"Snail Shell"
Industrial enamel on steel-1200 x 1600 mm
This piece is of one of a
series called Monument to a Snail. The theme is part of an investigation
into the role of Beauty in our perceptions. Can we trust Beauty to be a guide when we make
choices? In the case of snails and other creatures which have shells, it is only too easy to respond
to the beauty of the shells but then to be repelled by the creatures which made the shells. The bodies
of snails, because they lack form, symmetry and pattern, are often overlooked and yet they are the
most important part of the animal. To love the just the shell is to turn aside from reality.
How often, in how many other cases, can a response to beauty be misleading?
In the Monument to a Snail series, the body of the snail is always shown.
Sometimes the body is alive, sometimes it is only represented as an image on a monument. This
particular mural was also designed to show the beautiful effects which can be achieved with
sprayed industrial enamels. The rich colours draw attention to the subject, making the point that
Beauty is ultimately utilitarian.
