While inspecting ASU Art Museum in search of an appropriate space for his "nooks and crannies" installation, Jacob Melchi tore a hole in his jeans. Frustrated by the high cost of jeans today, he headed for The Gap to buy a replacement pair. The artist began to examine his loyalty and dedication to purchasing jeans from The Gap (according to Melchi, Gap jeans never have annoying labels that turn him into a walking advertisement and they are affordable for most working Americans). In doing so, Melchi had an epiphany: "The driving force behind the promise of democracy is affordable retail apparel." Gap Story is a photographic/video installation documenting Melchi's process in creating a work for this exhibition, as well as the spiritual discovery he made along the way.

Jacob Melchi received a BFA in Photography from Arizona State University. He is currently a MFA candidate at Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA, where he recently relocated. His work has been included in the exhibitions: Summer, Rick Gayle Studio, Phoenix, AZ; Car, Modified, Phoenix, AZ; Legal Paper Work, Beyond Baroque, Santa Monica, CA; The Spurgeon Experience II, Raid Projects, Santa Ana, CA, RE/Surface, Marshall Arts Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ; The 110+(Plus) Show, 828 Space, Phoenix, AZ; BA/BFA Photography Exhibition, Northlight Gallery, Tempe, AZ; Park/Swap Schaffer/Melchi, Step Gallery, Tempe, AZ; Photography at Modified, Modified, Phoenix, AZ; Transformations, Barlow and Straker, Phoenix, AZ; Critical Pulse, Step Gallery, Tempe, AZ; and House of Da-fir-ent, Modified, Tempe, AZ. He has curated numerous exhibitions in the Phoenix area.

Contact artist Jacob Melchi with questions about his work for
nooks and crannies by e-mail at jacobmelchinooksandcrannies@hotmail.com