Summer Wheat: Forager

Summer Wheat's vibrant, often humorous paintings feature fantastical female figures that challenge traditional images of male rulers and warriors. Her work is influenced by Native American weavings, Lisa Frank Trapper Keepers, Western art, astrology, and music videos. Curator Jen Sudul Edwards discusses her use of materials in the context of alchemy, and artist Diedrick Brackens discusses her unique approach to painting.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 03 October 2023
Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications

Summer Wheat's captivating and often playful tableaux, adorned with rich jewel tones and punctuated with vibrant neons, are teeming with fantastical figures that envision tribes of women engaging in a range of activities, from hunting and collaborating to celebrating and ultimately replacing millennia of images of male rulers and warriors.

Wheat's formative artistic experiences were deeply influenced by the aesthetic and conceptual richness of the images that surrounded her from a young age. The rich textures of Native American weavings, the vibrant hues of Lisa Frank Trapper Keepers, and the diverse range of Western art, from ancient sculptures to medieval tapestries, all played a significant role in shaping her artistic vision.

Through her expansive practice of painting, sculpture, and large-scale installation, Wheat explores and reimagines female archetypes, challenging traditional gender roles and stereotypes. Her work centers on the exploration of female identity, power, and resilience, often depicting women in dynamic and empowering poses.

In her first monograph, curator Jen Sudul Edwards delves into the diverse range of subjects that inform Wheat's work, placing her use of materials within the context of alchemy. Curator Anne Ellegood engages in a conversation with the artist, tracing her transition from painting to sculptural work, large-scale installations, and her first foray into building a freestanding architectural space. Jennifer Krasinski explores Wheat's unique approach to painting, highlighting her large panels as a hybrid of intricate beadwork and the pixel-like structure of digital images. Artist Diedrick Brackens speaks with Wheat about the significance of lines in her work, from the hand-drawn ones that define the boundaries between art and craft to the ones that delineate spaces between different mediums.

Through her imaginative and thought-provoking creations, Summer Wheat continues to push the boundaries of art and challenge societal norms, creating a vibrant and dynamic visual language that celebrates the strength and diversity of women.

Weight: 1537g
Dimension: 309 x 227 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780847873401