People tend to project their own human attributes onto their pets. When animals become personified, the underlying humor provides a stage where the viewer is able to follow the story without becoming completely lost in the human drama. My work is constructed under this assumption and riddled in layers of parables, some idiosyncratic and some universal. By rendering the animals and objects in a realistic manner the underlying meaning of the work blurs into a realm of surreal fantasy. I am uninterested in painting things the way they are, I would rather gather the mundane bits of reality around me, dust them off and polish them until they shine fantastic. I believe everyone can learn how to contort the harsh reality of mere existence into a daily routine of meaningful and magical moments. As one continues down the path of fantastic realism, the mundane is slowly stripped away, until the only two left at the bargaining table are our own fantasies and a more reasonable reality that now has no other option other then to begin the negotiations.
Born on February 4th 1973 in Salt Lake City, Utah, I was given the name Jason Andrew Wheatley. I have painted and drawn animals since I can remember and have used them as spirit guides to venture into the Aetherial realms. It was here I met a magical monkey named Tiku who has been my mentor and companion ever since. He has helped guide me through my mystic sojourns into the dreamscapes of my paintings. As part of the shaman’s journey I laid to rest my given name as I was reborn and assumed the magic moniker tikunkit. I now reside in Mörlunda, Sweden where I have converted an old church into my dream studio. Since 2006 I have been collaborating with other artist around the world with a group of artist who call themselves The Oyster Pirates
After a years of collaborative magic we had more than enough work and momentum to begin exhibiting our pirated gems and booty loot. We started exporting our chaos sigils, the precious pearls of our third mind, across the globe. With shows across the U.S. across Europe and into Africa under our sails, we have all been focusing on our individual work as well as more intimate collaborative duo’s. As each of the original krew members plunder and pillage around the globe our passion for cultivating collaborative pearls push open new frontiers of explorations into the third mind. Our original ship now anchors in the Great Salt Lake where the artist Christian Michael has restored her back to sea worthy. With new and old crew members we have traversed the continents and anchor our expanding fleet in ports all over the map to spread our infectious spirit of creation and trade our precious looted pearls
Utställningar : 2009 Summertime… Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA //
2008 Beyond Representation, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA //
2008 Winter Haiku, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA //
2008 Vehicles of Emancipation, Varnish Fine Art, San Francisco, CA //
2007 Anniversary Exhibition, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA //
2007 Representation, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA //
2007 Bridge Art Fair-Chicago 07, Chicago, IL, April 26-30, Jenkins Johnson Gallery //
2007 Interiors & Works on Paper, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA //
2007 Surreal Serenity, Anne Reed Gallery, Ketchum, ID (solo) //
2007 The Sol Out Show, Coda Gallery, Palm Desert, CA (solo) //
2006 Recent Work, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York, NY (solo) //
2006 Winter Haiku, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA //
2006 Celebrate Summer, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA //
2006 Eighth Annual Realism Invitational, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA //
2005 Winter Selections, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA //
2005 New York Inaugural Group Exhibition, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York, NY //
2005 Seventh Annual Realism Invitational, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA //
2005 Dreamscapes, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA (solo) //
2004 Affordable Art Fair London, with Jenkins Johnson Gallery, London, UK //
2004 Sixth Annual Realism Invitational, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA //
2003 Fifth Annual Realism Invitational, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA //
2003 Affordable Art Fair, New York with Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York, NY //
2003 Vertical Manifestations, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA (solo) //
2002 Fourth Annual Realism Invitational, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA //
2001 Sentimental Voyages, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA (solo) //
2001 New Work, Coda Gallery, New York, NY (solo) //
2001 Living Desert, Coda Gallery, Palm Desert, CA (solo) //
2001 Utah Spring Salon, Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT, Juror’s First Place Award //
2001 Third Annual Realism Invitational, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA //
2000 Emerging Artists, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA //
2000 New Work, Coda Gallery, Palm Desert, CA (solo) //
1999 Paintings, Coda Gallery, Palm Desert, CA (solo) //
1999 Utah Spring Salon, Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT, Purchase Award //
1998 Utah Spring Salon, Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT, Merit Award //
1998 Annual Student Show, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, Best of Show //
1998 Paintings and Drawings, University of Utah, Union Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT (solo) //
1997 John Nyberge/Jason Wheatley, Left Bank Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT //
1997 Annual Student Show, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, Juror’s Award //
1996 Utah Watercolor Open Studios, Salt Lake City, UT //