Little Joe Picking His Nose 1947

Steve Wheeler made this gouache painting, Little Joe Picking His Nose, at an unknown date. I can only imagine the concentration it took, applying these shapes so cleanly. Wheeler's working in a palette of grays and blues here, and there's a lot of implied geometry, but, like, a wonky geometry, a geometry of feeling rather than measurement. I love the title! It sets the stage for reading the work as a portrait – but a portrait of a mind, or of interior space. This is a painting where representation just meets abstraction. There is a suggestion of eyes, nose, and face, which gives the painting a playful sense of character. I love the way the different hues interact with each other to create tension and harmony. It is so interesting to see the way Wheeler’s language intersects with that of other painters!