie #4, Yangtze River, China, 2002 (detail of original diptych)

Edward Burtynsky – Feng Jie #5, Yangtze River, China, 2002

Edward Burtynsky – Wan Zhou #2, Three Gorges Dam Project, Yangtze River, China, 2002

Edward Burtynsky – Wan Zhou #4, Three Gorges Dam Project, Yangtze River, China, 2002

Edward Burtynsky – Wushan #3, Three Gorges Dam Project, Yangtze River, China, 2002

Edward Burtynsky – Xiaolangdi Dam #1, Yellow River, Henan Province, China

Photos: Old Factories

Edward Burtynsky – Old Factories #1, Fushun Aluminum Smelter, Fushun City, Liaoning Province, China, 2005

Edward Burtynsky – Old Factories #4, Shenyang Heavy Machinery Group, Tiexi District, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, China, 2005

Edward Burtynsky – Old Factories #5, Shenyang Heavy Machinery Group, Tiexi District, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, China, 2005

Edward Burtynsky – Old Factories #6, Shenyang Heavy Machinery Group, Tiexi District, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, China, 2005

Edward Burtynsky – Old Factories #9, Fushun Aluminum Smelter, Fushun City, Liaoning Province, China, 2005

Photos: Bao Steel

Edward Burtynsky – Bao Steel #2, Shanghai, China, 2005

Edward Burtynsky – Bao Steel #4, Shanghai, China, 2005

Edward Burtynsky – Bao Steel #5, Shanghai, China, 2005

Edward Burtynsky – Bao Steel #8, Shanghai, China, 2005

Edward Burtynsky – Bao Steel #10, Tianjin, China, 2005

All images by Edward Burtynsky/edwardburtynsky.com unless otherwise noted.

Videos

Edward Burtynsky’s TED Talk abut ‘Manufactured Landscapes’

35min 10sec

‘China’ book preview

3min 57sec

Related works

• Nadav Kander: 3 years taking photos of China’s longest river
• Everything they own: Huang Qingjun’s intimate portraits of Chinese families
• Chinese girls are observing transformation of their city – Weng Fen
• Surreal photos of Asia’s longest river after 2 year „pilgrimage“ – Zhang Kechun
• Overworked and underpaid – Dramatic photos of workers
• Colorful madness in Shanghai – Alan Delorme

Richard Mosse’s Enclave – Dreamlike & disturbing

This is how Hong Kong looked like 60 years ago – Fan Ho

Front row seat to Parisian ghetto – Mohamed Bourouissa’s Périphérique

Overworked and underpaid – Sebastião Salgado’s dramatic photos of workers