Art Choice

Best known for his sea-based work, Leonard Sheil continues to chart a singular course with his new work. It is the result of two residencies in Austria and focuses more on the Danube than on the sea, though the new pieces, such as The Island of the Day Before have all the depth and drama that characterise Sheil’s earlier works. Bend in the River and Danube Tributary III use a white background to offset the abstract depictions of the river. God on the Rocks II is part of a series of works that allude to spirituality, the dark tones suggesting a crisis of faith. Other works refer to travelling by using Ordnance Survey maps as a starting point, such as Separation Zone I and II. Despite their diversity, the works share an interest in communicating the experience of moving through the world, rather than offering static representations of nature. Their variation make them challenging, but their sheer beauty is astonishing.