In Jason Wheatley’s first solo exhibition at Gilman Contemporary, “Language of the Birds” features surreal and dreamlike still life paintings that explore our relationship with fantastical ideas and recognizable imagery. Embracing the illustrative style of John James Audubon and his famed “Birds of America” series, Wheatley deploys realist and absurdist sensibilities to each still life. Filled with metaphor and riddles, each canvas demonstrates a contemporary sense of humor and folly. Through repetition and practice, Wheatley paints from both memory and life. The oddities that are found in his paintings are a counterbalance the classical renderings in oil.