Ed Burtynsky: Artist Analysis

By: Ed Burtynsky 

Oxford Tire Pile No. 8

Westley, California

1999

The subject of this photo is a gigantic pile of tires in California. The photographer, Ed Burtynsky, often take pictures of industrial landscapes. His work depicts the link between nature and industry. His images are "meant as metaphors to the dilemma of our modern existence," says Burtynsky. He is showing how humans have altered nature but he also shows that although industry has destroyed nature, it too, can be beautiful.  The bulk of his exhibited photography was taken with a large format field camera on large 4x5-inch sheet film and developed into high-resolution, large-dimension prints. This image stood put for me because even though seeing a huge pile of tires doesn't usually strike me a beautiful but this image really captured the mundane as beautiful and the road draws your eyes to the space beyond the tires.