Former industrial sites, now often relegated to the role of historic landmark or museum, have undergone a transformation in how they are viewed and valued. No longer defined by what they produce, their very image has become the tool by which they are understood. Through the legacy of industrial landmarks, this thesis aims to glean important lessons on how artistic movements, along with their associated values, influence the preservation process. It specifically examines how artistic concepts such as the sublime, in its many forms, are internalized by preservationists as they interpret said industrial sites.
Main photo
Carrie Blast Furnaces & Rankin Deer viewed by tour guests (2023)
https://riversofsteel.com/a-sustainable-look-at-the-arts-and-grounds-of-the-carrie-furnaces/
Additional photos
Dudley, Worcestershire by J.M.W. Turner (~1832)
https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/artifact/dudley-worcestershire
Criss-Crossed Conveyors, River Rouge Plant, Ford Motor Company by Charles Sheeler (1927) https://www.moma.org/collection/works/49016
