When I stop to think about what the Bermuda art scene was like 25 years ago and what is happening today, I am impressed by how far we have come in our artistic development.

Back then, in 1982, the visual arts consisted basically of little painted scenes for selling to our visitors.

I remember the observations of a Canadian artist who was visiting Bermuda back sometime in the 1970s. She said that she was amazed at the enormous visual stimulus Bermuda offered but even more amazed at the almost total lack of response to it on the part of Bermuda’s artists. Today the situation is quite different. Despite the present difficulties in marketing the arts, the amount of creativity going on and the great variety of work being produced, is truly awesome. The visual arts in Bermuda are healthy and thriving.

As an example of this explosion in creativity, consider the present exhibition at the Elliot Gallery. Indeed, consider the fact that there is yet again another thriving art centre on the Island.

I refer to the recent inauguration of the Kaleidoscope Arts Foundation, in which the Elliot Gallery is housed. Twenty-five years ago there was only one arts organisation, today there are at least five.

The present exhibition in the Elliot Gallery is a three-artist show. The artists are Shelly Hamill, Amanda Temple and Gabriella Brunner. Of the three, two — Ms Brunner and Ms Hamill — are showing sculpture exclusively. Amanda Temple is showing her photographs, but in three works, she has combined photography with painting.

Gabriela Brunner’s five sculptures can be divided into two groups. Three of her sculptures are winged-works entitled ‘Fly 1’, ‘Fly 2’ and ‘Fly 3’.

The second group, consists of two works. Each are sculptural, palm-like abstractions. The ‘Fly’ group all have wing-like appendages, which suggests flight, although one, being short the second wing, obviously is not taking off anytime soon, however, as one observer said, they are all well grounded.

It is difficult to tell by observing these works, just what the artist intended, but I imagine some sardonic play on the concept of flight. I was reminded of Paul Klee’s 1905 etching, ‘The Hero with the Wing’. This is a depiction of a man with only one wing, who, in his attempts at flight, has injured himself to the extent of having a wooded leg, which being grounded, has sprouted.

Ms Brunner’s other winged works also appear heavy, so much so, flight seems altogether a vain ambition. This weightiness is suggested by the blunt thickness of the edges of the wings. They are aerodynamically challenged. Since her ‘Palms’ are both highly finished, these heavy, cumbersome edges are apparently intended.

Of course, one can read all kinds of possibilities into these works and each viewer will see them through their own experiences. The artist’s original intention, while important, is not the only consideration in bringing meaning to these creations. The viewing audience, also plays a part in this. These are thought provocative works deserving one’s time and attention.

Shelly Hamill’s three sculptural depictions of women’s dresses are, it seems, a play on the concept of fabric; a material that is notably pliant, but in her sculptures, it come across as both rigid, as well as pliant. On the one hand the dresses seem to fold, flutter and swirl, as is characteristic of fabric, but on the other, they appear solid, heavy and rigid. These latter qualities are suggested by the actual materials used to make these works, which is mosaic.

The mosaic technique is an ancient method of employing small bits of tile, glass and natural stones, which, inserted into plaster, according to a plan, becomes a picture or a design. Traditionally it is used on flat surfaces. Its use with sculpture is unusual but certainly not unheard of. The last time I saw work by Ms Hamill, it was two dimensional, but even then, in part, she was making mosaics.

Her present work is therefore, a considerable extension of what she was previously doing.

One might think that Amanda Temple’s 35 photographs, by sheer numbers, would dominate this show. That is not the case, although her contributions certainly hold their own. The sculptures, by the very fact that they are placed out in the room, well away from the walls, but also because of their size, balance the greater number of Ms Temple’s creations.

Nevertheless, several of Ms. Temple’s works comes across as significant; a real “break-through”. She has extended her photographic achievements well beyond anything I have seen her do up to this point.

I think particularly of two works entitled ‘Oil Slick’, but also several other works, such as the ‘Felicités Fish’ series. One might be be tempted to think that these works are the product of Photoshop but it seems this is straight photography only.

Additionally, although the original subject in ‘Oil Slick’ was only several inches square, the final product is a photograph considerably larger in size.

The two on exhibit in this show are 42 x 28 inches. Both are photographs on canvas.

Ms Temple has a eye for the unusual, which includes a creative imagination for seeing beauty in unusual situations, such as an oil slick on a highway. This is not only commendable, it is also indicative of what I mean by the health of the arts in Bermuda.

Ms Temple’s three works entitled ‘Nu Allongé’, ‘Water Serpents I’ and ‘Danae’ are examples of yet another direction she has taken her photography. In all three, she has sought to photograph a figure as seen in an historic painting and then filled in other aspects of the original work by painting them on the photograph.

The first, ‘Nu Allongé’ is a take-off on a work of the same title by the modern French artist, Henri Matisse. The latter two works, ‘Water Serpents’ and ‘Danae’ are inspired by paintings created by the Austrian symbolist, Gustav Klimt.

These three photographs on canvas, while playing with art history, are also extending our concepts of photography. Earlier photographs, before the practical development of colour photography were often tinted with special paints. Ms Temple’s use of paint, while possibly referring back to this earlier practice, is for another, quite different purpose.

It is certainly not for colouring the photograph. It was already a colour photograph, to begin with. it is rather an extension of the concept of photography itself. The inclusion of the painted brushstroke in the photograph can be seen as bringing about a synthesis of these two separate art forms and as a blurring of the boundaries between them.

The exhibition continues through May 4.

Explosion of creativity