Valiance, defeat, nobility, and even death. These are just a few of the themes present in Heather Weller’s oil paintings, now on display at Walter Art Gallery in Scottsdale.
Fable, her second solo exhibition in the space, depicts human suffering in many forms, from the endless hunger of greed to the harrowing pits of despair.
In many ways, the paintings are theatrical, poised, even elusive. They draw you in with powerful imagery and hold your attention through a sense of suspense, building slowly like a soft crescendo.
With Renaissance-like atmosphere and Baroque theatricality, Weller uses animals as stand-ins for the human condition.
In one of the exhibition’s central works, The Lion’s Share, a lion and a snake are intertwined.
At first glance, the lion seems to have the upper hand, but the snake’s body coils around the lion’s torso. At that moment, you realize the lion’s tail has caught fire.
Frozen between confusion and unease, this is a lose-lose situation. No one comes out on top. No happy ending.
Using animals as silent sufferers, Weller places the undeniable fact of suffering center stage. By asking noble creatures to bear the whips and scorns of time, she seems to pose another question: Is there a way to endure suffering gracefully without remaining silent?
A native of Arizona, Weller paints dramatic, misty landscapes that bear little resemblance to the desert. Instead, they are mountainous, lush, and moody, creating worlds that feel removed from any specific place or time.
She is Shakespeare with a brush.
Those of us with difficult pasts and burdens of loss will certainly find great company and comfort amongst the fine works of @hgwellerart.
See for yourself. Fable is on view at @walterartgallery through October 16.