Open House at Suckerpunch Studio

Emily Moseley, Miss Kate at the Ranger, December 7th, 2003.© Emily Moseley

In a small space called the Suckerpunch Studio, on an industrial strip of Santa Fe, a few blocks south of the usual artsy area, three local artists present their work. Two painters, one photographer. With electronic music by Jason Cain and David Kurtz of the excellent, if troubled, Denver band The Moths. PBR in a bucket of ice, booze atop the old fridge, cheap red wine, rain sweeping in from the West—a perfect setting for an understated show by three up and coming Denver artists.

Jeremy Turner, known for his large, vivid paintings, often on display at Pablo’s Coffee House on 6th and Washington, opts for smaller works this time out. Shimmering rectangles of subdued if not entirely implied images, shielded by stripes, geometric forms, intriguing color juxtapositions. He’s the tallest guy in the room, with his close-shaven head and tatts, his large plug earring. He’s also the subject of some of Emily Moseley’s photographs. So you have Jeremy’s paintings on the north wall, brooding photos of him on the south wall, and Jeremy towering over the crowd in between.

Emily keeps to the margins like a typical photographer. Let’s face it—there are very few good shots from within the crowd. She’s smart, pretty and talented. Her work reminds me of Dennis Hopper’s famous snapshots of the 60s, CD inner sleeve art and even Larry Clark. Word is, she only makes one print per shot. Her portrait of local jewelry designer Kate Schiff is a true highlight of the show. In it Emily shows a knack for capturing an emotion, a moment, a mood.

Denver guitar designer and maker Ken Goodwin leans forward in the best chair and eyes the action in the diminutive gallery. He and I seem to be the elder statesmen in the room; the artists and their friends all seem on the down side of 25, or just a little older. To my surprise, a number of small children are here, as well my own daughter, Hannah. I love it. Art should be a family affair.

The third artist, whom I’d never met before, Jeremy Bauman, walks in and out of the space, his green and yellow hair making his every move conspicuous. This second Jeremy makes interesting prints at Metro State, using the equipment to mount image upon image, color upon color. They look especially fine hung in groups on the wall, each print echoing its neighbor/twin. Very Warhol when you get right down to it.

None of this art was expensive. Quite a bit was quite good. For the price of a nice bottle of wine, you could have your choice of a number of pieces that would immediately spice up your loft or bungalow. If you’re interested in supporting some quality local artists, you can contact Jeremy Turner at jeremyindenver@yahoo.com; Emily Moseley at emoseley7@yahoo.com and Jeremy Bauman at pistolero75@mail.ru.