The creative process is continuously fascinating, but determining why a particular artist chooses to paint or sculpt the way he or she does is highly complex and personal. By interacting with an artist, it may be possible to glean much about what went into the making of a work of art, but we will never be able to get a complete understanding, let alone get inside an artist's head, to grasp what went into the artist's decisions and choices. It is doubtful that even the artist will ever be able to achieve this kind of complete understanding, for artists are seemingly predisposed from the get-go, perhaps even genetically, to create the way they do, almost intuitively. Art is a big mystery, but still the fascination remains.

Recently, I met with Vernon Clarke in his Southampton studio to discuss his forthcoming exhibition in the Rick Faries Gallery in the Masterworks Gallery. I knew that, because of a previous commitment, I would be away from the Island when his exhibition opens, so I was hoping for a preview of what he has selected for the show, and I also wished to gain a better understanding of his choices, in whatever it is he does.

The exhibition consists of 24 works of art, 20 being oil paintings, two are drawings, plus two relief sculptures. The dominant subject is portraiture, but in addition, there are several figurative paintings, a couple landscapes and the two bas-reliefs. In conversation, Vernon Clarke told of his admiration of Caravaggio, the Italian Baroque master who was famous for his use of chiaroscuro, meaning extremes in light and dark. Indeed, there is in his studio a painting based on Caravaggio's 'Supper at Emaus', in which Clarke has applied this very same technique of chiaroscuro. It is a particularly fine painting, but alas, it is not destined for this particular show.

In many of his paintings, I observed certain surreal elements, such as objects appearing to levitate. In his self-portrait called 'Interlude', Clarke is seen sitting in his studio, contemplating one of his paintings. That particular painting appears to come to life, however, when objects from that painting appear to fly off into space before Clarke's very eyes. This gives, what otherwise is a fairly still painting, a sense of surprise and motion. This particular painting is probably the star of the show and is featured on the exhibition's invitation.

I see in some of Vernon Clarke's paintings what I consider to be pop art elements, as in his portrait of 'Shine Hayward'. In this painting, the subject, Mr. Hayward, is performing on stage as a musician. He is portrayed standing within a very bright elliptically shaped beam of light, which, in turn, casts a very strong shadow of the sitter, on the wall behind. Mr. Hayward is also shown wearing sunglasses and hat. All these elements give the painting a theatrical appearance, which relates it to the kinds of paintings, well known pop artists created back in the 1960s. Of course, this too, can be seen as a modern version of Caravaggio's use of chiaroscuro. In other portraits, Clarke continues to make use of hats and sunglasses. These shift his portraits away from that of the traditional society or boardroom portrait, into something much more contemporary in appearance.

Of the two charcoal drawings in the show, one is a landscape, the other a portrait. Both display Vernon Clarke's considerable ability as a draftsman. In previous reviews, I have explained my views regarding the importance of drawing for the artist. Vernon Clarke has obviously been well trained in this fundamental skill. If I may make a wish, I hope that sometime Vernon Clarke might do an exhibition devoted exclusively to drawing. That would be a show worth seeing, I am sure.

The two relief sculptures are important, for they relate to Clarke's background as a soldier in the Royal Engineers. He told of at times having to invent tools to employ in certain difficult situations in which traditional tools did not quite work. In both Clarke's bas relief sculptures, he has used his tools as objects to cast in three dimensions. One is in wax, the other in copper.

The Vernon Clarke exhibition opens on September 4 and continues through September 16.