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Abend Gallery is pleased to present United Sunder, a solo exhibition of new paintings by Justin Wheatley. The show brings together Wheatley's love of iconic Americana imagery, the barn and the farmhouse, and his love of paint itself. White structures stand alone beneath wide skies, their fields and roads divided into flat shapes of solid color.

Wheatley draws the viewer into each scene through perspective and shadow, then reminds them that a painting is a two dimensional surface with those flat planes of color. For the artist, the varied shapes represent the variety of people and cultures that make the landscape of this country beautiful.

United Sunder is on view July 25, 2026 – August 15, 2026.

United Sunder is a body of work that combines my love of iconic Americana imagery, such as a barn or a farmhouse, and my love of paint. I try to draw the viewer into the painting through the use of perspective and shadow while reminding them that this is a two dimensional surface through flat shapes of solid color. The different shapes represent the variety of people and cultures that contribute to what makes the landscape of our country beautiful.

Justin Wheatley was born and raised in Clinton, Utah, and wanted to be an artist for as long as he can remember. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in drawing and painting from Utah State University and a Masters in Education from National University. For roughly two decades he has balanced two callings, teaching high school art and painting, a pairing he counts among his proudest accomplishments.

Wheatley works primarily in acrylic, along with oil and mixed media. Photography anchors his process: he takes thousands of photos each year and combs through them for unexpected compositions that become the structure of his paintings. His subjects return again and again to man-made structures in the landscape, from city streets to barns, farmhouses, and the idea of home. Influenced by his love of nature and architecture, he is fascinated by how the rigid geometry of what we build sits inside an organic world.

He counts Lyonel Feininger, Mark Rothko, and Richard Diebenkorn among his inspirations. Wheatley lives in Salt Lake City with his wife, an architect, and their four daughters.