What do you think?
Rate this book
Manufactured Landscapes: The Photographs of Edward Burtynsky
Over the past twenty-five years, the internationally renowned Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky has been an explorer of unfamiliar places where human activity has reshaped the surface of the land. His astonishing large-scale color photographs of the landscapes of mining, quarrying, railcutting, recycling, oil refining, and shipbreaking uncover a stark, almost sublime beauty in the residue of industrial "progress." The implicit social and environmental upheavals that underlie these images make them powerful emblems of our times.
This handsome catalogue of the first major retrospective of Burtynsky's work features essays by Lori Pauli, Kenneth Baker, and Mark Haworth-Booth, as well as a wide-ranging interview with the artist by Michael Torosian. The book includes sixty-four colour plates.
This handsome catalogue of the first major retrospective of Burtynsky's work features essays by Lori Pauli, Kenneth Baker, and Mark Haworth-Booth, as well as a wide-ranging interview with the artist by Michael Torosian. The book includes sixty-four colour plates.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published March 11, 2003
1 person is currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Edward Burtynsky
35 books14 followersEdward Burtynsky is regarded as one of the world's most accomplished contemporary photographers. His remarkable photographic depictions of global industrial landscapes represent over 40 years of his dedication to bearing witness to the impact of human industry on the planet. Burtynsky's photographs are included in the collections of over 80 major museums around the world, including the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa; the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Guggenheim Museum in New York; the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid; the Tate Modern in London, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in California.
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 Centre (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 centre 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 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.
Exhibitions include: The Great Acceleration at New York’s International Center of Photography (2025); BURTYNSKY: Extraction/Abstraction which premiered at London’s Saatchi Gallery (February 2024) before touring to M9 in Mestre, Italy; Anthropocene (2018) at the Art Gallery of Ontario and National Gallery of Canada (international touring exhibition); Water (2013) at the New Orleans Museum of Art and Contemporary Art Center in Louisiana (international touring exhibition); Oil (2009) at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. (five-year international touring show), China (toured internationally from 2005 - 2008); Manufactured Landscapes at the National Gallery of Canada (toured from 2003 - 2005); and Breaking Ground produced by the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography (toured from 1988 - 1992). Burtynsky's visually compelling works are currently being exhibited in solo and group exhibitions around the globe.
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 Centre (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 centre 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 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.
Exhibitions include: The Great Acceleration at New York’s International Center of Photography (2025); BURTYNSKY: Extraction/Abstraction which premiered at London’s Saatchi Gallery (February 2024) before touring to M9 in Mestre, Italy; Anthropocene (2018) at the Art Gallery of Ontario and National Gallery of Canada (international touring exhibition); Water (2013) at the New Orleans Museum of Art and Contemporary Art Center in Louisiana (international touring exhibition); Oil (2009) at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. (five-year international touring show), China (toured internationally from 2005 - 2008); Manufactured Landscapes at the National Gallery of Canada (toured from 2003 - 2005); and Breaking Ground produced by the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography (toured from 1988 - 1992). Burtynsky's visually compelling works are currently being exhibited in solo and group exhibitions around the globe.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 6, 2019
Va taip mums ir reikia, velniai rautų....
Fotomeninkas kanadietis E. Burtynsky jau daugiau nei dvidešimtmetį stebi pats ir rodo mums(be jokios didaktikos, kas mane žavi), kaip keičiasi planetos peizažas...
[...] 'I wanted to do what Watkins had done, but to be true to my generation, to the world I lived in. I decided that what was relevant for our times were pictures that showed how we have changed the landscape in significant ways in the pursuit of progress'.
'While trying to accommodate the growing needs of an expanding civilization, we are reshaping the earth in colossal ways...In this new and powerful role over the planet, we are also capable of engineering our own demise. We have to learn to think more long-term'.
'the largest example of something-the largest mines, the largest quarry'.
'industrial metamorphosis'
Fotomeninkas kanadietis E. Burtynsky jau daugiau nei dvidešimtmetį stebi pats ir rodo mums(be jokios didaktikos, kas mane žavi), kaip keičiasi planetos peizažas...
[...] 'I wanted to do what Watkins had done, but to be true to my generation, to the world I lived in. I decided that what was relevant for our times were pictures that showed how we have changed the landscape in significant ways in the pursuit of progress'.
