Hong Kong-based industrial designer Ben McCarthy visits an exhibition exposing landscapes of production.
September 28th, 2010
As an industrial designer, the profession presents me with an intrinsic irony.
It celebrates the possibilities of producing beautiful things. But it also exposes the disarming reality of where things come from.
Canadian photographer, Edward Burtynsky highlights this contrast with eloquent accuracy.
Burtynsky’s large, highly-detailed photographs tend to depict man-made landscapes, which, he explains, “are rich in detail and scale yet open in their meaning”.
His first solo exhibition in Hong Kong, presents a range of photographs taken in obscure, mostly restricted, regions of China, Bangladesh, Australia, India, Azerbaijan, Canada and the USA, shot over the last 20-odd years.
Amongst them are photos of stone quarries, coal refineries, oil fields, iron recyclers, nickel mines. All are references to the ages of man, be it stone, iron or copper age, and are reflections of his want to explore the shift from these ages, into modern mechanized Chinese production.
“In the last 30 years, we see a complete shift of production to China… I look for images that somehow describe that narrative; the transformation of industrial age.”
The clash of confronting concepts in a beautifully composed image allows Burtynsky some kind of objectivity as he neither celebrates, nor condemns mass production.
“These images are meant as metaphors to the dilemma of our modern existence; they search for a dialogue between attraction and repulsion, seduction and fear.”
However, the enduring goal of Burtynsky’s seems to be to promote a sustainable consciousness, as he now commits about half his time to volunteer organisations within both cultural and ecological industries.
Edward Burtynsky’s exhibition runs from September 22 – October 23 at Sundaram Tagore Gallery, 57 – 59 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong.
Edward Burtynsky
edwardburtynsky.com
Note: The following images have been cropped.
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
The Sub-Zero Wolf showrooms in Sydney and Melbourne provide a creative experience unlike any other. Now showcasing all-new product ranges, the showrooms present a unique perspective on the future of kitchens, homes and lifestyles.
Create a configuration to suit your needs with this curved collection.
In the pursuit of an uplifting synergy between the inner world and the surrounding environment, internationally acclaimed Interior Architect and Designer Lorena Gaxiola transform the vibration of the auspicious number ‘8’ into mesmerising artistry alongside the Feltex design team, brought to you by GH Commercial.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Lacquered in warm timber tones and complemented by high-quality furniture and fixtures, the new HQ for Salta Properties is a home away from home.
Eccentricity and refinement blend at Giant Steps Wines’ new Tasting Room – a picture-perfect place for guests to wine down.