JASON WHEATLEY
Jason Wheatley weaves layers of meaning and oil paint into every still life he creates. Drawn to the idea that a still life is anything but still, he juxtaposes curious wildlife with carefully arranged objects. Enamored with the liminal space between imagination and reality, Wheatley imbues each painting with a quiet ambiguity. His meticulously composed scenes invite repeated viewings, revealing new details each time. His work is a reminder that nature is never separate from the art we create; it is interwoven and speaks in the language of silence. Through these paintings, Wheatley invites the viewer to pause, engage with the in-between, and consider what might be hidden in plain sight. In his work, silence is never empty. It is the space where the unseen takes form.
CURATED PHOTOGRAPHY
From fashionable drama to quiet city streets, this exhibition invites viewers to explore the many dimensions of the photographic medium. It features works by Rodney Smith, Melvin Sokolsky, Maria Svarbova, and others.
Photographer Rodney Smith, a trained theologian, created images that reflected his deep understanding of the human condition. His photographs speak to our inner longing for beauty, tenderness, and levity, earning him a distinct place in the world of fine art photography.
Melvin Sokolsky was renowned for his surrealist fashion photography, particularly for his groundbreaking work in Paris during the 1960s. Best known for his Hieronymus Bosch-inspired “Bubble” series, which featured model Simone D’Aillencourt suspended in a Plexiglas bubble above the streets of Paris, Sokolsky redefined the visual language of fashion photography.
Maria Svarbova, a Slovakian photographer born in 1988, centers her work on the relationship between people and place. Growing up in the shadow of communist Czechoslovakia, Svarbova drew inspiration from the functionalist architecture of her local aquatic center. Her largest series to date, Swimming Pool, explores this space through muted pastels, overexposed tones, and models devoid of what she calls “emotional extravagance.” The result is a body of work that feels both futuristic and minimal, challenging our perceptions of space and emotion.
Captions:
Nectar’s Echo
by Jason Wheatly
oil on canvas
20” x 20”
Viktoria and Rainer in Car
by Rodney Smith
archival pigment print
limited edition photograph
sizes vary
Side Kick
by Melvin Sokolsky
archival pigment print
limited edition photograph
size and edition vary
No Diving (Horizon)
by Maria Svarbova
archival pigment print
limited edition photograph
size and edition vary
661 Sun Valley Road | Ketchum
208.726.7585
gilmancontemporary.com
