SAVANNAH — An art exhibit entitled A Study in Transfers by local artist/photographer David Smalls will be on display in the new Social Sciences Building Gallery at Savannah State  University from Aug. 7 through Sept. 18.  

The public is invited to attend the opening artist reception for Smalls on Aug. 21, 6-8 p.m. in the Social Sciences Building Gallery.

The gallery is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.  This exhibit of 17 images marks the first in the new gallery and begins a series of exhibitions through spring 2010 by local artists in various artistic media.

A Study in Transfers features Smalls’ body of work with Polaroid transfers, a technique he began using over 20 years ago.  Smalls combines this technique with the use of fabrics and lighting to create soft hues, sepia tones and creative illusions that define his signature style and identify his unique artistic point of view.

A commercial and fine art photographer, Smalls earned a degree in Fashion Illustration from the University of Texas – Arlington and worked in photography before going on to earn a degree in Commercial Photography from the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif.

For over 18 years, Smalls worked as a commercial photographer with Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Mo., where he created still photography for greeting cards, calendars, posters and books for the Hallmark and Ambassador brands; still photography on movie sets for Hallmark Hall of Fame productions; and commercial photography for national advertising with the Hallmark Ad Agency.

Since leaving Hallmark, Smalls has continued his career as a fine art and commercial photographer in the Savannah area. His artistic work has been on display in fine art galleries in Atlanta and Savannah; Hilton Head Island, S.C.; Chicago and Peoria, Ill.; and Kansas City, Mo.

Smalls’ Polaroid transfers are one aspect of his fine art and commercial portfolio.  His full portfolio shows his versatility as a photographer, which includes scenic, industrial, creative, product, fashion and portraiture work.

To see more of his work, visit www.davidsmalls.com.