Area residents looking for something artistic will soon have a pair of genres to choose from at Louisiana Tech with upcoming exhibits by a fine arts painter from Scotland and a photographer from Tennessee.

The work of Scot Sinclair, a painter from Glasgow, Scotland, will be shown in the Main Gallery. A concurrent exhibit in the adjoining Bellocq Gallery will feature photographer Chris Scarborough from Nashville.

The shows will begin with an opening reception from 5-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, and continue through Dec. 10. An artists’ lecture is set for Nov. 4 at 4 p.m. in the Visual Arts Center, Room 103.

A recent transplant to the United States, Sinclair was born and raised in Scotland’s Glasgow area but now serves as an assistant professor at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. His enamel paintings reflect the visual vastness and intimidating primeval power of huge masses.

Sinclair’s work is inspired by observation of the urban culture that is specific to his home – the sprawling, complex layers of human existence and the battle for space that is part of living in a large city.

‘The phenomenon of perception, itself, is at the very core of my work,’ Sinclair says. ‘By abstracting images of crowds and altering the color and shape of given forms, my large-scale paintings become patterned, optical reliefs of sumptuous hues, putting the viewer in doubt as to what exactly they are looking at.

Scot Sinclair’s ‘Formulaic’: house paint on panel, 48×48 inches

‘Not only does the dialog between the audience and the image play about with the viewing distance from the micro to the macro and the representational to the abstract, but it also emphasizes the liquid tactility and color of the paint itself.’

Sinclair received his master of fine arts at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and his bachelor of fine arts at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen, Scotland. He has exhibited his work in several solo and group exhibitions, most notably at the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center in Kansas City, Mo.; the H.Q. Gallery in Carbondale; and the Aberdeen (Scotland) Art Gallery and Museum.

In adjacent exhibit, the question of photographic reality draws the viewer into Scarborough’s work. His digital portraits are constructed realities that cause viewers to look closely – unsure if what they are seeing is fact or fiction and blurring the distinctions between the two.

He cites taxidermy specimens as an influence – and the uncanny effect of fakery they possess, recreating a creature that can intrigue viewers so much that they feel the need to touch it to be sure it is not alive. About his work he states, ‘I feel compelled to create images that leave viewers on uneasy ground, unable to look away for risk that they might miss a detail that reveals everything, but ultimately leaving them to deal with the sensation of experiencing something familiar and yet not.’

Scarborough received his bachelor of fine arts at Savannah (Ga.) College of Art and Design in 2000. Since then he has exhibited his work in numerous solo, group and juried exhibitions throughout the country. He is represented by Marcia Wood Gallery, Atlanta; Gescheidle, Chicago; and TAG Gallery, Nashville, Tenn.

Tech’s art galleries are located in the Visual Arts Center between Tech Drive and Mayfield Street, next to the Natatorium and across from A.E. Phillips School. The galleries are open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; admission is free. For more information, call the School of Art at (318) 257-3909.

Written by Sallie Hollis