OCHI is pleased to present And we are green, greener than the hill, where flowers grow and the sun shines still, a solo exhibition of new paintings by Montana-based artist James Chronister. This marks Chronister’s debut solo presentation with the gallery. The exhibition will be on view at OCHI, located at 119 Lewis Street in Ketchum, Idaho from July 13 through August 17, 2024. And we are green, greener than the hill, where flowers grow and the sun shines still features James Chronister’s deeply intricate, monochromatic landscape paintings. Composing straight on images of dense winter forests, close ups of individual leaves, and aerial images of flora, Chronister begins his process by photographing the environment surrounding his home in Missoula, Montana. After digitally distorting contrast, focus, and tones, Chronister moves from computer to canvas where minuscule individual marks reveal scrupulous technical application. Onto a white or carefully hued off-white background, Chronister meticulously recreates source photographs by repeatedly applying, shaping, and erasing black oil paint. Precise dry brushing and stippling techniques achieve texture, depth, and refinements of form. As painter Jake Longstreth remarks, “Chronister achieves a startling range of tonality and depth. Viewed up-close, the paintings are constructed by a series of ...