Shake and Bake? No, shake and create. It's graffiti, and Salem is beginning to recognize the art as a legitimate form of expression when done legally. Last month, Project Space presented works by graffiti artists, and the Salem Art Association worked with these artists to gain momentum.

Several cafés in the area have hosted shows, and for Eric “Erise” Tautkus, those shows have helped him feel like a success. “I will show my art in any downtown café or gallery that will let me,” he said. Erise has been painting as a professional artist for about six years. “At my first show I sold 13 pieces of art. I made, like, $250. At that point there was no turning back.”

Tautkus has made attempts at “pretty pictures,” but he always seems to come back to aerosol. “I aspire to clean up the image of graffiti. Graffiti is art. I have met a couple of amazingly cool people that are amazingly good artists. They pride themselves on it. It is a joy to do something that is frowned upon. Even though people may not like graffiti, I am still putting it in your face, and I am doing it legally.” Tautkus believes that the frown is an automatic reaction. “When they look at my art, they say, 'Oh, pretty colors. But it's still graffiti...' and they make a stink face at it.”

Tautkus believes that if kids had a place to do graffiti art legally, there would be less vandalism. This is where teamwork and artists with a passion are beginning to make a difference. Chris Casarez is a graffiti artist whose love for aerosol has become a passion. He has made his mark as a leader across the nation among graffiti artists.

Leading the way means finding a solution to the problem of where to create instead of complaining about the lack of understanding. Casarez found a concrete building in South Salem with an owner who had a heart for art. “I just asked him if I could practice graffiti on his building walls. He said yes. I explained that we were legitimate artists and that we had worked with the Salem Art Association. He just asked us not to deface his building or paint anything disgusting.”

So far the agreement has worked out pretty well. The artists have maintained the building for a little over a year and created 12 productions. Usually about five to seven artists show up to help paint. “We want to get as many people as we can involved. We want to share the wealth and encourage this art form,” said Tautkus.

The artists take kids to the wall and have welcomed artists from all over the country. “People come and see our spot, and they can’t believe that it’s Salem that has something this cool. It’s something that Eugene and Portland don’t have,” said Casearez. “There are quite a few people who know about the wall, but we don’t want it to be spoiled by people who do not want it here.” It’s the respect for the “permission” that fuels the community respect for the wall and so far, very little unauthorized painting has turned up on the wall. Every job is documented and a photo is taken.

In return for artistic respect, the artists help buff, clean and maintain the wall and its surroundings. “We are allowed to do our thing, and in return we try and do things for the owner. We respect his building and respect the fact that he has allowed us to do this. He enjoys our art,” said Casarez. “The artistic sessions have turned into a community event. Employees come and check out the artists' work; local churches come by and check our art out. We bring our children and they play while we are painting.”

It's this kind of cooperation that Casarez hopes to foster with other business owners. He has been asked to do murals in a few Salem businesses and his art form is gaining respect. “Eventually I would like to talk to other businesses about doing murals downtown. The artists feel like they have demonstrated cooperation and artistic expression. For us, this is our passion. But it’s kind of random to have a wall like this in Oregon. It’s just laid back and easy.”