Terror and Awe in Ed Burtynsky's Canada

7 snips

Jul 28, 2025

Ed Burtynsky, a renowned Canadian photographer, is celebrated for his stunning yet haunting depictions of industrial landscapes. He discusses the paradox of beauty and destruction in his work, capturing the stark realities of industrialization. Through personal stories, he reflects on the health impacts of these environments and the urgent necessity for sustainable practices. Burtynsky also navigates the challenges of obtaining permissions for his photography, offering a humorous glimpse into the negotiation process in the art world.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Beauty in Industrial Devastation

Ed Burtynsky photographs industrially devastated landscapes revealing nature's scars from human activity.
His images evoke beauty in destruction, challenging traditional views of environmental harm.

INSIGHT

Neutrality in Environmental Photography

Burtynsky remains neutral, showing business-as-usual industrial impacts without overt judgment.
His work aims to reveal complexity, urging viewers to form their own opinions on industrial scales and consequences.

INSIGHT

Everyday Life's Industrial Impact

Burtynsky highlights how industrial destruction is linked to everyday life and materials we use.
He invites viewers to consider the complexity of modern living's reliance on exploiting natural resources.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

For over 40 years Burtynsky’s camera has captured mountain ranges scarred and scooped from mining operations, roiling tar sand tailing ponds, and fractal river systems alight with red industrial sludge. His work is a catalogue of the awesome destructive power at the root of our industrial culture.

And yet, Burtynsky’s images are beautiful. That contradiction of beautiful destruction has fuelled the praise and criticism around Burtynsky for decades.

Ed Burtynsky’s is probably the biggest deal this country has every produced in terms of landscape photography. He’s won countless awards, he has nine honorary doctorate degrees, he’s an Officer of the Order of Canada, his work is collected and displayed in galleries around the world.

He joins us to unpack that career and the critique that frames his photography.

Credits:

Host: Jesse Brown

Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)

Fact checking by Julian Abraham

Additional music by Audio Network