The name Trevor Todd, until now, has been unknown in the Bermuda art world, therefore, when I heard that he was having an exhibition at the Masterworks Foundation West Gallery, I did not know what to expect.

When I heard that he had been painting for less then a year, I prepared myself for the worst.

I had heard that Mr. Todd?s paintings are abstract and I have a fair exposure to modern approaches to painting, nevertheless, I did not have any great hopes for a meaningful experience.

When I arrived at the Masterworks Foundation last Friday afternoon, Vernon Clarke was in the yard and it was he who first initiated me to the exhibition. To say the least, I was in for a big surprise.

I found the work to be authoritative and competent. I thought I saw an influence by Frank Stella, the New York painter and thus I determined to meet Trevor Todd to see just what it is that makes him ?tick?.

After seeing the show, I then sat and read Ren? Hill?s interview with the artist. Through that, I found out about the impact of Australian Aborginal culture upon him, but I still did not know what impact Frank Stella might have had upon him or even if there had been an impact.

According to the interview, when asked questions about his work, I thought he had all the right answers, but there was no mention of Frank Stella.

When I met Mr. Todd at the opening, he had a natural air about him. There was no bombast but neither was he lacking in confidence. It was like he was comfortable in his own skin, even though he had been painting for such a short time. I was impressed.

It was then that I had the opportunity to ask him about Frank Stella. He had no idea of whom I was talking. That impressed me even more.

Sure, I meet up with young artists, who have had exposure to art college and the great art museums of the world. They know about all the important artists in New York or London, but sometimes I think it all affectation.

Mr. Todd instead, has been to school with these Australian aboriginal artists, whose teachers have been nature, the elders of the tribe and their age-old traditions. In this day and age when we are so concerned about the environment, his links with the Aborigines seem to be much more important than any new aesthetic developments in the art centres of the West.

The Todd exhibition has been arranged in three different groups. As one enters through the left side door, the six acrylic painting on the left wall are all based upon variations on the maze.

He seemed to distinguish between maze and labyrinth, but I failed to understand the difference. Nevertheless, what I saw was actually an expression of journeying, and surely Mr. Todd has had to make a considerable journey to be able to meet-up with the Aborigines on their home turf, namely Arnhem Land, in north-western Australia.

On the back wall is the smallest group, consisting of only two paintings. They are the ?Long Walk Back to Spirit I & II?.

These are symbolically more complex works that consist not only of acrylic paint but also sand and wood shavings. On the right wall is found the final grouping.

These are all on a black background with the design made of a series of white dots. Each painting is quite different one from another and as such, they are different from the other two groups in that they are not variations on a theme. Instead they appear to be individual expressions.

Although Trevor Todd?s work is based upon and influenced by the Australian Aborigines, his work is by no means a close copy of what these ancient people do in their traditional paintings.

It appears that these paintings are, instead, expressions of a personal experience with the Aborigines.

The exhibition continues through October 5 at the Masterworks Gallery.