Artist Talk: Summer Wheat, with Jenn Zahrt, on Stellar Influences

In conjunction with her exhibition Full Circle, artist Summer Wheat shares the methods and cultural histories that guide her abstract-figurative work, from intuitive perception to ancient forms of representation and knowledge. Joining Wheat as part of this program is astrology historian and practitioner Jenn Zahrt who has examined the constellations of stars influencing the life of Wheat’s paintings on view, including the dates of the present exhibition as well as the March 4 date of this program. Drawing on a wisdom that dates back to ancient Babylon (18th century BCE), Zahrt identifies which stars are walking the earth at particular moments and places to discern how heavenly influences pervade the earthly realm.

Jenn Zahrt, PhD is a Seattle-based author, professional publisher and editor, and an expert in the field of the cultural history of astrology. Zahrt writes about the history, philosophy, and epistemology of astrology, with a special focus on the German cultural realm. She runs Rubedo Press and Sophia Centre Press, and has taught nationally and internationally.

Summer Wheat is an artist based in New York. Her recent solo exhibition Pry The Lid Off was on view in her hometown of Oklahoma City at the Oklahoma Contemporary in 2016. Recent group exhibitions featuring Wheat’s work include Paint Things: Beyond the Stretcher (2013) at the deCordova Sculpture Park + Museum and ICA Collection: Expanding the Field of Painting (2013-2014) at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston.