Many years ago, when an art teacher explained to the class that a good artist could make visually interesting works of art from any material, no matter how mundane, the students all thought he was daft. Too bad he's not around today to say to those unbelievers, 'I told you so!'  The lesson was brought back to mind after enjoying this exhibition of visually arresting works of art made from traditional and unusual materials.

In the back gallery, small studies composed of acrylic on canvas with panel pins, flat washers, coloured pencil points, pencil and crayon shavings, are fine examples of formal abstractions that engage first the eye then the mind. The presentation of these studies - all the same size, framed alike and held at eye level - reads like a stream of consciousness that references art, media, idea and object. They invite the viewer with a sense of precision and vitality. The former is suggested by the exactitude with which each component is placed on the surface while the latter is found in the play of colour and the relationship of parts to the whole; in each composition and the total presentation. Each exhibit is valid in its own right while together they produce a dialogue on modernism.

These small studies chronicle the artist's journey through his trilogy project Enigma: A Suite of Variations. The first chapter was exhibited in 1996, the second in 1999 and here, in the larger front gallery, we have the third and final instalment. The large paintings in Suite of Variations #3, lead us away from the extraneous materials Nedela has previously collaged onto his canvases, to immerse the viewer in the paint; it's colour, texture and interplay on the surface.

Small, multicoloured spots create either the rigid grid or a random kinetic dance. The dialogue is now with the viewer. As we approach a single panel, triptych or quadripartite, each canvas provides a different rhythm or cadence of the visual language. We can involve ourselves in either the formal structure, painterly aspect or illusion of movement in the work, or all three at once. What intrigues most is how a single primary colour has such a multiple of nuances according to its relationship with another hue. But then again, the old art teacher wasn't believed when he taught that lesson either.

Exercise you mind and broaden your appreciation of art by visiting this fine exhibition. You will come away either exhilarated by, or at ease with, ideas on thinking and making art.