Media:
Prepare for Impact
Edward Burtynsky knows a thing or two about inspiration - from his remarkable photographic depictions of global industrial landscapes in the collections of over fifty major world museums, to his talks at TED (here and here) about how and why he does it. This week, to coincide with OIL, the Canadian photographer’s major solo exhibition at The Photographers’ Gallery in London, he’s releasing “Edward Burtynsky: Oil,” an app for iPad ($9.99) that provides a breathtaking journey through the extraction, manufacture, and effects of oil on our lives.
This stunning app features more than 100 of Burtynsky’s memorable photographs, including ten images from a new series documenting the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. There’s also audio commentary from Burtynsky on the background of select photos, video walkthroughs of the OIL exhibition with the photographer himself, and interactive maps of the work.
“In 1997 I had what I refer to as my oil epiphany,” explains Burtynsky. “It occurred to me that the vast, human-altered landscapes that I pursued and photographed for over twenty years were only made possible by the discovery of oil and the mechanical advantage of the internal combustion engine…These images can be seen as notations by one artist contemplating the world as it is made possible through this vital energy resource and the cumulative effects of industrial evolution.”
Get the Edward Burtynsky: Oil app now at the iTunes store.
Photo: Edward Burtynsky
