Edward Burtynsky, Flowers Gallery

Edward Burtynsky’s photographs are magical abstractions of the real world. Presented on a huge scale, Burtynsky’s incredibly high-definition colour photographs consist of mostly aerial shots of seemingly mundane subjects such as water treatment plants, rice paddies and wells. Past exhibitions have seen Burtynsky focus on subjects such as oil, China and quarries; his current global focus on water illustrates every aspect of humankind’s relationship with it - how it has been harnessed, shaped, commodified, and how this vital resource is quickly depleting.

The images are astonishing and appear painterly, the shapes and colours produced seem far removed from the actual subject matter. Seeing them in the scale they were intended can only magnify the impact of these politically-charged works.