James Gleeson (1915 – 2008)

Biography

1915 Born in Sydney, Australia

1934-36 Studied at East Sydney Technical College, Sydney. Drawn to art of Dali, de Chirico and Ernst

1937-38 Studied Sydney Teacher’s College. Encountered psychology in the writings of Freud and Jung, especially interested in Jung’s archetypes of the collective unconscious

1939 Exhibited with Contemporary Art Society in its inaugral exhibition, Melbourne

1940s Work typified by explorations of the human psyche as influenced by war

1947-49 Study tour to Europe

1958-59 Study tour to Europe and USA

1950s-60s Moved from surrealism to a symbolic perspective, exploring notions of human perfectibility. He pursued a style of ‘heroic’ painting which drew substantially upon religious imagery and classical mythology

1970s Produced numerous ink and wash collages

1979-82 Returns to notions of the primal subconscious with grotesque distortions of the figure

1983-01 Creates dramatic large scale paintings, landscapes of the mind, with a visceral and organic quality

Appointments and Awards

1943, 49 President, Contemporary Art Society, NSW

1945-46 Lecturer-in-art, Sydney Teacher’s College – techniques and art history

1949-72 Art critic for The Sun newspaper

1954 Blake Prize for Religious Art (2nd prize)

1962-72 Art critic for Sun Herald newspaper

1971 Director, Sir William Dobell Art Foundation

Judge, Soa Paolo International Bienal

1975 Awarded AM – Member of the Order of Australia

1975-78 Visiting Curator of Australia Art, Australian National Gallery

1976-82 Member of the first Council of the Australian National Gallery

1987 McCaughey Prize, National Gallery of Victoria

1989 Degree of Doctor of Letters, Honoris Causa, Macquarie University, Sydney

1990 Awarded AO – Officer of the Order of Australia

2001 Degree of Doctor of Letters, Honoris Causa, University of New South Wales

The art for sale on this page is by Australian artist James Gleeson