'While trying to accommodate the growing needs of an expanding civilization, we are reshaping the earth in colossal ways...In this new and powerful role over the planet, we are also capable of engineering our own demise. We have to learn to think more long-term'.
'the largest example of something-the largest mines, the largest quarry'.
'industrial metamorphosis'
August 14, 2012
I discovered Burtynsky when I visited the newly re-opened Photographers Gallery in Soho and saw an exhibition of his work on Oil. I thought it was magnificent and Burtynsky immediately joined my eveolving canon of great photographers. His books are expensive so I was keeping my eyes opne for a bargain and I was lucky enough to find a copy of this book at the Strand bookstore in New York.
Burtynsky's work is about the human race's relationship with our environment. It combines an advanced sense of aesthetics, showing some influence from Romantic painting (such as Caspar David Freidrich and Salvatore Rosa)and Abstract Expressionism, with a powerful vision of our world which draws back the curtain on the hidden impact of our modern way of life. It isn't agitprop, these photographs are formally and aesthetically beautiful, but they do provoke reflection upon political and environemental issues.
Burtynsky's work is about the human race's relationship with our environment. It combines an advanced sense of aesthetics, showing some influence from Romantic painting (such as Caspar David Freidrich and Salvatore Rosa)and Abstract Expressionism, with a powerful vision of our world which draws back the curtain on the hidden impact of our modern way of life. It isn't agitprop, these photographs are formally and aesthetically beautiful, but they do provoke reflection upon political and environemental issues.
March 1, 2008
I watched the documentary before picking up the book. I skipped the essays and interview, thumbing through the first 55 pages until the photographs began, and then slowly turned the pages, occasionally glancing at the title to figure out what it was I was looking at. Burtynsky's photos are beautiful, haunting, disturbing, and unsettling. They leave me conflicted with emotion -- sadness, guilt, disappointment, horror, awe, wonder.
May 17, 2024
if you like this review i now have website: www.michaelkamakana.com
150413: if I were a photographer these are some of the pictures I would take...
150413: if I were a photographer these are some of the pictures I would take...
December 1, 2022
I think this is an art book that needs to also be read. Please, if you pick this book up, do read the contents. Not only will it give much more meaning to his amazing photographs but you will have a much deeper respect for our environment.
There is so much to appreciate in his photographs. Many of the photos appear to be almost abstract although they are full of detail of the results of how we humans allow our world to be littered, defiled, torn up, poisoned ... you get what I mean.
The other thing about his photographs in this book is how well they have presented them in terms of their sequencing and how Burtynsky's style is so uniform in how they are processed. It's a pleasure to see the smooth transitions from photo to photo and from segment to segment.
There is so much to appreciate in his photographs. Many of the photos appear to be almost abstract although they are full of detail of the results of how we humans allow our world to be littered, defiled, torn up, poisoned ... you get what I mean.
The other thing about his photographs in this book is how well they have presented them in terms of their sequencing and how Burtynsky's style is so uniform in how they are processed. It's a pleasure to see the smooth transitions from photo to photo and from segment to segment.
August 22, 2023
Unfortunately I was very disappointed about the way the photographs were presented. The book measures 28x33cm yet many pages are just blank with a second page with a small 23x18cm photograph presented on it. For me it would be much more striking if all the blank space was used. I returned the book, hopefully someone else will enjoy it.
November 12, 2018
My favorites were the snow-covered cuts of the marble quarries.
January 30, 2014
OK, OK, Burtynsky refuses to be didactic. He refuses to come out and say what we've done to the Earth is wrong. So, you're left to make up your own mind. I appreciate his artistic clarity and discipline. And, I know what I see in these photographs: evidence of a lifestyle that is unsustainable.
In his interview, he talks about what makes for an effective image a la what Winogrand said. An image "succeeded when form and content were on an equal footing." Photographic skill is the form and the story the photographer looks to tell and how his / her life experience tempers telling it is the content. This is wonderful touchstone for any artist I'd say as we all work at our skill but then have to decide how we want to use the skill we've developed.
