Chuck is a photographer passionate about wildlife, nature, conservation and culture. For the past three decades, Wood has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas, documenting those experiences through photography. Initially his work focused on streetscapes, landscapes and culture, but in recent years he has concentrated more exclusively on the nature, creating images that capture the beauty of natural ecosystems, species inter-dependencies, and of a world experiencing significant, even traumatic change.

For Wood, capturing an image in camera is only one aspect of creating a truly compelling image that tells a meaningful story. The act of printing and presenting the image in physical form, on paper, is a whole other experience. Wood has spent years honing the craft of fine art printing, and for his Artist's Series prints, released only in limited editions, he prints all of his images in his studio using professional inkjet printers and museum quality papers and pigment inks.

Wood started his career in the arts as a composer and performer of experimental music. He was a designer and builder of new musical instruments and sound installations using rock, wood, metal and glass. Influenced by the work of Harry Partch, John Cage, Iannis Xenakis, Ad Reinhardt and Joseph Beuys, his music attempted to convey in musical form the structure, texture and kinetic energy of the sounds that he had heard out in nature.

In 1987 he co-founded the organization Essential Music, which championed the American Experimental Music Tradition and such seminal composers as John Cage, Morton Feldman, Henry Cowell, Cornelius Cardew, James Tenney and Peter Garland. Essential Music worked closely with Cage during his later years, collaborating with him to resurrect many of his earlier unpublished works. In 1992 Essential Music produced Cagemusicircus, a four hour memorial to the life and work of Cage, featuring performances of over fifty of Cage’s works by Yoko Ono, Laurie Anderson, Pauline Oliveros, Larry Austin, Christian Wolff and many others. In 1996, they produced Ocean, Cage’s final work for orchestra to accompany the Merce Cunningham Dance Company at the Lincoln Center Festival. Over its fifteen year history, Essential Music produced over 50 concerts, performed over 250 works with some 400 musicians and performing groups, and issued a half dozen landmark recordings.

Wood spent several years in the early 80’s as a drummer with several New York based rock-n-roll bands, touring and recording with Richard Hell and the Voidoids, The Ned Sublette Band, Soma, Eddie Lawrence, and Naux. He also spent a season with The Big Apple Circus at Lincoln Center.

Exhibitions and Credits

Polar Bears International

Audubon 2023 Photography Awards Top 100

National Park Foundation

Tilt Institute for the Contemporary Image, Philadelphia

Straube Center for the Arts, Titusville NJ

20/20 Photo Festival, Philadelphia

Arts Council of Princeton

Wilderness Safaris