Transforming reality into the imaginary

Abstract

The islands of Malta and Gozo provide some of the best scenery in the Mediterranean not just for environmentalists but also for many artists. John Busuttil Leaver is one of those artists who enjoy plein air painting and who also records photographic images of some intriguing scenes we find along the coast and the rural areas of the island. Although Busuttil Leaver is a visual realist and thematically he is still attached to what surrounds us, the environment and our heritage, it seems that recently he has been moving towards another direction, that of leaving the unconscious to determine the subject matter and the process of his creations. As an artist, John Busuttil Leaver is also a romantic and shows that he is much aware of the concern about what is happening to us especially the changes in the environment. In recent years the artist visited many interesting rural areas on the islands, especially seaside views, taking photographic images and making sketches in drawing to continue to work on them in his studio.