When I was first asked to consider writing art criticism, I hesitated. In Bermuda, with its rather small art community, anyone involved in the arts, gets to know most of the artists fairly well. Being a critic in such a community, I thought, was only looking for trouble. But then, after much thought and consultation, I finally agreed to give it a try. My thinking was and still is, that by undertaking this task, I might be of help in promoting the arts in Bermuda.

When I write art criticism, it is based upon certain principles. First of all, criticism must be restricted to the work only. What I might think about the artist is beside the point. Secondly, I try to write about the work in such a way that, hopefully, the viewers might attain a better understanding of what is being seen. Thirdly, there are not many reasons for writing about art in a destructive manner and I am not interested in doing so. If, by pointing out what I consider a weakness in a work or a show, I try to do it constructively and diplomatically. After all, I want to see positive growth and development in the Bermuda art community.

With that in mind, I have to report that the Members' New Year show at the Bermuda Arts Centre, is an all right exhibition. By that, I mean that there is very little in the exhibition that can be singled out as technically inept or aesthetically bad. However, there is not all that much in the show that is of great interest either. Indeed, despite a few exceptional works, the exhibition seems much like the one just past, or for that matter, much like a lot of the other past exhibitions. Somehow, the Arts Centre has the ability to produce exhibitions that seem much the same, time after time, even when the work is new and as for this present show, some of the work is not new, some having been recently exhibited elsewhere. Indeed, many of the artists exhibiting there regularly, seem stuck in a rut.

I realise that the Art Centre's management team has tried numerous times to get their artists to extend themselves, to get out of their comfort zone, to take risks, but mostly, their efforts have been unsuccessful. It seems that there is resistance to artistic growth and that results in artistic stagnation. What would it take to get many of our artists to step out of their proverbial boxes? Many have the technical ability to create interesting, new work, so why don't they? I wish I knew. Hopefully a little tough love on my part might prod them in that direction.

Of the few exceptions in the show, Lynn Morrell is one artist who stands out. Her quilted wall hangings are visually complex and mysterious. They are also dazzlingly beautiful. Additionally, she has, of late, been exploring a new avenue, a kind of fabric, found object collage, that recalls trips to the beach. The one in this show is called, "Beach Finds".

Another artist that regularly exhibits at the Art Centre, as well as the Bermuda Society of Arts, that is known for his on-going investigations of new approaches to art making is Kok Wan Lee. One work in this exhibition caught my eye, a mixed media creation entitled "Olives".

Carolyn Boatman's mixed media, "My Farmland" is also a work to see. Her recent explorations are encouraging, in that she does not seem afraid to try the new. She is setting an example to those, often more seasoned artists, who just keep on regurgitating the same old things.

Emily Tolson's grey cloud-scapes are also visually refreshing. She uses a mixture of oil and charcoal in a manner that is fairly unorthodox. The end result is a quite dry appearing black and white depiction of sky and clouds. That in itself seems a contradiction, for in many of her paintings, a rain storm seems to be brewing. I wonder though, what the addition of subtle colours would do to these compositions. How would the addition of coloured oil glazes work? It would probably change the sense of dryness, but what would be gained? I throw out these questions for the artist to consider but not necessarily implement, unless she thinks them worthwhile avenues of investigation.

Vaughan Evans can be depended upon to provide a drawing or woodcut with a satirical twist, along with his other technical explorations in printmaking. I always look forward to his irreverent views of Bermuda.

In this exhibition he has a drawing of "Bermuda's New National Bird". The work depicts the skyline of Hamilton, but with hammerhead cranes dominating. In the catalogue, he describes the media used as pen, pencil and photocopy. As to how he mixed these, that is something each viewer can try to determine.

The exhibition continues through March 6, 2009.