Edward Burtynski

Nature transformed through industry is the theme in Edward Burtynsky's work. He takes photographs of industrial landscapes and, with his amazing talent, makes something we normally view as ugly and make it so we view it as beautiful. Recycling yards, mine tailings, quarries and refineries are all places that are outside of our normal experience, yet we partake of their output on a daily basis. These are the places Burtynksky uses to produce his photographs. As Burtynsky says, "Our dependence on nature to provide the materials for our consumption and our concern for the health of our planet sets us into an uneasy contradiction. For me, these images function as reflecting pools of our times".

Edward Burtynsky's Manufactured Landscapes are absolutely amazing photographs. I viewed these photos at the MoPA a year or so ago and they are massive images with great content. After refreshing my memory of the images online, I wish his pieces were back at the MoPA so I can go see them again. Burtynsky is very talented and creative.

Wendy Richards

I found Wendy Richards to be very interesting. I had evolved a new found interest in Wendy Richards work. I found it to be quite an interesting experience to view Wendy Richards cell phone project. Recording people in their daily routines when they do not know that they are being recorded, is something I would never think of doing. After reading about and viewing Wendy Richard’s exhibit, I understood, a little more, the passion and excitement that can be expressed through the mundane experiences of everyday life. The images are very raw and none of the people knew they were being captured. I feel that Wendy has a lot of guts to get out there and make a series like she did. It is not easy putting yourself out there in the public eye and take images of people, who some might not be that happy about getting their pictures taken.
In relation to Richards work, the piece I really enjoyed was the piece about space. I liked how each image had unique structures in that background. The structures framed the image and the people were the secondary objects. It was very interesting to see how each set of images were different but similar toward each other.

Duby Tal

Cover, Book on Dead Sea by Duby Tal, I felt, was an amazing photograph because of the great texture and bold colors. The image doesn’t look like the Dead Sea; it is full of textures from the salt that forms pocket like holes. The contrast of the white from the salt and the turquoise blue water add interesting contrast the Israeli landscape behind the water. This image is a very realistic shot, but at first glance, it almost appears abstract. This is why I was drawn to this piece first.
Another image by Duby Tal that intrigued me was called Dead Sea Sinkholes. This image really plays up drastic color and pattern, as well as texture and unity. At first, I did not understand what the image was, then I read about how the sinkholes are formed in the Dead Sea and I found it interesting that each sinkhole captured in this image was a different, bold color. It really draws the viewer’s eyes to the sinkholes first. As a mirror image of the brown, green and orange sinkholes, in the water to the right are three more sinkholes, but we see them under the water in what appears to be a deeper part of the Dead Sea, making them look like shadows of the sinkholes on the left. Like I said before about the first image, I like how Tal makes a realistic image look abstract.
These images are absolutely amazing!

Dick Ditore

I really enjoyed Dick Ditore’s Quantum series. I have always been intrigues by glass blowers. I have had a friend for many years that uses glass as her medium of art. I have always found it to be beautiful and precise.
I like that Ditore used certain techniques to portray certain emotions in his pieces, as he stated in his artist statement. I liked that the movement in his glass pieces are different in everyone and the movement, I feel, is what portrays the emotion he wants the viewer to feel.
Quantum VI was my favorite one out of all of the pieces I saw. I really enjoyed all of the different levels; it made my eye travel in different directions. I liked the unique spacing and how each circle was neatly placed upon the circle right before it making a fun swirl shape.
The emotions I felt while viewing this piece was a sense of confusion and a precise happiness. Now, I am not sure what emotion Ditore was trying to evoke but for me, the cluster of lines and colors had two completely different meanings for me.
I liked the usage of colors Ditore used. The bright blues, pinks, yellows, turquoise, reds, and oranges evoke emotions in it. I was always told that colors evoke certain meanings, for example, red means passion, yellow means happiness, etc. The fact that there were so many colors in this piece makes me feel those emotions. Then each level that was created by the different circles makes me feel that each day, one can feel all different types of emotions. The fact that the same colors are used in each level, but not one circle looks the same shows me that each day will be different.