Seeing Round Corners:
The Art of the Circle
Turner Contemporary, Margate
21 May – 25 September 2016
Conceived and co-curated by artists David Ward and Jonathan Parsons, with Turner Contemporary, Seeing Round Corners explored the ways in which artists have responded to or incorporated the circle in their work. From planetary movements, to atomic particles and the invention of the wheel, the circle is at the heart of our relationship with the world. Seeing Round Corners explored the significance of the circle in art, but also in architecture, science, engineering and astronomy; geometry, optics and perception; religion, culture and everyday life. Making connections across disciplines and time, the exhibition brought together over 100 artworks and artefacts, from 3000 BC to the present day, including ancient Egyptian sculpture and Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches, Paul Nash’s symbolic landscapes and the performance photography of Rebecca Horn. These were shown alongside works by JMW Turner, William Blake, Barbara Hepworth, Bridget Riley, and Anish Kapoor among others.
Watch Turner Contemporary introductory video here.
The exhibition was seen by over 150,000 visitors and was widely reviewed, including by Laura Cumming The Observer.
Images:
Installation view showing (l to r): Campbell-Stokes Sunshine Recorder; Dan Hays; Celestial Globe; Wolfgang Tillmans; Brass Repeating Circle; Patrick Heron. Photo © Stephen White, artists & estates
Installation view showing (l to r): Barry Flanagan; Ian Davenport; Alfred Wallis; Edmund de Waal; John William Waterhouse. Photo © Stephen White, artists & estates
Gabi Agis reconstruction of Close Streams 1983, performed with fellow dancer, Eeva-Maria Mutka as part of Seeing Round Corners.
Barry Flanagan seeing round corners 1967, felt pen on paper, 10 1/4 x 7 3/4 ins / 26 x 19.7 cms. Private Collection, London.
© The Estate of Barry Flanagan
