Edward Burtynsky

photographer

the united nations climate report that’s got everyone not named Donald Trump or Doug Ford depressed—the one that says we have 20 years, give or take, before the world ends—came at the perfect time for Edward Burtynsky. Anthropocene, his exhibit at the AGO and the National Gallery, co-produced with Nicholas de Pencier and Jennifer Baichwal, is a terrifying survey of the earth’s plundered landscapes. It’s a reminder that our most skilled photographer is also a powerful political force who makes the seemingly abstract idea of environmental collapse feel urgent and all-too close to home. up next: A European tour starting in Bologna in spring 2019.