AN exhibition by an award-winning American painter aimed at exploring new and challenging views of Totnes opens at Dartington College of Arts on Thursday.

Noel Hefele's The Landscape Thinks Itself In Us will feature four vibrant and colourful works of the town, including a contemporary twist on the iconic East Gate and a study of the now disused milk factory.

The Philadelphia artist, 31, has been living in Totnes for five months and is studying for a masters degree at Dartington.

Joanna O'Donovan, curator of the exhibition, explained: "The works take a fresh look at Totnes through four views of the town.

"A number of the sites are very symbolic in their contribution to Totnes as a town, but are the types of places that, as locals, we can easily take for granted or not notice anymore as we walk past getting on with the day to day.

"Noel's work investigates how changes within industries that have formed the basis of our community — like arable and dairy farming — will affect the vision of the town in the future.

"He looks at the symbolic qualities that places hold for people and how they are affected by change.

"Totnes prides itself on being a community in touch with its natural environment and conscious of its resources, but this show reflects on the environment we have created and how changes to how we work and live might affect the structure of our town.

"Noel is a very talented artist and the show is set to be an exciting, thought-provoking event."

Alongside the four paintings, there is commentary from the artist about his inspiration for the show and what each of the sites means to him.

There is also photography of his work in progress shedding light on how he has crafted the paintings over the past 12 weeks.

Noel, who is an award-winning painter in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, said: "I am very interested in how art can contribute to a community's perceptions, discussions and decisions about the environment in which they live.

"As a painter, I try to bring a specific visibility to places that may be forgotten or overlooked.

"Connection to a place can lead to care and I hope this care can heal our problematic relationship to our environment.

"All of our perceptions as a community combine to create the meaning and identity of a place.

"As well as realising what is remembered of a place, you must consider what is forgotten and why?"

Previews will take place between 7pm and 9pm on Thursday.

The show runs from Friday, January 22, to Sunday, January 24, and is open each day from 11am to 8pm, at Studio 8, Lower Close, Dartington College of Arts.