It is worth the effort to find the college gallery
The Bermuda College Art Gallery is not easy to find, but a search will hopefully succeed in getting you there.
You will be happy you persevered, for right now a small but worthwhile photography exhibition is on show.
A couple hints: it is in North Hall, second floor. However, you will have to ask for the correct building.
Three Bermuda College faculty members are showing their photographs. One exhibitor, Edwin Smith, senior lecturer in Fine Arts, is from the Art Department.
The other two are Dr. Jolene Bean, senior lecturer in History and Stephen Dyer, assistant librarian. The gallery is small and consequently, so is the show. There are 16 photographs altogether, with Mr. Smith showing five, Dr. Bean five and Mr. Dyer six.
Edwin Smith's photographs continue his interest in art about art. The one that is particularly notable in this exhibition is his 'Last Supper'.
It is obviously is take-off on the Leonardo da Vinci version, but with possibly a contentious addition. All the individuals in the picture are women, including Jesus, who is in the centre.
Also, one young woman modelled the entire cast. Obviously she studied the pose of each apostle in the Da Vinci painting. When all the poses were photographed, they were combined with the help of Photoshop, to resemble the original painting.
The initial inspiration for Mr. Smith's interest in art about art, goes back to one of his former teachers, Professor Gregory Constantine, who has spent a lifetime making art about art.
Dr. Bean, although by profession an historian, is also an active and accomplished photographer. Her pictures are beautifully crafted; always showing care in composition and thoughtfulness in selecting her subjects.
One photo that caught my attention shows a group of Morrocan children writing Quranic verses. As with so many of her photographs, this photograph is notable for the sensitive use of chiaroscuro, meaning strong contrasts in light and dark.
Stephen Dyer 's photographs are new to me but it appears that he too, is a sensitive photographer, however, I do have one critical suggestion: enlarge the photographs.
Had each of his photographs been larger, their impact would have been so much greater. His picture of a woman standing in a doorway in Port of Spain, Trinidad is outstanding, even in its present small size.
When enlarged, it will be even more impressive. Another picture shows a Cuban farm worker. This in its own way is equally as strong as the Trinidadian woman.
The exhibition continues through Friday.