Edward Burtynsky, “Oil”

Award-winning photographer Edward Burtynsky has been documenting man’s impact on the environment for more than 25 years with outstanding results. For “Oil,” Burtynsky turned his lens on the extraction, production and consumption of the coveted resource around the world.

Active oil fields in California and Azerbaijan are shown spotted with unsightly mechanical pumps and rusting derricks, and the surrounding waterways are polluted with reflective petrol slicks. Canadian refineries are viewed as complex networks of pipes and valves that don’t seem to really go anywhere. Scrapped aircraft litter a once serene valley in Arizona, while rows of new Volkswagens are seen awaiting distribution to thousands of prospective gas-guzzling customers in China.

The series dates back to 1997, and one of the last photos from it—Highway #5, Los Angeles, California, USA, taken this year—is shot from a helicopter. The result makes the roadway look like a river and the surrounding streets like irrigation canals in a rural area—but of course, L.A. isn’t farmland. Once your mind readjusts, you see the city for what it is: a massive, energy-consuming metropolis. Ironically, while depicting the world going to hell, Burtynsky captures our descent with extraordinary aesthetic skill.—Paul Laster

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