Please note our offices will be closed from Friday March 29 through Monday April 1 for Easter. Local pick-ups will start on Tuesday April 2.
      
      
      
      

LOT 053

OC RCA
1955 -
Canadian

Shipbreaking #27 with Cutter, Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2001
chromogenic colour print
on verso signed, titled, editioned 3/5 and dated 2002
40 x 50 in, 101.6 x 127 cm

Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000 CAD

Sold for: $17,500

Preview at: Heffel Toronto – 13 Hazelton Ave

PROVENANCE
Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto
Private Collection, Montreal

LITERATURE
Lori Pauli et al., Manufactured Landscapes: The Photographs of Edward Burtynsky, National Gallery of Canada, 2003, reproduced page 146
Marc Mayer et al., China: The Photographs of Edward Burtynsky, 2005, reproduced page 17

EXHIBITED
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Manufactured Landscapes: The Photographs of Edward Burtynsky, January 31 – May 4, 2003, traveling in 2004 – 2005 to the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, and the Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York


In his large-scale photographs, Edward Burtynsky often takes us to places not usually visited, and in his Shipbreaking series, he exposes the fate of large ships at the end of their lifespan. Single-hulled oil tankers, decommissioned naval ships and commercial vessels are brought from all over the world to the shores of Bangladesh to be deconstructed for salvage. The metal is used for the steel industry, and Burtynsky stated, “I looked upon the shipbreaking as the ultimate in recycling.” The process is pre-industrial – men and boys carry out this work with their hands and simple tools – and it is dangerous. As the ships are broken up, towering chunks of rusting steel, angular and jutting, are left standing on the beach. Powerful images such as this provoke many associations, including post-apocalyptic landscapes. The monolithic metal plates also resemble huge sculptures, recalling the work of sculptors such as Richard Serra in rusted steel, and they are strangely beautiful. In compelling images such as this, Burtynsky expands our perspective and provokes us to reflect on how we affect the landscapes of the world.


Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000 CAD

All prices are in Canadian Dollars


Although great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information posted, errors and omissions may occur. All bids are subject to our Terms and Conditions of Business. Bidders must ensure they have satisfied themselves with the condition of the Lot prior to bidding. Condition reports are available upon request.