Merlyn Chesterman and Gideon Summerfield recently completed residencies with Art for Guernsey, where they were asked to respond to the sketches made by J.M.W. Turner when he came to the Bailiwick c.1832. The artworks they make will be shown in the next stage of our “Finding Turner” journey in spring 2025. We are very lucky that two artists of the calibre of Merlyn and Gideon agreed to make their first trip to the islands to respond to our brief, and we were keen to speak to them at the end of their residencies to find out whether we have two new ambassadors for Guernsey.
Merlyn Chesterman
Merlyn Chesterman is a prolific author, painter and printmaker who grew up in Hong Kong and has lived in North Devon for many years. Merlyn draws inspiration from the sea and coast, and is a true master of the woodcut technique.
Merlyn explained how her residency came about: “It happened in a really thrilling way in that I had a surprise visit from David and Jock at the London Art Fair. They’d heard of me through Oleg Mikhailov [one of Art for Guernsey’s artists in residence for ‘A Renaissance of Victor Hugo’], who had come across my work in China. Oleg thought my work would be suitable, which was amazing. So of course I said yes!” She admitted that initially the Finding Turner brief was a little daunting. “I was a bit anxious because I love Turner’s work but I didn’t know that much about him. As soon as I googled him to find a personal connection I understood why I’d been invited, because I’m interested in light and atmosphere and I do woodcuts of water.”
Of her experience on the island, Merlyn said: “I have felt completely supported and at home. Everybody’s been really helpful and they’ve taken me to the very best places, trying to guess which ones I would connect with. They figured out pretty quickly that I’m not that interested in history – I don’t know why I can’t get involved with history, perhaps there’s something lacking in me – but I’m focused on geography, geology, the weather and climate change. I come from a very scientific family – my father was a professor of physics and my son is a professor of physics – and I’m also interested in wave patterns and reflection and all those kinds of physical things.”
Merlyn’s highlights were Herm’s Shell Beach and the Venus Pool in Sark. “What I really loved about Herm was the fact that I felt I was the only person on the island, and it’s so beautiful. On Shell Beach the white sand went into almost a pink before it turned pale blue, then turquoise and navy blue – I can’t wait to make those colours.” She also enjoyed visiting Moulin Huet and the Bathing Pools: “I loved the way there was one kind of water inside the pools and different kinds of movement outside of them. I think the Ladies’ Pool was the most interesting, even though it has the most man-made structures in it.”
As far as being an ambassador for Guernsey is concerned, Merlyn had spread the word before she had even left, recommending the island to a fellow artist in Colorado. “You don’t need a passport, you don’t even have to be rich, it’s a 50-minute flight and it’s like going to the Maldives. Of course I would recommend Guernsey!”
Gideon Summerfield
Rising star Gideon Summerfield lives in London and his extraordinary projects include “The Legacy of Survival”, where he met and drew portraits of Holocaust survivors, and “Love the Stranger as Yourself”, using reportage illustration to highlight the day-to-day challenges faced by refugees in France, Cardiff and London. Gideon has also been involved with three projects so far associated with King Charles, including a personal commission by the King for his coronation.
Gideon’s residency came about through Olivia Kemp, Art for Guernsey’s second artist in residence, who kindly put his name forward as she felt that he would be perfect for the Finding Turner brief. “I’ve got a strong interest in Turner because of his way of describing the landscape and the light and atmosphere, and his way of inventing scenes which are far more dramatic than perhaps they were at the time,” explained Gideon. “The sunsets and the scale of the clouds and vessels within the landscape are just extraordinary, and I think every artist admires that level of skill. So when I got the brief I said yes, I’m in!”
To our delight, Gideon was also positive about his residency: “It’s been wonderful – I’ve had lovely hosts and, coming to a place I hadn’t heard much about, it’s heightened my experience to spend time with people who are knowledgeable about the island.” It was clear from Gideon’s initial conversations with David that his interest in history would inform the direction of his work. “Seeing the bunkers and how the Napoleonic fortifications were taken over was pretty shocking, and I’m still working out the angle in which I want to convey that through my drawings and paintings.” Discovering the Bailiwick’s natural treasures was also a revelation: “Exploring around the islands, the light, the atmosphere and its beauty, which is unmatched by anywhere I’ve been before, has been really exciting.”
Gideon picked out a number of highlights from his two-week stay, but none was more poignant than a trip to Sark where he was able to honour a much-loved family member. “My grandmother came to Sark throughout her life, and she made her final trip there when she was 79 years old. She absolutely adored nature and the slower pace of life there, and almost going back in time. It was also special to witness what Turner perhaps experienced almost 200 years ago, and that connection that is so instant from one artist to another was really fascinating.” Gideon enjoyed visiting all the places where Turner made his drawings – “I can see why he picked the spots that he did, and I also loved seeing where Renoir stood as well.”
Turner was known for sketching from the deck of a boat, and Gideon also got to see the island from this perspective.
“Turner prided himself on going out in treacherous waters – there are mythical tales of him being tied to the mast, but there’s no doubt he did do things which were beyond what most artists would be comfortable with to make his work even more spectacular.”
As to whether he would recommend Guernsey to other artists, Gideon said: “The set-up’s really great; there’s a sense of freedom, and Art for Guernsey gently guides without making artists feel constrained. Everyone’s eye is very different so it’s an absolute feast to know that artists can come and it doesn’t matter if they’ve seen the same views, they will pick up on things which others don’t, and then use their own style and materials to capture them. I’ve been on residencies which have been very rough and minimalist, as well as ones which are grand and over the top, but this one is just right because it’s somewhere in between. Sometimes artists need time to settle in and take everything in, and Art for Guernsey will cater for a longer experience over a period of time to get the result the artist has visualised, and that’s just brilliant.”
