Humans need beauty, or so it seems. In fact, increasing evidence suggests the human brain is hard-wired for aesthetics.

Research, for example, has determined that patients in hospitals recover faster when surrounded by beauty. African-American philosopher, Bell Hooks, suggests that we can build new, even unanticipated bridges between different races and cultures through aesthetics. She further says that humans cannot live without beauty and that it is beauty that binds us together, that cuts through classes distinctions.

However, and somewhat inexplicably, beauty is considered suspect in modernist art circles. John Armstrong, director of the Aesthetic Programme at the School of Advanced Study in the University of London observes that, "it has, for a long time been somehow improper to like or love a work of art for its beauty... contemporary works of art... are mostly praised for their capacity to disturb or challenge the viewer, almost never for their beauty".

But if through beauty, humans can enhance physical and mental health and build bridges between peoples, maybe it is time to reconsider the place of beauty in contemporary art as well.

The modern, industrial society, in which we all live, has created much ugliness and the environmental crises that we face, is, in part a battle for beauty. Economics without beauty is at best of only short-term value and in the long run, bad economics. And ugliness is surely an aspect of social disorder and increasing crime.

Although we all need beauty in our lives, we have never been able to completely and satisfactorily define it. Despite that, there is sufficient consensus to be able communicate something of our common experience with beauty. Nevertheless, It still remains intangible and mysterious.

Ernst Arnold Bauer, who is currently exhibiting in the Elliot Gallery at the Kaleidoscope Arts Foundation, suggests in his new art declaration that he is making "Art Pure".

His manifesto does not mention the word beauty, but still, it seems that his paintings are primarily about beauty. In saying that his art is pure, opens it to all kinds of interpretation, for pure can suggest all kinds of meanings, including the absence of foreign and inappropriate elements. His paintings, however, are above all else, beautiful, which he suggests is apprehended best through contemplation and not intellectual reasoning.

That is not to say that the intellect has no role in Mr. Bauer's creativity, but it seems that there is a dimension to beauty that is beyond the rational. When confronted by beauty, words are often inadequate.

The dominating feature in Ernst Bauer's paintings is colour. Indeed, since his paintings are abstract, colour is the one element that is most easily apprehended.

The shapes and forms in his paintings are mostly nebulous, with intermittent areas of focused, round, cell-like forms in contrasting colours and gold. Most of Bauer's paintings employ acrylic paint on canvas, but in several instances, he uses coloured silk as his ground.

This gives these particular paintings a sense of preciousness.

Additionally, they remind me of India. In general, however, I sense in Bauer's paintings, the influence of his compatriot, Gustave Klimt. When, in fact, I first saw this exhibition, I exclaimed, "abstract Klimt".

In addition to Bauer's paintings, he is also exhibiting a series of six lithographs celebrating the life of Therese Neumann. Apparently she was a devout, highly spiritual country woman, who eventually received the stigmata, or the wounds of Christ in her body.

This aspect of his work is in considerable contrast to his paintings, for there are elements of reality in each print. Furthermore, each print was carefully drawn on well prepared Bavarian limestone and then, by means of the lithograph process, printed on paper – and always in black and white.

Additionally, they are all fairly modest in size, whereas, many his paintings are considerably larger.

The lithographic process, to put it simply, is based on the fact that oil and water do not mix. Of course the process is much more technically sophisticated, but traditionally, limestone was used as the "plate" on which the drawing was made with fatty or oily drawing materials. By chemical means the drawing was then "etched" and then finally wetted with water and inked. Wherever the artist had drawn with a fatty pencil, the water was repelled and thus the fatty ink was accepted only in those areas.

Interestingly, Alois Senefelder, who lived not far from where Ernst Bauer now has his studio in Southern Germany, invented lithography over 200 years ago. Hard Bermuda limestone has also been successfully employed in lithography, however, the process has been developed to the point where limestone is no longer required. I asked Mr. Bauer if he has used limestone blocks in making his prints. He confirmed that he had indeed, but added that the type of Bavarian limestone traditionally used is getting very difficult to find.

Ernst Bauer's exhibition continues through March 31. The gallery will also be open this Sunday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. under the theme "Come for tea and see!"