The Berkeley Centenary Art Exhibition at the Bermuda Society of Arts This year Bermuda has been celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Berkeley Institute.

Events honouring the institution have taken place in the recent weeks, culminating in an exhibition of Berkeley Alumni at the Bermuda Society of Arts.

As you enter the gallery you pass a bust of the pioneer of the exhibition, Charles Lloyd Tucker, who inspired and taught many of the artists in the show.

Though there is no direct theme connecting the artwork, it is commendable that Mr. Tucker's enthusiasm and love of his work has passed on to so many of his students.

Tucker's talents show a love of the figure in the Bermuda setting.

Watercolours suggest a variety of wash techniques that, with exception, current users of the medium eschew.

The fluidity of the medium articulates in the paintings, "Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, Albuoy's Point and The Bermuda Shop''.

Tucker's character studies are expressive to the degree that they suggest individual personalities as you move from figure to figure. This quality is evident in "The Prince and the Pauper'', a jaunty portrait in tam and sunglasses; juxtaposed over a page of newspaper copy featuring a photo of Prince Charles.

Sharing the gallery are the paintings of Otto Trott. From a distance the vibrancy of the colours and light emanating from the pictures suggest the clarity of photo realism.

But as you move closer you can see that this is a painter in love with his medium.

What you see is a very aware and self absorbed involvement with paint.

Examining the actual surface the hand of the painter is evident in every stroke; his scenarios are Bermuda life.

Well-known sculptor Chesley Trott credits Charles Lloyd Tucker for launching his first exhibition. Two Bermuda cedar works show his advancing interest in form and space in abstract figuration. The larger of the two, entitled "Cynthia'', has a beautifully chipped surface.

This technique holds the eye as it moves down and around the elegant curves of the figure. The smaller version, buffed to a smooth finish, brings attention to the grain of the wood, while emphasising the sleek movement around the figure; a comical rooster comb adorns the top of the sculpture.

David I. Nisbett, a former student of Trott, has a series of animals on display that resemble early 19th Century Folk Art.

"Guard Dog, Lion,'' and "Gorilla'' have a chunky, exaggerated assembly set against a smooth surface finish. The sculpture, "Horse'', has a combination of these elements in equally balanced quantities, such as the simple ridge of spine down its back and the rhythmic movement of legs and body in full gait.

Other alumni represented include Judith Mills, Elizabeth Ann Trott, and E.

Michael Jones.

The show runs through October 24th in the Main Gallery.

Roland Russell