Head Hunter

Van Gogh’s gloomy Wheatfield With Crows is thought to be a prediction of his impending suicide. Picasso bathed a series of paintings in blue to convey his sadness over a friend’s tragic death. So what would a psychiatrist make of local artist Chad Godt, a figurative painter whose abstract works depict skulls with cavernous black eye sockets? “I don't see them as morbid,” Godt says. “In fact, I view my paintings as hopeful and uplifting. I have been interested in bones for a long time now -- the idea of stripping away everything to get to the basics of who we really are.” Yeah, that’s uplifting -- especially considering that most people would rather face death than reveal their innermost selves to the world.

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As for Godt, he readily admits to the skeletons in his own closet. While attending graduate school in Pennsylvania, he nearly burned down the art building when a work-in-progress caught fire. Luckily, the quick-thinking artist was able to douse the flames in a nearby sink. “The sculpture turned out fantastic,” Godt says, “but the building smelled horrible for a couple of weeks. I blamed it on the undergrads.”

Godt’s latest works are displayed at a reception from 7 to 10 p.m. August 3. The exhibit also features tongue-in-cheek paintings by Aspen artist Doug Olson in which radical political figures are paired with unlikely lovers.