Vividly Rendered Birds, Monkeys, and Butterflies Enliven Jason Wheatley’s Dreamy Paintings

a heron stands on a tabletop next to a pink ceramic teapot. a monkey and bird perch on branches emerging from a vase with japanese architecture painted on the side

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Art

#animals
#Jason Wheatley
#painting
#still life
#surreal

July 26, 2024

Grace Ebert

“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.

a still life painting of vessels on a table with a japanese painting on the wall behind. two cockatiels perch on flowers on the left side while a pelican with bright red pouch is to the right

“Swallowing the Sun,” oil on canvas, 32 x 46 inches

a toucan with blue wings perches on a wooden table surrounded by a large bouquet and fruits. monkeys, birds, and butterflies surround it

“A New Plan 4 Toucan,” oil on canvas, 30.5 x 24.5 inches

a parrot perches on a silver vessel on a table covered in an aqua tablecloth. teacups, fruit, and a bouquet of flowers sits on the table with a parakeet, butterfly, and fish seeming to swim in the background

“Rebalance,” oil on canvas, 29 x 25 inches

two birds perch on a table with fruit, wine, and painted vessels. monkeys and birds surround the scene with one monkey sitting at the top of a bouquet

“Strawberry Mimosa,” oil on canvas, 21.5 x 23 inches

#animals
#Jason Wheatley
#painting
#still life
#surreal

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