Art for Guernsey to showcase 'Squaring Circles' by Eric Snell
- New exhibition opens on 12 September at the Art for Guernsey Gallery.
- Artist Eric Snell reflects on his Guernsey roots and the influence of nature in his work.
- Features abstract works: Remote Controlled Drawings, Circle Squared, and Tide Lines.
- Site-specific installation, Under Tension, interacts with the gallery’s architecture.
- David Ummels and Jock Pettitt highlighted the significance of the exhibition’s contemporary approach.
Art for Guernsey has announced its upcoming exhibition titled "Squaring Circles," featuring the works of international artist Eric Snell, who has ties to Guernsey.
The exhibition opens to the public on 12 September, at the Art for Guernsey Gallery located at 4-6 Mansell Street, St Peter Port.
It will showcase three distinct bodies of abstract works by Snell: “Remote Controlled Drawings,” “Circle Squared,” and “Tide Lines,” culminating in a site-specific installation named “Under Tension.” This installation directly engages with the architecture of the gallery.
Eric Snell's formative years spent in Guernsey during the post-occupation era have significantly influenced his artistic vision. The artist notes that the environment, where nothing was wasted and everything held potential, shaped his approach to art. Snell further developed his artistic practice at Hornsey College of Art in London, where his interest in the four elements led him to explore the concept of “making visible the invisible.”
In his Remote Controlled Drawings, Snell uses model cars as tools to create ink traces on paper, with the scale determined by the lock on the wheels. This method allows him to explore the relationship between movement and artistry. The Circle Squared series evolved from his earlier works, prompted by the ancient geometric problem of squaring the circle. An accident during the drawing process prompted Snell to reconsider the act of creating a circle, leading to an exploration of reorganising preconceived notions of drawing.
Tide Lines serves as a response to the island’s landscape while also linking to the traditions of watercolour and seascape painting. For this series, Snell uses a thin layer of watercolour and relies on the incoming tide to create the final artwork. The interaction between the sea and the paper results in a visual record of a specific moment in time.
These bodies of work form a cohesive examination of artistic process, materials, and place. Snell’s artistic journey and values have evolved since he first began creating art, blending chance and order within his practice.
David Ummels, Chairman and Founder of Art for Guernsey, said: “It is greatly exciting for us to bring an artist of Eric's calibre back to the island. He has truly inspired a generation of creatives in Guernsey and now belongs to the elite of British artists."
He added that “Squaring Circles” is not intended as a retrospective, but rather as an opportunity for Snell’s creative journey to be showcased meaningfully, hinting at a contemporary atmosphere similar to “a bit of a ‘Tate Modern feel’ in our gallery.”
Curation Director Jock Pettitt csaid: “From the first meeting in his studio to explore the bodies of work, it has been evident that the abstract results we observe are made with such a robust and meticulous process and narrative.”
The exhibition runs until Saturday 8 November.
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