To add some humor to the season, local artist Ed Wheeler is placing photos of himself dressed as Santa Claus into iconic art masterpieces, according to a staff report from The Sharon Herald.
A native of suburban Philadelphia, Wheeler is a freelance photographer who found that some compositions beckoned him for what he calls a “Santa intervention.”
Now his works will once again be available for all to see as part of the “Santa Classics” exhibition at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown. The exhibition will open on December 13 and run for two months.
The photographer uses a multi-step process to integrate his likeness in Santa’s garb into the various paintings while ensuring to maintain the fidelity of the original.
In some of the paintings he replaces the main figure, adds Santa to a group composition, or simply makes him the only human presence on a landscape.
The Santa Classics began as humorous holiday cards the artist was creating each year for his clients. His images eventually went viral which then led to tours to various galleries and museums both nationally and around the world.
Read more about the exhibition at The Sharon Herald by clicking here.
