Art work produced by students from across the island is on display at the Art for Guernsey gallery as part of its Turner 250th Anniversary Exhibition.
The student murals are part of a wider showcase of artworks by Merlyn Chesterman, Damon Kowarsky, Charley Mcfarley, and Gideon Summerfield – four artists who have spent time studying and recreating Guernsey’s landscapes, seascapes, and architecture.
Art for Guernsey invited schools to join them on this journey by tasking them to create a ‘Turneresque’ mural in their own interpretation, explained Jock Pettitt, Curation Director of Art for Guernsey.
“This is quite simply one of the most comprehensive responses we’ve had from the schools on any project. They were given the same brief as the artists to respond to Turner’s legacy in his 250th anniversary year and, having curated the exhibition upstairs in the gallery, I was blown away by the standard and creativity of the work on show. It’s a must-see for anyone, whether or not their children were involved.”
This latest exhibition follows their previous exploration of Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s legacy.
Mr Pettit said Turner is known to have sketched extensively throughout the Bailiwick, and his ‘Guernsey’ sketchbook is held at Tate Britain as part of the bequest from the artist’s estate.
“The Turner Trail was the starting point for the project – a series of installations in the landscapes that mark the most notable locations captured by Turner in his sketchbook,” he said.
The charity provided schools with boards to be painted with different media, and asked that one of Turner’s sketches located on the Turner Trail be included in some way, together with inspiration taken from the work of a second artist.
Adam Walter, a Year 12 student at Blanchelande College worked solely on the mural for the Turner event.
“My piece of art is my perspective from the harbor in St Peter Port looking out and Herm and Sark. I started by spray painting the base, then I mainly used acyclic and household paints to get the vivid color. I spent about four months on it. Its my second ever art piece that I’ve produced, and my sense of achievement is pretty huge.”
Isaac Brock, one of the group of Year 8 students who worked on the Elizabeth College entry said: “It was pretty cool working on this, as we have had our work shown to the public. It makes me see that art is something people enjoy and like to come and see. Makes me feel quite proud. Mrs Buchanan, our art teacher was really clear in her approach with us. She decided that we would split the painting down into different parts so we could work in blocks, that made it easier to paint. I worked on Sark Harbour, with darker browns, greens and blues. We used poster paint, emulsion from B&Q as Mrs Buchanan said it was the best medium. I really enjoyed it.”
David Ummels, Founder of Art for Guernsey welcomed the involvement of all of the students and said it has produced a fulfilling result.
“It took a year working on this collaboration. 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. We wanted the kids to have fun, and do graffiti art in Turner style, rather than more boring classical drawings. When we saw the murals coming in and the quality of them, I felt they deserved to be given a proper private view, and it’s the first time we have done this. I think all the children involved deserve to receive the private viewing treatment.”
The private viewing, last Thursday 10 April at 6pm was a busy affair with parents and school children involved, all saying how “special” the event felt.
Charlie Buchanan, artist and teacher of the Elizabeth College student involved said: “The students have been really enthusiastic. I asked a few of them who were particularly interested in art to come along on Monday lunchtimes, to work on the mural, and they all did. A few of us went to Sark on a resource gathering trip for this project. The girls photographed Creux Harbour and then we used those images for this painting. We chose this style of art for the mural, because this is what I’m working on with my Year 8’s. We have been looking at the Nabis, a group of young French artists active in Paris from 1888 until 1900, who played a large part in the transition from Impressionism and academic art to abstract art, and the other early movements of modernism. We were looking at different colour combinations. And I thought long and hard about something these art students could produce to a high level for this project and I thought it would fit.”
Art for Guernsey has said the murals will returned to all schools invokved to display as they wish in their school grounds.