Edwin Smith, lecturer of Fine Arts at Bermuda College and his two sons, Stefan and Micrae, are exhibiting together for the third time in the Edinburgh Gallery of the Bermuda Society of Arts. They first exhibited together eight years ago and at that time Stefan and Micrae were very young. They exhibited together again in 2002 and now five years later they are once again exhibiting their recent creations.

In a sense, we have been able to watch Stefan and Micrae mature artistically and that is somewhat unusual here in Bermuda. Certainly, for us here in Bermuda, it is exceptional for a family to exhibit together so regularly. This surely should be encouraged.

In the interests of full disclosure, the author of this review is teaching art at the Bermuda College this semester.

In this present exhibition, we see that although it is a family show there is by now considerable technical variety.

Edwin Smith, the father himself, works in at least two quite different techniques. As one enters the gallery, one encounters photography/contour drawings combinations. The drawings that overlie the photographs are all inspired by the photographs and digitally combined. Each work shows either pictures of his sons or the family doing things together. In at least three of these photo/contour drawing creations, his compositions have been inspired by works by well known artists Cezanne, Picasso and Jacob Lawrence.

The ?Card Players? was inspired by a work of the same title by Cezanne The composition of the ?Three Musicians? is taken from a work by Picasso and the composition of the ?Paper Boats? was lifted from Jacob Lawrence. His use of references to art history is something he learned from his former university professor and successful New York artist, Greg Constantine.

There are four acrylic paintings in this exhibition that form a polyptych. The titles are from the names of houses he has encountered in his neighbourhood. These paintings are notable for the employment of heavy impasto and the use of texture. Technically and visually, his paintings are very different from the photography/drawing works, so much so one could almost think they were by two different artists.

Stefan is a photographer but nevertheless, one sees a relationship between his emphasis on texture in his photographs and the use of texture by his father. His works show in close detail either parts of an old rusty bicycle or the detailed close-up view of fabric. The three rusty bicycle photos are shown as a triptych, as are the fabric photos.

Micrae is a paper-maker but he is more than that, for he combines and overlaps his variously textured papers in collage-like creations and then appears to stitch them together with string-like strands from Sago palms.

The use of stitching reminds me of a similar use of this element by the medical doctor and Second World War military surgeon, Alberto Burri, who as a prisoner of war in Texas started making art from scrap he found around the encampment. His creations were references to his experiences as a surgeon in the war and were about healing.

Burri then went on to develop an international reputation as artist in the post-war years. Notably, Micrae has titled all his works also as ?Healing?. I am not aware though that he knows about Burri. Probably the apparent connection is coincidental.

The presentation of this exhibition is very professional. The framing is understated but well crafted, allowing each work to sing without the frame competing. The overall impression of the exhibition is that it is spare and clean. The exhibition continues through September 20.