SUGAR COATED ISLAND, 2021
The area stretching from the mouth of the River Lea to Stratford is changing in stages. Once-hectic industrial zones are morphing into urban wasteland, while warehouses, scrapyards and shrinking pockets of nature are being transformed into mixed-use developments. Perimeter fences have appeared and cranes dominate the skyline, adding to the sense of a palimpsest constructed from layers of evolution.
This area was once made up of noisy and labour-intensive docklands and warehouses, and this work considers whether the most recent changes are paying tribute to its historical heritage, or attempting to hide it under a fresh coat of paint.
