Artist and educator Gary Cawood explores human-altered landscapes in his new photography exhibition, opening soon at the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas (part of the ARTx3 Campus).

“Gary Cawood: Field Notes” opens with a free public reception from 5-7 p.m. Jan. 19. The exhibition will be on view in the Loft Gallery of The ARTSpace on Main, 623 S. Main St. in Pine Bluff, through April 13.

The exhibition is sponsored by Relyance Bank, and the reception is sponsored by MK Distributors, according to a news release.

Cawood is professor emeritus at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree from East Tennessee State University in 1976 and his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Auburn University in 1970.

His photographs have been widely exhibited throughout the United States, including in more than 60 solo shows and approximately 100 two-person and group shows. He has received visual artist fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mid-America Arts Alliance, and the Arkansas Arts Council. His work is included in numerous public collections, including the Smithsonian National Museum of American Art, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Library of Congress, the Amon Carter Museum and the New Orleans Museum of Art.

In “Gary Cawood: Field Notes,” the artist uses the camera as an effective note-taking device, according to the release.

“His work in this series of 33 images emphasizes scale as an element of visual composition, exploring various ways the measuring scale can be integrated into the scene, sometimes titling the effect to be more ambiguous than factual,” said Kevin Haynie, ASC’s curator of collections and exhibitions.

Cawood expounded on his work in his artist statement.

“While humans alter the landscape, nature continually reasserts its force. Shiny and new becomes rusted and worn. Unintended plant life proliferates. My purpose is to celebrate this process visually, with the graduated scale as a perfect counterpoint to the random effects of nature,” Cawood said.

“To further enhance the ambiguity, much smaller measuring devices are sometimes placed on a print and re-photographed. Specimens gathered from the sites are also included. How big or how small depends on context –compared to what? By confounding the viewer’s sense of scale, I hope to convey the intrigue I found in these seemingly ordinary scenes,” Cawood said.

For details about Cawood and to view more of his work, visit garycawood.com.

The show is part of the 2024 exhibition program of the ASC. This year marks the 30th anniversary of ASC making its home on Main Street. For more information about current and upcoming exhibitions, visit artx3.org.

The ARTx3 Campus is the convergence of art, creativity, and community in Pine Bluff. The campus features the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, 701 S. Main St.; The ARTSpace on Main, 623 S. Main St.; and ART WORKS on Main, 627 S. Main St. All three facilities present programming in the visual arts, performing arts and STEAM education through exhibitions, performances, classes and local partnerships. Gallery admission is free. Founded in 1968, ASC is accredited with the American Alliance of Museums and features three exhibition galleries, an interactive youth activity space, and the 232-seat Catherine M. Bellamy Theater. Since 2021, the ARTSpace and ART WORKS facilities have hosted live music, local and regional art, diverse workshops, and small productions.

Support is provided in part by the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas Endowment Fund; the city of Pine Bluff; the Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission; the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Division of Arkansas Heritage; and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional operating support is provided in part by the Windgate Foundation, Ben J. Altheimer Foundation, Kline Family Foundation, Relyance Bank and Simmons Bank. Details: artx3.org or (870) 536-3375.