James Timothy Gleeson — The Master of Surrealism
“James Gleeson ( 1915–2008 ) is Australia’s foremost surrealist artist. He is also a poet, critic, writer and curator. He has played a significant role in the Australian art scene, including serving on the board of the National Gallery of Australia. .. Since the 1970s Gleeson has generally made large scale paintings in keeping with the surrealist Inscape genre. The works outwardly resemble rocky seascapes, although in detail the coastline’s geological features are found to be made of giant molluscs and threatening crustacae. In keeping with the Freudian principles of surrealism these grotesque, nightmarish compositions symbolise the inner workings of the human mind. Called ‘Psychoscapes’ by the artist, they show liquid, solid and air coming together and directly allude to the interface between the conscious, subconscious and unconscious mind.Gleeson’s later works incorporate the human form less and less in it’s entirety. The human form was then represented in his landscapes by suggestions, an arm, a hand or merely an eye.“
