LaGuardia Airport Plants
Sunday, January 24th, 2010
JUSTIN SHULLBLOGCURRICULUM VITAETEACHINGCONTACTProjectsPORTA HEDGE (MOL)PORTA HEDGE (BIRDER'S RETREAT)TERRESTRIAL SHRUB ROVERBOREAL EXPRESSHALF LIFEPORTA PARK7,000 EVERGREENSX-MAS TREE GAMESVENT PIPESProposalsFlora Crosswalk SignalAddis Toilet Tree BrushPorta ForestWhite House Redesign
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Archive for the ‘photography’ CategoryMonster Log R/C™ PrototypeWednesday, December 30th, 2009 The much anticipated prototype of the Monster Log R/C™ model is currently in early phases of testing. The Monster Log R/C™ is the first of several Monster Log™ offerings that will appeal to various market segments. Early release photos of the Monster Log R/C™ are included below.
Field Work at The H Gallery – Houston TXTuesday, December 8th, 2009 I currently have a show at The H Gallery in Houston TX of 18 photographs documenting recent projects, inclduding the Porta Hedge tour, the Terrestrial Shrub Rover, and 7,000 Evergreens. The show runs Dec 5 – Jan 4 and the gallery is situated in a wonderful bistro called Hungry’s, just off of the Rice University campus. The H Gallery  Photographs from 'Field Work', now up at The H Gallery in Houston, TX Edward Burtynsky’s Industrial VistasTuesday, May 15th, 2007 I recently came across this photographer, as it happens, just after an exhibition of his China photogarphs at Tufts University closed (January 15 – April 01). The photographs, which are online at edwardburtynsky.com, evoke feelings of disgust and attraction, beauty and repulsiveness at the same time. I found strong resonance with his subject, the effect of industry upon the natural environment. Burtynsky has vision, a great photographic eye and obvious technical talent and this has not gone unnoticed – see the list of galleries that represent Burtynsky at the end of this post. Burtynsky’s exposition of the uneven exchange between industrial and natural forces is formally riveting. His subjects are out of the way of our daily experience, yet they form the support system upon which the status quo of our contemporary human population depends. In these images of the reshaped terra firma, we are unquestionably aware of the epic results of our human actions upon the natural environment. I find guilt welling up as I stare at the disturbing content of these photographs and acknowledge their visual allure. I think any time an artist is able to capture a world that appears self contained in its aesthetic and out of any possible ordinary existence, it is bound to achieve some success. But perhaps the very fact that these images seem so foreign should be a cause for concern. Burtynsky’s artist website aptly states that he, “raises all kinds of questions about ethics and aesthetics without trying to easily answer them.” I am reminded of Thomas Cole’s The Course of Empire with it’s five stages: The Savage State, The Pastoral State, Consummation of Empire, Destruction and Desolation in its attempt to capture the stages of advanced societies. But where Cole is pedantic, Burtynsky is questioning. Burtynsky does not speak in metaphors of white marble and ancient states; in his own words, “these images are meant as metaphors to the dilemma of our modern existence; they search for a dialogue between attraction and repulsion, seduction and fear.”
The canadian photographer refers to his images as the residual landscape. He says, “I set course to intersect with a contemporary view of the great ages of man; from stone, to minerals, oil, transportation, silicon, and so on. To make these ideas visible I search for subjects that are rich in detail and scale yet open in their meaning.” Three Gorges Dam “Building mega dams in the 21st century… The winners of this massive undertaking include those who improved their standard of living and benefited from new housing and new opportunities. China’s industries, hungry for electricity, also win. However, there are many who must face short-term hardship. For instance, farming families stand to lose much as their ancestral lands disappear, often without sufficient compensation. Farmers relocated to land parcels further uphill face the prospect of poor soil, steep slopes and erosion. Furthermore, schemes aimed at integrating farmers into urban economies have met with very limited success. Environmental degradation, escalating costs and human rights concerns are the main issues entangling mega-dam projects today. Experts argue that a series of smaller dams may enable more effective strategies for dealing with flood control. However, the Three Gorges Dam project is a source of intense national pride and the government’s masthead project to show the world what kind of formidable accomplishments it is capable of.”
Old Industry
Bao Steel “Bao Steel is the sixth largest steel producer in the world. The company employs 15,600 people. Almost all of Baosteel’s iron ore is imported, being sourced in Australia, Brazil, South Africa and India. In 2005, Baosteel will produce 16 million tons of steel, consuming over 18 million tons of domestic coal in the process.4 The firm’s products are exported all over the world: East Asia, Southeast Asia, North America and the European Union. Baosteel also supplies steel to Chinese vehicle manufacturers like Audi, General Motors, Ford and Volkswagen and domestic appliance manufacturers, as well as the tubular needs of the Chinese oil and gas exploration industry.”
Upcoming Exhibtions Edward Burtynsky: The China Series (touring exhibition) curated by David Brown – Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA), – Winston-Salem, North Carolina October 22, 2007 – April 30, 2008 Representation Toronto – Nicholas Metivier Gallery All quoted text courtesy edwardburtynsky.com Steel Mill and Workers’ HousesThursday, April 12th, 2007 Walker Evans took this photograph in 1936. The steel mill strikes me in its resemblance to a battleship. It looms in the background as though at port of call as occupier of a land of bare dirt yards and one-room houses.
Courtesy MoCP
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