10 Jun, 2013
Open your eyeballs: Edward Burtynsky at the Canadian Museum of Nature
Posted by andrea tomkins in: Fishbowl patrons|Ottawa
You know how much I love art. And photography. And I like thought-provoking photography twice as much.
I had an opportunity to check out Edward Burtynsky: Oil, a new exhibition at the Canadian Museum of Nature (a Fishbowl patron) recently and I’m now here to recommend it to you. You must go see this. And you MUST bring your family. It is hauntingly, arrestingly, beautiful. Here’s a teeny peek:
The exhibition features are 50 gigantic photos that document the life cycle of oil: the impact of extraction, usage, and the end-of-life realities. It is shocking, gorgeous, repulsive, and mind-boggling all at once. I had the good fortune to chat with the artist himself. We talked about how 12 years documenting this stuff has changed his own consumption habits and he shared a few stories behind the photos too. Here he is, talking to the other media:
My only suggestion to you – because there’s no audio tour component or extra information posted near any of the photos – is to take a few minutes to have a seat and watch the video that accompanies the exhibit in the lounge area of the room. It will be worth it. You cannot look at these photos and remain unchanged by them.
If you’re planning a visit (and you SHOULD)… here’s some more info for you.