I'm touched that the original inspiration came to Burtynsky when he got lost in my home state. Looking in all directions in Frackville, Pennsylvania, all he saw were coal slag heaps and he realized the human capacity for transforming the entire landscape. In doing large projects, it helps to have a concrete vision and certain simple ideas to keep coming back to. Burtynsky speaks of looking at buildings in Toronto and thinking in basic Newtonian laws, somewhere out there is a reverse physical formation where this material was taken from the Earth. Thoughts like these led him to quarries in Vermont and Italy, shipbreaking in Bangladesh, giant tire piles in California, and industrial mining sites in Montana and Canada. I have great appreciation for how well he tells an important story.
In his interview, he talks about what makes for an effective image a la what Winogrand said. An image "succeeded when form and content were on an equal footing." Photographic skill is the form and the story the photographer looks to tell and how his / her life experience tempers telling it is the content. This is wonderful touchstone for any artist I'd say as we all work at our skill but then have to decide how we want to use the skill we've developed.
I'm touched that the original inspiration came to Burtynsky when he got lost in my home state. Looking in all directions in Frackville, Pennsylvania, all he saw were coal slag heaps and he realized the human capacity for transforming the entire landscape. In doing large projects, it helps to have a concrete vision and certain simple ideas to keep coming back to. Burtynsky speaks of looking at buildings in Toronto and thinking in basic Newtonian laws, somewhere out there is a reverse physical formation where this material was taken from the Earth. Thoughts like these led him to quarries in Vermont and Italy, shipbreaking in Bangladesh, giant tire piles in California, and industrial mining sites in Montana and Canada. I have great appreciation for how well he tells an important story.
February 11, 2013
Undeniably great pictures in this one. The documentary that goes with the book is excellent and touches on many topics not covered here. The prints are still too small to fully appreciate his work but a book containing full-sized images wouldn't fit through most doorways and thus wouldn't be a practical publication. The initial background essay and interview are revealing and are definitely worth checking out. They give valuable insight to the photographer's background and perspective in creating these pictures. The other two essays fill space and seem to be a forum for the writers to show that they are familiar with the history of photography. I don't know how much you'll get out of this book if you haven't seen the movie, but it's a beautiful work on its own so I'd certainly recommend it anyway.
June 9, 2009
Canadian photographer Burtynsky specializes in photographing landscapes affected by industrialization. I didn't read most of the text in this book, just the interview, and spent most of my time on the photographs.
In some way, I think one of these pictures is more powerful than a series of them. After a while I was wondering what I should be feeling, and aware that I wasn't feeling that much of anything about these particular pictures. Maybe because I've seen landscapes like this on film or in person, and so the photos seem less powerful. I guess I'm pretty ambivalent about humanity transforming the landscape, since we've been doing it since pre-history.
In some way, I think one of these pictures is more powerful than a series of them. After a while I was wondering what I should be feeling, and aware that I wasn't feeling that much of anything about these particular pictures. Maybe because I've seen landscapes like this on film or in person, and so the photos seem less powerful. I guess I'm pretty ambivalent about humanity transforming the landscape, since we've been doing it since pre-history.
February 25, 2009
My son gave me this book, probably because I'm always raving about the beauty of the port of Oakland with all its industrial cranes, or the beauty of railroad freight yards... Anyway, Burtynsky focuses on oil refineries, ship scrapping, mine tailings - I don't find it beautiful, but it's strange and fascinating.
December 3, 2010
A beautiful and disturbing collection of photographs. Each photo is stunning in its composition and color, and frightening when you realize that all of the photos are of polluted landscapes, scrap metal yards, mountains of old tires and telephones, etc.
July 4, 2015
I was awestruck looking at the photos. On one hand, they are fabulous photography. On the other hand, they give my goose pimples just to think about how massively human beings are consuming the earth. This fact terrifies me.
December 3, 2015
The photography by Edward Burtynsky is amazing. I was lucky enough to see his photography on exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery and couldn't pass up owning a copy of his work. The shots are very thought-provoking. Definitely a collectible that I have read and will re-read.
Want to read
August 14, 2008Oh, oh my. I just realized this is a book related to a documentary I saw almost one year ago at Cinema 21, or maybe less than that. I had thought it to be a different book entirely.
May 7, 2009
I was mesmerized by the documentary on Edward Burtynsky. I could not look away from the screen, and this photo book is my new prized possession.
September 9, 2011
So beautiful, but absolutely terrifying.
March 5, 2013
Awesome pictures by this photographer. Changes your view on the world.
January 9, 2015
All his books are well written and the reproduction of his photos are excellent.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews