Edward Burtynsky - Rock of Ages images

December 9, 2005 2:44 AM

Edward Burtynsky - Rock of Ages images Photos of abandoned quarries.
posted by srboisvert (11 comments total)

Old quarries that have filled up with water are spiritual places, they are unthinkably deep, deeper than most of the Great Lakes, deeper than much of the ocean (before reaching the continental shelf anyway) .. usually hidden in a peaceful serene location is some backyard somewhere that no one knows about. Spiritual, and also depositories for criminal evidence.
posted by stbalbach at 7:15 AM on December 9, 2005

As majestic as these images are, I don't think the web can properly do them justice. I'd love to see this in large scale prints in a gallery. I bet they'd be awe-inspiring.

Funny thing, as I look at these I can't stop thinking to myself "oh i hope it all grows back" as if granite can 'grow back'.
posted by spicynuts at 7:55 AM on December 9, 2005

He's currently on display here too.

Great show - including some other photos of developing industrial landscapes, tyre mountains and shipbreaking in bangladesh.


Is it just me or does his name sound like "burt in sky"?
posted by lalochezia at 8:39 AM on December 9, 2005

His name sounds like Burr-TIN-ski to me.
posted by spicynuts at 8:59 AM on December 9, 2005

I don't think I saw my quarry (since he did Eastern U.S. quarries - and beautifully, too). We used to swim in the one featured in the opening scenes of that bicycle movie set in Bloomington, Indiana, Breaking Away. It was supposed to be dangerous...underground cables or something. But it was pure fun.
posted by kozad at 9:15 AM on December 9, 2005

As majestic as these images are, I don't think the web can properly do them justice. I'd love to see this in large scale prints in a gallery. I bet they'd be awe-inspiring.

Yes, some of them are very cool. I got to see a few quarry prints at the Robert Koch Gallery in SF, but most were devoted to the China book. The big mountains of coal were very nice, plus all the kids in yellow jackets.

I used to think he was just a Gursky rip-off, but I can see his individual style now. Of course, I still think Gursky is much "better."
posted by mrgrimm at 10:56 AM on December 9, 2005

Wow. A lot of those places are right down the road from here. It's fun to be driving through some dirt road in the woods and come across an abandoned quarry. A lot of teeny ones were created using hand tools that are not much bigger than a house lot. Thanks for this.
posted by jessamyn at 11:06 AM on December 9, 2005

I clicked through kind of casually, not expecting much, but I have to say that those pictures are outstanding. I loved this one in the snow. An outstanding post.

kozad-I love that movie and that quarry! I always wished I had one like that around where I live.
posted by OmieWise at 11:16 AM on December 9, 2005

whoa. at first, i thought these were images of bundled newsprint. rather surreal when my eyes adjusted.
posted by es_de_bah at 11:37 AM on December 9, 2005

The Brooklyn Museum show was incredible, by far the best thing I've seen all year. Maybe a couple of years. Wonderful.
posted by johngumbo at 1:44 PM on December 9, 2005

I was thinking we were just talking about his China photos, but it turns out it was his photos of ships, a few years ago.

How time flies when you're online.
posted by LeLiLo at 1:58 PM on December 9, 2005