Four artists who spent time studying and recreating Guernsey’s landscapes, seascapes, and architecture, and also spent their time walking the ‘Turner Trail’ and following in J.M.W. Turner’s footsteps, feature in a new exhibition.
The result of these residencies is a wide and varied collection of works by Merlyn Chesterman, Damon Kowarsky, Charlie Mcfarley, and Gideon Summerfield all inspired by Turner’s works and the influence of his visit to the Bailiwick of Guernsey around 1832, during which he extensively sketched the Bailiwick.
Art for Guernsey’s Jock Pettitt said: “This second instalment of our Finding Turner journey promises to be something quite special, bringing together four distinct international artists to respond to the inspiration that Turner created in his ‘Guernsey’ sketchbook during his visit to the islands in circa 1832.
“The artists, Merlyn Chesterman, Damon Kowarsky, Charlie Mcfarley and Gideon Summerfield, have created a stunning selection of works in woodcut, pencil, paint, etching and pastels that explore the same landscapes that inspired Turner. We couldn’t be more excited to share this body of work that features the landscapes we know so well in ways that we haven’t seen before, applying a contemporary lens to capture the light and energy that reflect on the inspiration of the past. It is as if the artists have taken these sketches and brought them to life through their own creative process.”
Express will have an in-depth article on the artists, their methods and mediums, what inspired them during their time in the Bailiwick, and what lessons they learned from treading the ‘Turner Trail’, as part of our Arts Friday section.
The exhibition opened on Tuesday 18 March, with a private showing which saw a lively showing at their Mansell Street Gallery.
The artists, their loved ones, local artists and art lovers joined the team at Art for Guernsey to welcome in the new exhibition which is now open through to Saturday 21 June.
The links between the islands and the artist were first discovered five years ago, when a sketchbook by the famed artist at the Tate Gallery Museum’s “greatest treasures”, was discovered to contain drawings of places in Guernsey.
David Ummels, is the founder of Art for Guernsey.
“Turner came to the island in or around 1832 and spent approximately six months in Guernsey, intensively sketching – he produced more than 100 sketches, all now in the custody of Tate Britain,” he said. “Like for the Renoir journey, we adopted a four-year plan to engage in an amazing adventure to celebrate the heritage that the most famous of all British painters left on the island.
“First we created the Turner Trail, then we commissioned local artist James Colmer to revisit Turner’s legacy through his own art, which resulted in an immensely popular exhibition last spring. We engaged with all the local schools to create curriculum awareness, and put in place an educational project whereby 13 schools were tasked to create a ‘Turneresque’ mural. This year our main event will be the curation of the body of work that four international artists have spent a year producing, inspired by Turner and the locations that he visited, side by side with the school murals.”
Merlyn Chesterman is a British printmaker who specialises in woodcuts, she’s a Fellow of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers as of 2014, and is currently on the Council.
Damon Kowarsky, an Australian artist known for intricate etchings and drawings that blend architecture and the landscape, his work explores urban and rural spaces and human connections to the built environment.
Hackney native Charlie Mcfarley grew up in 1980s London providing a perfect place to develop his passion for graffiti, which blossomed into a deeper involvement with the music and street cultures that defined the era, influencing his work and creative evolution.
Bath-based artist Gideon Summerfield has a passion for capturing human stories, and was personally chosen by HM King Charles III to capture the Royal Coronation in May 2023, and he subsequently produced a series of large paintings that are part of the Royal Collection.
Both Mr Kowarsky and Mr Mcfarley are the main guests for “Artists’ Talk” this evening, the free event is open to all, and you can find out more about Art for Guernsey on their website HERE.
More to follow…