A varied collection of sculpture, painting and photography by seven local and foreign exponents is currently on show at Lily Agius Gallery, Sliema.

They are Amelia Saint George, Duška Maleševic, Elisa von Brockdorff, Jimmy Grima, Federico Peltretti, Peter Mercieca and Ritty Tacsum.

As with any collective exhibition, some works and artists do stand out. The only sculptor represented in this collective is, in fact, the first to leave a lasting impression. Amelia Saint George’s favoured medium is bronze, a fascinating mode of expression.

Bronze sculptures of two dachshund dogs – Sir Harry and Fritz – quickly followed by Romeo the labrador, greet the exhibition visitor. The regal looking four-legged hounds enliven the exhibition space, and they are accompanied by several other animals, amphibians and birds, all of which are sensibly rendered with varied textures.

Birds are the main subject of the only four paintings in this exhibition, which together form Jimmy Grima’s Bird Series I. The large boards have a bright monotone background, onto which large fowls are clumsily depicted and which lack substance. Unfortunately, unlike Saint George’s bronzes, Grima’s paintings stand out for all the wrong reasons, and I left feeling quite disappointed with Grima’s efforts, which are usually admirable.

Ritty Tacsum on the other hand, does not fail to impress yet again

Ritty Tacsum, on the other hand, does not fail to impress yet again. It is, however, a shame that Tacsum’s set of three photographs were not all up when I visited the gallery. The two from the latest series presented images in black and white in which contrast, pattern and tactile qualities are at their very best. Alone, which I was looking forward to seeing, was missing when I visited, but was justly used to promote the exhibition.

Untitled, by Ritty Tacsum.

Ki No Ka Mi, by Peter Mercieca.

Like Ritty Tacsum, the remaining four participants in the exhibition are all photographers. One cannot miss the four large prints filling up most of the inner walls of the Gallery space.

These limited edition signed prints by Peter Mercieca, who is relatively new on the local scene, have nature as their main inspiration. In these manipulated photographs, Mercieca alters colour and the photograph’s orientation to deceive the viewer and to make him question what is actually displayed.

The other local photographer, Elisa von Brockdorff, continues her all-consuming passion for bright colours. In the two carefully-constructed still lifes presented here, once again the fantastical world portrayed is not as simple as it might initially seem. The key ingredients here are pattern, colour and symmetry, although these more recent works leave much to be desired.

One of the two other photographers is Federico Peltretti who provides a glimpse of New York in winter, which he captured in black and white. In his four photographs he managed to provide a balance between the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple, and leisurely activities.

Malta features ever so prominently in Maleševic’s numerous colourful shots printed on Platinum Baryta paper. These quirky photos have been taken in the past decade. Rather than exuding artistry, these photos are spontaneous and happy coincidences that capture the socio-religious anomalies of Malta, the rugged and rudimentary: elements that most of us have become used to, but which never become any less amusing.

The passage of time is often recorded, as well as the dismissing of older building fabrics and signs. There is indeed a lot to get lost in.

It is a varied collection indeed that forms this exhibition, one which had no theme to unite the exponents or works, but some of which can happily coexist.

The Summer Collective Exhibition is open until July 12 at Lily Agius Gallery, Cathedral Street, Sliema.