Cottonwood Trees Inspire The Works In This Upcoming Arizona Exhibit

Trees have long inspired creative musings, and Charles Gaines’ conceptual artwork is no exception. Viewers can see it for themselves on October 30 when “Charles Gaines: Numbers and Trees (Arizona Series)” opens at Phoenix Art Museum in conjunction with “Charles Gaines: 1992–2023.”

“Numbers and Trees” will include eight large-scale triptychs featuring photographs of Arizona cottonwoods that Gaines took and transcribed onto clear Plexiglass with paint and a grid-like system of layering. Gaines’ work invites viewers to explore how their histories and experiences influence the way they “make and construct meaning,” notes Olga Viso, the Selig Family Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs. “The presentation of two complementary exhibitions is a fitting tribute to a highly influential and important American artist as he turns 80 this year.”