Greece

This project arose out of both a fascination for the structures depicted and concerns regarding attitudes to modernisation in the lesser-developed regions of Europe and elsewhere. Many such regions are visited by travellers from more-developed countries, who delight in the traditional landscapes and historic sites but are dismayed by the sites related to modern urban, industrial and agricultural development. These digitally-fulfilled photographs of domestic and commercial construction sites around Greece, drawing heavily on nineteenth century archaeological photography, are intended to function as visual metaphors for the problems surrounding popular perceptions of ancient and modern Greece; the difficulties of the Northern European Philhelene, from Byron to the writers of modern guide books, with coming to terms with modern Greece; and the frequent condemnation of the contemporary Greek tourist industry (and the nation's development as a whole) in favour of a backward-looking historicism and rusticism. ‘…stunning photos of Greek construction sites by Sam Appleby. There's so much beauty in the raw concrete frame; it's little wonder that many architects try to capture that aesthetic and retain it in the finished building’. Jonathan Bell, things magazine Presented here is a selection of images from a total of around 30.