Janet Wheeler's haunting artwork has its origin in her fascination with ancient cultures. Inspired by historic artifacts, it suggests sacramental ritual objects, untroubled by time, emerging from some long vanished civilization.
Totems varied in appearance and symbolism with the cultures that produced them. Wheeler's pieces do not reference any specific historical objects, but manage to impart a feeling of being surrounded by actual objects from the past. Her slender vertical totems and long horizontal pieces suggest iconic figures, masks and idols. She takes us back to a non-existing ancient world.
Wheeler's spirit boxes each contains a sacred space that offers fascinating detailed artwork, like letters to past loved ones and precious found or created art objects. As nature played a major role in most early cultures, with images of animals and birds in almost every sacred and ritual object so too in Wheelers pantheon: some of her boxes seem to be ambiguous nests full of - clamoring birds.
Janet Wheeler received her BA from
Stanford University
and studied at both Cornell and the Corcoran School of Art. She is a past Maryland State Arts Council grant recipient and is represented by Touchstone Gallery in
Washington
,
DC
and Gallery East in
Loveland
,
CO
. She has had numerous exhibitions and her artwork can be found in private and corporate collections around the
United States
.
2008 Touchstone Gallery