At the root of Jim Wheeler’s practice is his adoration for the earth. This sculptor’s forty year practice has been spent in service to Venus and Mother Nature. Standing at their altars, the artist pays homage to the Aotearoa terrain through sculpture. Wheeler acts as a student of the forest, taking to its groves where he lies in wait, observing its ebbs and flows before casting its undulations into metal – each sculpture like an offering back to their architect. Wheeler’s work is a blend of botany, biology, and beauty. His expert knowledge of and respect for the earth translates into works of technical mastery.
A sprig blooms from a block – causing the block to splinter. Mangemange blossom out of aureoles – not curling around the aureoles, but sprouting from them. The reverence these works convey is not only of nature’s splendour, but also its fundamental power. Nature will not be contained, or as Wheeler himself puts it, nature will thrive with or without our presence.
