Anthropocene: Age Of Redemption
Planet Earth is encountering a distinctly concerning moment in geological history. Human beings are now recognized for significantly affecting the natural compositions and frameworks of the Earth, more than all other common forces joined together. This is the primary argument explaining the cause of the present geological crisis, known as the Anthropocene Epoch. Many vital conditions and natural processes of the earth are being jeopardized and or destroyed by human activity, and the industrial demand of society. Such negative alterations of the environment include: urbanization, industrialization, mining, acidification of oceans, climate change, global warming, pollution of water, land and air, extreme rates of deforestation and extinction, etc.
This essay will go on to further discuss the environmental issues present in our Earth, with detail on how human beings have impacted the environment, through review of the Art Gallery of Ontario’s exhibition “Anthropocene” by artists Edward Burtynsky, Jennifer Baichwal, and Nicholas de Pencier. Specific attention will be focused on Edward Burtynsky, and his moving piece “Oil Bunkering #4, Niger Delta, Nigeria 2016”. Edward Burtynsky, of Ukrainian heritage, was born on February 22nd 1955, in St. Catherine’s, Ontario Canada. When he was about 11 years old, his father purchased a darkroom, equipped with multiple cameras, where together they learned how to make black and white prints, sparking his passion for photography. When Burtynsky was just 15 years old, his father passed away, pushing him to find work that could support himself and his family. He began working as a gold miner, as well as working on factory lines for companies such as Ford and General Motors. In the early 1970s, he began working as a printer, and was later enrolled in night school photography classes. Burtynsky graduated with a diploma in graphic arts from Niagara College, in Welland, Ontario, in 1976, and in 1982 earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Photographic Arts from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now known as Ryerson University), in Toronto, Ontario. In 1985, Burtynsky founded Toronto Image Works, a darkroom rental facility with a new media computer training center, and a digital imaging and photography lab open to the public. Burtynsky’s day jobs as a gold miner were what started his fascination with mines and quarries as photography subjects, as he states “I recognized that there is this whole world that we become totally disconnected from.
The camera is this fantastic vehicle to reconnect us with that world – I realized that this idea is big enough to spend the rest of my life doing it, and it’s inexhaustible. So, it’s reconnecting us to the world that produces the life that we have”. Edward Burtynsky is recognized as one of Canada’s most respected photographers, known for his famous and remarkable industrial landscapes. The dominant theme that reoccurs throughout Burtynsky’s work, is showing how nature has been transformed by industry, and highlighting these largescale industrial factories that sit outside of people’s daily conscious experience, although they constantly partake in their existence. The photographs, murals enhanced with virtual reality extensions, augmented reality installations, and documentary films exhibited through Anthropocene, dramatically illustrate this toxic relationship between nature and man, and forces the viewer to recognize these places that are never seen, but that we are so interdependent on. In “Oil Bunkering #4” there is quite an interesting story being told. The Niger Delta has immense amounts of oil. Although Nigeria gained independence from Great Britain in 1960, it still doesnot receive any prosperity from its own oil generation. Oil bunkering is the act of stealing crude oil from pipelines, that is then refined and sold abroad, and serves as a major source of finance for poor communities.
As result of this action, oils, toxins, and other by-products from these illegal refineries, leak into the surrounding environment and destroy forests and waterways. However, legitimate companies destroy huge amounts of ancient forests when building their crude oil transporting pipelines. It is almost as if there is no solution, and most definitely no right choice. Burtynsky manages to achieve great beauty in his photographs, from subjects rather concerning and even grotesque. This photograph is a great example of this, and documents some of the irreversible scars that humanity has left on this earth. This photograph connects to Edward Burtynsky’s identity in a few ways. The topic of earth and the serious risks that humanity has posed on the environment, is one of great passion and sensitivity to the artist. Since a young age, Burtynsky had been exposed to largescale industrial environments, working at a factory, and quickly gained sensitivity and awareness on what was really happening to his environment. Throughout his entire career, he has been tirelessly shedding light on these environmental issues and forcing viewers to arrive at a wake-up call. One’s surroundings, where they’ve grown up, and the imprint or footstep they have on their environment, make for a large portion of their identity. Thus, a large part of Burtynsky’s identity is shown through his photographs of his environment, almost as if he is capturing photos of his identity itself. Photography as Burtynsky’s practiced medium, connects him to his father’s passion and gives him a strong sense of identity through his roots. Burtynsky has kept up with the innovative technologies of today, with his staff all being equipped with digital editing software knowledge, stitching 3D renderings together to create VR and AR experiences, as well as using drones to capture some of his images.
This photograph however was taken from a helicopter, costing $2 a second, using a Hasselblad H6D-100c camera. This photograph is special because at first glance, the serious context and rather dark subject matter is unclear, taking the heavy topic and making it appear mysteriously beautiful and aesthetic to the eye. This unique and eye opening exhibition, Anthropocene, was included in the Art Gallery of Ontario to provoke change and awareness. Human’s impact on the earth, is not an easy subject to tackle, let alone a blame to admit fault to. Many people are unaware of the link they play in the huge chain of industrialism, that runs our societies and strains our environments, and others refuse to accept responsibility. Edward Burtynsky’s work draws people in with its radical beauty, and proceeds to spread awareness on the severity of what the subject is truly trying to say. Another piece that was striking in this exhibition was the “Elephant Tusk Burn” documented by all three artists, Edward Burtynsky, Jennifer Baichwal, and Nicholas de Pencier. A life-sized stack of confiscated illegal ivory, was brought to life in a three-dimensional, augmented reality experience seen through the viewer’s smartphone. Meanwhile, a film ran in the background that portrayed the 12 stacks of elephant’s tusks, worth $172 million, being burned. This event took place in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2016, where anti-poaching activists, including President Uhuru Kenyatta, gathered to set fire to the confiscated black market tusks in effort to make a statementto poachers, and end the era of ivory hunting.
This film portrays the cruelty of humanity and the extreme measures that can impact not only our earth, but also its inhabitants, almost reaching the point of mass extinction. Planet Earth has been suffering due to the ignorance and greediness of humanity, for far too long. Ancient forests have been torn down and flattened out, vast oceans have been polluted with plastics and toxic chemicals, strong mountains have been cut into and continue to bleed out, fresh air has been polluted with harmful chemicals and high-rises, historic species of animals have been wiped off the earth due to mass-extinction. Artists Edward Burtynsky, Jennifer Baichwal, and Nicholas de Pencier, have come together with Anthropocene in effort to raise awareness on the environmental crisis happening here and now. Through extensive research, an eye for aesthetics, and a crave to bear witness, they uncover the scale and gravity of humanity’s impact on our earth. People must open their eyes and take charge now, if there is any hope for tomorrow. It’s not too late, but time is running out, fast.
