Artwork copyright John Wehrle. Photo courtesy of the artist, by Dale Christopher Lang.

Artwork copyright John Wehrle. Photo courtesy of the artist, by Dale Christopher Lang.

Artwork copyright John Wehrle. Photo courtesy of the artist.

The Judgment of Paris, 2014

John Wehrle
(American, born 1941)

Location: Meridian High School, Bellingham

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

The Judgment of Paris are a suite of four murals by artist John Wehrle. He created them using "trompe l'oeil" visual illusions. This French term translates to "trick of the eye." Wehrle based several images on characters and events in "The Iliad", the ancient Greek (mid-8th century BCE), epic poem about the Trojan War. The Trojans are Meridian High School's mascot. These combined images celebrate Meridian's past, present and future. In this mural, the landscape surrounding Mount Baker mimics the view looking east from the building.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Meridian School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Richmond, California-based artist John Wehrle creates work in several mediums. He is best known for his murals and site-specific installations. He states that he “attempts to create artworks that expand beyond the frame, and ideally convey the underlying mystery of the thing viewed.”
Wehrle grew up in Texas. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Texas Tech University, where he was a cartoonist for the student newspaper. Wehrle joined the U.S. Army and was the leader of the first “combat artist” team sent to cover the war in Vietnam in 1966. His "war” paintings are in the permanent collection of the National Museum of the United States Army in Virginia. He went on to earn his Master of Fine Arts degree in Painting and Printmaking at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.