Over the past 10 years, art in Bermuda has flourished, with a greater number of artists exploring a diversity of styles and media, and an ever-broadening audience turning out to see their work.

In the last of a five-part series, The Royal Gazette's Nadia Aguiar talks about art appreciation with artist and gallery owner Robert Bassett and art collector Barbara Lines.

"Looking at African society I've learned some very important things about human nature and the natural appreciation a human being has for art if they're exposed to it,'' says artist and gallery owner Robert Bassett.

His rich baritone voice resonates off the walls of the Regal Gallery. Robert is one of Bermuda's most successful artists, with his own gallery, exhibitions throughout the United States and artwork that has graced the pages of books and international magazines.

He believes that artistic creativity and appreciation is an innate part of being human, but that it often gets buried under modern Western life.

"I have studied an entire African village,'' he says. "Everyone -- mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters -- everyone is artistic. They make their own clothes, their own designs, eating utensils, chairs, tables, the rugs on the floors.

"What this tells one is that artistic creativity is innate and is a natural part of us, but for many of us it lies dormant. For me, as a gallery owner, I see it...

"I know people that have no artwork in their houses, and then someone has suggested that they hang a beautiful painting in their home. The next thing you know, they're filling their house with paintings that remind them of their culture and make them feel better about living.'' Robert says that because Africa is a cradle of civilisation, art there is more deeply connected with life.

"In African society, it isn't even referred to as art -- it's just an expression of self, not something you put on the wall,'' he says.

He thinks that art and life have become estranged in Bermudian culture.

"When Bermudians go away, it's on shopping trips or to visit family,'' he says. "Parents have to make a concerted effort to take their children to galleries instead of `shopping 'til they drop', and expose the children to the various art forms that are out there. When children get older and more sophisticated, they'll gravitate back to the galleries.'' "Art becomes a shock to the system the longer you take to make the pilgrimage to the galleries.'' Robert says that there's been "a huge growth of appreciation of Afro-centric art'' in recent years.

"No one understood my work eight years ago. Not with the social climate. I could not see the kind of appreciation for my work, for its subject matter.

There was limited appreciation, but not widespread.'' "I believe that there is a mindset that the viewer or buyer has when they view the painting,'' he says. "There is a consideration for who the artist is, and in many cases this will determine whether a purchase is made.'' "That is quickly changing with the rapid increase in universal intercourse that is taking place. We see it in cable TV, Internet and the great upsurge in technological advances.'' Bassett explores the interaction of art and culture "The interaction that we find between cultures around the world, and the increased ability of a culture to be able to view the creativity of a culture other than their own, has led to a whole new era in terms of how we perceive art globally.

"And on an individual basis, we find that it is decreasing the number of occasions we find a viewer asking the question who created the piece of art.'' The popularity of Robert's work suggests that art has the potential to revive an innate creativity in people.

"I am just amazed at how the subject matter of my work is able to connect with so many facets of Bermuda,'' he says.

"Not only African-Bermudians, but children and adults, visitors here from abroad and those who have become part of Bermudian society.'' Art fundamentals: Robert Bassett (at left), standing in the Regal Art Gallery, believes artistic creativity is a natural part of all peoples. His boldly coloured "Unshackled'' (above), draws on the tradition of contemporary African figuratism.