New Dimensions. Desmond Fountain Windjammer Gallery Reid Street, Hamilton.

Just about everyone in Bermuda must be familiar with Desmond Fountain's work.

His statues litter the Island and his latest creation, a life-size figure of the larger-than-life Johnny Barnes, received much publicity recently.

So would this one man show at the Windjammer Gallery come up with any surprises? Yes, I'm glad to say it does, and what a delightful bunch of surprises they are.

Sure enough there are plenty of Mr. Fountain's sculptures on display here, ranging from the small scale figures to the more ambitious life size.

Interestingly Mr. Fountain has juxtaposed several of these figures with the original ceramic casts, giving an insight into how the final creations come about.

Apart from a few exceptions it is the human form that Mr. Fountain focuses on when wearing his sculptor's hat. In figures such as `Tangles' and `Primary Colours' he charmingly captures the private world of young children, engrossed in their routine activities in a naturalistic style that's full of detail.

Sculpting is just as much about science as it is about art, as Mr. Fountain kindly took the time to explain to me. Different acids are used to create different patinas, painstakingly applied to create different colours and textures.

Desmond Fountain the sculptor may be well known but I wonder when any of his paintings last went on display. There's a wide selection of oils supported by a number etchings which give a new dimension to Fountain's work. Not surprisingly the different media bring out different facets of Fountain's artistic skill, illustrating his strength as a draughtsman and colourist and also his sense of humour.

Interestingly figures are absent in his landscapes and there is only one Bermudian scene in the collection of nine oil paintings -- Gibbet's Island -- the remainder seem to have been painted in France.

Fountain uses a rich palette and his canvasses sing with colour and light.

Again he does not stick to one style but seems to revel in experimenting, trying out different techniques for different subjects.

In `Le Moulin de Pont aux Pins' he captures the dappled effect of light on water brilliantly in an impressionistic way while `It's a Long Hard Road' is rich and beautifully detailed.

In his etchings Fountain returns to his interest in the human figure.

`Dreamlover' the first of a series of three nudes is absolutely exquisite while `Starting at the Bottom' and `Working my Way Up' will raise a smile.

Fountain's work does not come cheap but then you can never put a price on real quality. This is by far the most impressive show of the year and well worth a visit, even if your wallet cannot afford it.

Gareth Finighan ARTIST ART REVIEW REV