Slade Wheeler Caught Up in the Details
Slade Wheeler Caught Up in the Details
Meyer Gallery 225 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 505.983.1434 800.779.7387 www.MeyerGalleries.com
When he was just eleven years old, California artist Slade Wheeler received a book of Leonardo da Vinci drawings as a gift from a family member. His very first sketchbook, dated 1981, is filled with da Vinci drawings copied from the book’s pages. Renaissance master artists quickly became Wheeler’s earliest mentors and started him on the path of realism at an early age. As he got older he shifted to watercolor and then oil, crediting Rembrandt as his main inspiration when it came to painting. “It was the emotion he put into it,” Wheeler says of the Old Master artist. “He said so much with his brushstrokes…first and foremost, that’s what got me into representational painting.” Eventually, Wheeler got “caught up in the details” of his subject matter and began to stray from Rembrandt’s soft, elusive painting style. As Wheeler’s attention to detail became more and more precise, his style organically morphed into trompe-l’oeil, a genre the artist hadn’t even formally discovered yet. Wheeler’s current work is painted in trompe-l’oeil style yet maintains the emotion and elusiveness that first drew him to Rembrandt’s realism. While he paints realistically, Wheeler’s subject matter is often abstract as his near-surreal paintings narrate a thought or concept rather than depict a straightforward scene. Wheeler first devises a concept then seeks out the right props, which are organized in the composition to symbolize the meaning he intends to convey. He even goes on hunts in antique stores to find the perfect compass or old postcard that will accurately portray his idea. Wheeler always begins with a clear vision of the finalized painting; he maps out every detail with sketches and sets up his assembled props in shadow boxes before he ever touches a paintbrush. “I roll around ideas for six months or more before I finally say it’s ready to be painted,” says Wheeler. “Then the pieces take a month or two to paint full-time.” Wheeler’s hope is that viewers explore the deeper symbolism behind his intentional assemblage of vintage photographs, old gears or foraged leaves while also attaching their own personalized narratives to the paintings. Most importantly, Wheeler’s paintings should be read as more than standard still lifes but interpreted as moments in time, passing thoughts, or inexplicable feelings. Wheeler’s work tricks our eye with its realism, yet intrigues our mind with its abstraction. -Kelly Skeen
Aspiration oil 13x8.5
Yosemite Souvenirs oil 17.5x11
Dreams of Flight is inspired by this poem written by the artist: In sleep I see it The imagination of youth Improbable and unexpected No sickness No process None to gain Release and go According to Wheeler, this painting is meant to recreate the feeling of a dreamlike state or the act of letting go. The gears represent the mechanics of life, while the sewn button represents our attachments. The flying fish is a sign of the improbable while the photograph, taken of the artist’s son, signifies youth. “This piece is one of my more abstract concepts,” says the artist. “It’s about releasing the things that hinder us and that feeling of letting go.”
Dreams of Flight oil 12x8
In the Whisper o
oil 13.75x17.5
In the Whisper “My ideas for paintings come out of the blue. For this one, a friend of mine once said, “Sometimes God doesn’t shout, he whispers,” and I just thought it was an incredible statement.” -SW “In the Whisper” represents the contemplative space where we can feel change is coming. Not a harsh transition where we’re being pushed by an impactful decision, but those instances where we must listen to the quiet voice inside that encourages us to move. This subtle shift is represented by the movement of the leaves while the compass points toward new directions.
In the Whisper (detail) oil 13.7.5x17.5
Past Tense Time is a recurring theme for Wheeler, often denoted by shifting gears or antique photos such as in “Past Tense.� This painting specifically represents the passage of time, a concept Wheeler wanted to paint even before he stumbled across the old photo in this piece. Wheeler often goes on treasure hunts in antique stores or online to find the perfect artifacts to represent his ideas.
Past Tense oil 11.75x8.75
Paradigm Shift oil 12x9
Prestige oil 12.75x9.75
Roughin’ It Wheeler and his family live just outside of Yosemite National Park in California, which inspired the painting “Roughin’ It.” The beauty of the area and excitement of those visiting the park often seeps into Wheeler’s work while bringing to mind his own experiences in nature. “I wanted to make a more nostalgic piece that would get across the feeling of camping,” he says of this piece. “So I used an old boy scout pocket knife that you would’ve seen a lot in the 70s, an old compass, and vintage hand colored postcard.”
Roughin’ It oil 9x7
Sierra Still Life “With this painting, I wanted to convey on a very small scale the feeling of the woods at dusk. There are tons of artists who paint grandiose views of Yosemite. But when you’re hiking around the Park, even a small pinecone has beauty to it. You can still get that feeling by painting something so small.” “The painted frame within the frame is one of the fun elements of this style. It’s interactive on a mental level.” -SW
Sierra Srill Life #1 oil 7.75x9.75
Without Delay oil 14.5x6.5
Passionately Curious oil 27.75x12.75
Tree of Life This painting represents the biblical tree of life. In the Bible, it is said that the tree of life has a river on either side, which Wheeler interpreted by carving out a space in the middle of the tree for his painted river. The leaves and the apple are the bounty, while the taped drawing is an old etching of a cherub, the traditional guardian of the tree of life.
Tree of Life oil 9x7.5
The Guitarist Wheeler has played the guitar since he was 14 years old and comes from a family of musicians, so music naturally finds its way into his artwork. “This painting attempts to capture the personal experience of playing the guitar, being lost in the musical zone with all of your focus on your instrument, technique and adding your unique sensibility to the music around you; or simply playing alone just because you love to.� -SW
The Guitarist oil 12 5/8x8.5
• EXHIBITIONS • 2017 Spring Showcase Exhibition John Pence Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2016 Still Life and Florals Exhibition John Pence Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2012 Trompe L'oeil/Still Life Exhibition John Pence Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2011 Trompe L'oeil Exhibition John Pence Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2010 Trompe L'oeil - The Art of Illusion Garden District Gallery, New Orleans, LA 2009 Desired Effects - Trompe L'oeil Invitational Meyer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM • AWARDS • 2014 Chairman's Choice Award - International 2013/2014 ARC Salon 2010 Finalist - Still Life - The Artist's Magazine 27th Annual Art Competition • PUBLICATIONS • Southwest Art Magazine - "Artist to Watch: Slade Wheeler" July 2016
225 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 505.983.1434 800.779.7387 www.MeyerGalleries.com