A visual exploration of construction sites and their impact on the Maltese landscape

Abstract

This project focused on the visual analysis of construction sites as a source of artistic inspiration. The subject was chosen for two main reasons: it was a topical contemporary issue related to current environmental concerns, and it was equally intriguing how such construction sites can trigger a creative process. Fertile land or local houses of character transform into massive buildings, which, due to the pronounced height and sheer mass generally render themselves out of context in the local urban landscape. The central focus of this study was to identify construction sites, particularly buildings in progress, including materials used in contemporary architecture and analysed them through an artistic eye. What attracted the artistic eye is the transition – the chaos form machinery and materials to high-end development, which could become an eyesore or blended in with the surroundings. The research question tackled how construction has overwhelmed localities within the past century. This research attempted to address the gap in artistic analysis since ongoing construction, at the time of writing, was not the focus of many local artists, probably because iconic places and ideal landscapes were more attractive to the eye. The project analysed and discussed several aspects related to construction. In chapter one – the literature review, four topics were analysed. Firstly, the effects of construction on the environment was discussed. The second topic focused on the methods and material used in traditional and contemporary architecture. The third topic evaluated the types of machinery as an inspiration for my artistic project. In the fourth topic, international and local artist were researched as a source of inspiration for the final project. In the second chapter – the methodology and findings, the focus was on how experimentation with different media and materials were used to interpret the impact of construction from an artistic point of view. The process of trial and error was also discussed on the methods of experimentation and which methods were more suitable for the final artistic project. In the last chapter - the project description, the development of how the artistic project was achieved and presented was discussed. In addition, the limitations and alterations of the final artistic work were also mentioned.