Shipbreaking #13, Chittagong, Bangladesh 2000

Edward Burtynsky made this photograph, in Bangladesh. What strikes me is how the image embraces the process, not just of art making, but of something being unmade, broken up. The colours are muted, the surface reflecting light, almost viscous, and you feel the weight of the scene, literally and metaphorically. Look at the nearest hull; you can almost smell the rust, feel the grime, and sense the precariousness of the scene. This small area acts as a kind of microcosm for the wider picture. These aren't just broken ships; it's the breaking of something far bigger, something about our relationship with the world, maybe. Burtynsky has a knack for finding beauty in the bleakest places, echoing the spirit of artists like the Bechers, who documented industrial landscapes with a similar, detached eye. There is something here that stays with you. It resists easy answers, and maybe that's the point.