CARTHAGE, Mo. – On Feb. 8, you can go where "no one has gone before": the intergalactic musings of Linda Teeter, a Joplin photographer whose 19-piece photography exhibit opens the 2008 season at artCentral, 1110 E. 13th St. in Carthage.

Sally Armstrong, artCentral's director, said the artist's reception begins at 6 p.m.

In "Galactic War," Teeter has extrapolated her photographer's eye to visualize what may emerge in a worst-case scenario of global warming, chemical usage and humanity's last struggle for environmental survival.

The images, Teeter said, turned up on her computer instead of the expected previous night's fireworks display. "These creatures stared at me, and I knew I must do something with these unique images," she said. "Most photographs were left untouched, although some cried out for color."

Teeter is an artist trained in painting, charcoal, pencil and watercolor who uses digitally enhanced photographs to interpret her impressions about an image. By manipulating the photos, she hopes to provoke thought and bring others along on her spiritual journey.

She has written a social commentary correlated with the exhibit's images and will present that narrative on opening night, accompanied by a musical background. "Galactic War," which premiered at a Kansas City art gallery, will continue through Feb. 24 at artCentral.

Linda Teeter