The Saatchi Gallery is featuring photos and videos by Edward Burtynsky. I was impressed many years ago with a documentary film he collaborated on called “Manufactured Landscapes.” This show is a retrospective of his photography work: distressing environmental havoc images that are both beautiful and repulsive. Below images show diamond mining tailings/residue in Kimberly, South Africa, gold mining tailings/residue in Johannesburg, and salt mining in Senegal.

Burtynsky’s multiscreen video/photo installation compiling images from his entire career, was also striking. What worked less well in the installation: zooming and panning on multiple images at the same time; both the lack of story in some segments, and the lack of subtly in the story at other times. So easy to be too didactic. The music soundscape was too aggressive in telling you what to feel.