The current exhibition at Common Ground in Chancery Lane, Hamilton, is basically, a Christmas show. Most of the works are modest in size and some are colourful.

Additionally, all the artists are well known in the Bermuda art community, most having shown in the Bermuda National Gallery's Biennials. Many of the works are of affordable price.

There is one particularly exceptional work in this show, however, Scott Stallard's multimedia collage. It is by far the largest work on show, being 54in x 43in in size. I understand it took about six months to make.

Indeed, it is a highly complex work that requires a time consuming, detailed reading, but it is worth the effort. Mr. Stallard, it seems, is attempting to produce in a single work, a complete sense of one of his voyages of discovery; in this instance, his travels in Irian Jaya.

The work includes many black and white photographs, hand and foot prints in red and a multitude of hand-drawn linear patterns. The frame is also embellished with spears, presumably from that particular Indonesian region. When I first saw it, I was reminded of the anthropological galleries of the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The work has that kind of aura.

A creation of this significance, requires a big commitment in time and financial resources. In order to accomplish something like this one has to either have wealth, some kind of job that allows for the time it takes to make it, or a suitable commission. That kind of latitude is rare in Bermuda, but one example of such a commission is the Graham Foster mural in the Columned Hall, coincidentally, in the Commissioner's House in the Maritime Museum at Dockyard. Another is Carlos Dowling's recently unveiled Sally Bassett sculpture. Both required an enormous underwriting.

I recently attended the annual conference of the International Association of Art Critics in Martinique and while there I had opportunity to see something of contemporary Martinican art and even meet some Martinican artists. In comparison to what our artists generally do, their works are often much larger in scope, both in concept as well as actual size, and I wondered why.

What I learned is of great interest. The government of Martinique, it seems, underwrites much of what they do. I visited the studio of one such artist and it was of impressive size. It consisted of two huge rooms with large doors and windows. One had a lofty ceiling, possibly thirty feet high.

Given that kind of space, the artist's work was of a corresponding size. I then learned that the government had actually paid for the studio. Probably it is government-owned, but the fact is, this artist had been given the freedom to create without the usual strictures, Bermuda's artist have to cope with.

As I look about the Bermuda art community, I know that there are artists here whose abilities are a match to those in Martinique, and given opportunity would rise to the occasion. So why do they not stretch their artistic abilities more?

I think the answer is obvious. The Bermuda art community needs greater, enlightened patronage. Given that, the arts would flourish here. As it is, I see artists who, in order to make a living, spend their time making all kinds of souvenir art, instead of directing their energies to meeting their artistic potentials.

I am not suggesting the Bermuda Government should be handing out liberal amounts of money to artists thoughtlessly, but certainly a better balance in the budget between what the Government spends on sport and what it presently gives to culture would be in order.

As to how that money would be allocated, should be the responsibility of a suitably educated committee. It would require the artist provide a written proposal of some detail, in order for the committee to commit to such a project. Should this happen, I predict that there would be a Bermuda artistic renaissance.

Enough of my artistic bandwagon, for now, however. I want to at least mention a few more artists, especially Miles Manders. His ink drawings relate to the multimedia collage of Scott Stallard, in that Mr. Manders has used as his subject, the Kayapo, a native tribe from the Brazilian rainforest.

Both Stallard's and Manders' works bring to mind, aspects of anthropology. In the case of Miles Manders, however, he only appeared on the visual artistic scene less than a year ago. He is better known as a musician. From what I have seen of his work, pen and ink is his media of choice and although largely self-taught, his is an impressive vision.

The other artists in this exhibition are Emma J. Ingham-Dounouk, Susan Pearson, Barbara Dillas, Trevor Todd, Vernon Clarke, Milton Hill and Rhona Emmerson.

The show continues through Saturday, which is only a short time away. You will need to hurry to see it but it is possible to have coffee or lunch at the same time, as Common Ground offers a delicious selection of pastries and sandwiches, as well as coffee, tea and cold drinks.