The University of West Georgia’s Culture Lab is pleased to announce David Boyd’s solo painting exhibition, “Reckless Abandon,” at The Vault Gallery, located inside Newnan’s Wadsworth Auditorium, from Nov. 1 to Dec. 6.  

Many of the works in “Reckless Abandon” contain images of decay and desertion – rusty pick-up trucks, dilapidated buildings, old seafood-processing factories and other sites of abandonment. Viewers will find exterior doors with no suggestion of the human lives unfolding behind them and tastefully decorated foyers and tidy kitchens with no one to cook or eat a meal.  

And yet, despite the paradoxical “presence of absence” – the constant suggestion of what isn’t there by what is – Boyd’s work is simultaneously full of life, vigor and risk. His brush is, in a word, “reckless,” because it thrills in the possibilities of craft: an array of nimble, technical moves; bold juxtapositions of angles and vantages; and an inviting, unpredictable color palette.  

The executive director of the UWG Culture Lab, Dr. Chad Davidson – who worked to institutionalize The Vault’s state-of-the-art gallery space – is thrilled to be hosting Boyd. 

“David is a well-known and oft-praised painter in the Newnan and West Georgia communities, and for good reason,” said Davidson. 

Davidson noted that The Vault Gallery has saved its first high-quality exhibit catalog for Boyd.  

“We know David is celebrated for plein air painting,” said Davidson. “We want to honor him with a level of publication we have not previously undertaken.”  

The Vault Gallery is a creative partnership between the UWG Culture Lab, the Newnan Artist-in-Residence Program and the City of Newnan. Opening hours during UWG shows are 2-6 p.m., Tuesday-Friday. In addition, Boyd will deliver a talk about his work on the opening night of the exhibition during a reception from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1.  

The exhibition catalog featuring Boyd’s paintings will be available for purchase, and the artist will sign copies after the event. Several of Boyd’s paintings will also be for sale.