Edward Burtynsky (b. 1955) is one of Canada's most successful photographers. A noted filmmaker, entrepreneur, and environmental advocate, Burtynsky is known internationally for his large-scale images documenting the interaction of industry and natural resources.
Burtynsky documents and explores geological and social histories through periods of global industrial change. His images present tension between beauty and desecration. The landscape photographs document breathtaking vantage points with incredible detail and monumental perspectives beyond the human eye.
For this series, Burtynsky traveled to Carrara, Italy in the early 1990s in search of the quarry from which Michelangelo sourced his marble. The journey marked a pivotal shift in the artist’s career, as he ventured beyond North America for the first time.
Captivated by the weathered patina of Carrara’s abandoned quarries and the quiet resurgence of nature on their grounds, Burtynsky traveled to India, China, and Portugal to expand on the series.
Burtynsky wrote of his experience: “The surface of the rock face would simultaneously reveal the process of its own creation, as well as display the techniques of the quarrymen."
In this striking photograph, the artist captures the monumental scale of the quarry, revealing an intricate tapestry of cracks and fragments that ripple through the surface of its facade. The composition unfolds with astonishing detail upon close viewing, each element meticulously capturing the layered impact of human intervention on the landscape.
The presence of a lone man is a rare inclusion in Burtynsky's oeuvre, which typically omits people altogether. Ascending a ladder, he subtly embodies the thousands of laborers who extract over a million tons of marble each year, while simultaneously emphasizing the quarry's vast, awe-inspiring scale.
Today, Edward Burtynsky's work can be found in over 50 museum collections, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Guggenheim, The MoMA, and the Tate Modern.
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"Carrara Marble Quarries #11, Carrara, Italy 1993"
Italy, 1993
Digital c-print on Kodak Supra Endura paper
Signed by the artist on verso
From an edition of 5
40"H 50"W (image)
48"H 58"W (sheet)
Framed
Excellent condition
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