Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Artists unearthed

Daily grind can’t stop artistic expression

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By JENNIFER LIEBRUM
Express Staff Writer

This poster is available for purchase during the show “Death to Day Jobs” at Ochi Gallery on Friday night. Courtesy image by Chatham Baker

By day, Charlotte and Chatham Baker are creative allies at Smith, where they exhaust their artistic energies in the design arena for the Ketchum-based optics company.

Professional and fine artists to the core, they both carried unrequited ideas home with them, which provoked a conversation between the young couple about how to sate that ambition.

The result was a challenge to fellow artist friends with similar bends to come up with work that would be showcased and presented to the public as "Death to Day Jobs," which makes its debut with the work of four others at Ochi Gallery's space at 119 Lewis St. in Ketchum on Friday, June 22, from 7-9 p.m.

A few days before hanging the show, when they will be seeing for the first time the work that has been accrued, the Bakers explained that the goal of the show is to encourage the largely invisible young creative community in Ketchum and celebrate the passion and drive that it takes to be a young artist in a small town.

"There is a wealth of creativity in this community and very few outlets. [But] most of us don't have a body of work required to get into a gallery, ... [which] is super intimidating," Charlotte said. "But we knew the work was there so we put our trust in a select group of local creatives, gave them a deadline and said if you create it, we will curate it."

They asked artists Rudi Broschofsky, Andy McCabe, Aaron Pearson and Tal Roberts to join them and they all went to work a few months ago. While creating their own pieces, the Bakers had to find a place to display it when the time came.

< Faith in the creative process to prevail was all that gallery owner Pauli Ochi had to go on when she agreed to provide the space to the first-time curators. But her contemporary gallery prides itself on emerging artists.

"It's going to be a great, young, community art event," Ochi predicted.

"Pauli went out on a limb for us," Charlotte said. "It says a lot about her and her vision for art in this community."

The work will be for sale, and there is a poster created by Chatham that is also available for purchase.

Chatham said this show will show be "more progressive works steeped in the youth culture and street art," rarely seen around town.

"The response has been amazing. It proved to us that people are hungry for something different and people are really interested," he said.

"It's put a lot of pressure on us," Charlotte admitted. "This show has given us a reason to pull an all-nighter."

"We can't hide behind a logo," Chatham added.

And, for the Bakers, who are used to collaborating, it has brought some competition home.

Charlotte works from the in-house studio while Chatham has the garage with cardboard on the windows. Each offers constructive criticism when asked, and said the challenge has made them more assertive in their personal art.

In the end, Charlotte said, "We hope this brings about an awareness of this subculture and I hope they will come out of the woodwork so things like this can continue to grow."

Echoed Chatham, "This show is provocative and fun and our attempt to create an art outlet that wasn't here."

Experience 'Death'

When: Friday, June 22, at 7 p.m.

Where: Ochi Gallery at 119 Lewis St. in Ketchum.

Details: www.ochigallery.com.

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