“Pink Moon,” oil on canvas, 39 x 55 inches. All images courtesy of Gilman Contemporary, shared with permission
“I want people to feel like they have stumbled onto a riddle,” says Jason Wheatley about his dreamy scenes. Melding realistic depictions with fantastical elements, the artist warps the time-honored traditions of still lifes by adding animals and insects to the otherwise inanimate subject matter. His most recent body of work, Language of Birds, places a range of exotic, wild birds in lavish interiors alongside small primates, butterflies, and fish.
Opening this month at Gilman Contemporary, the exhibition presents six oil paintings that reference the iconic style of John James Audubon in precision and vivid detail, while tinged with Wheatley’s whimsy and surrealism. “Pink Moon,” for example, renders the wispy feathers and lanky, sinuous neck of the Great Blue Heron with striking fidelity, while a pair of goldfish appear to swim in the air. Other works veer more closely toward the absurd, including the fiery red pouch of the pelican in “Swallowing the Sun.”
Language of Birds runs from July 29 to August 27 in Ketchum, Idaho. Find more from Wheatley on his website and Instagram.
“Swallowing the Sun,” oil on canvas, 32 x 46 inches
“A New Plan 4 Toucan,” oil on canvas, 30.5 x 24.5 inches
“Rebalance,” oil on canvas, 29 x 25 inches
“Strawberry Mimosa,” oil on canvas, 21.5 x 23 inches
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