B. 1915 - 2008

James Gleeson was a prominent Australian surrealist artist, poet and critic. Widely recognized as ‘The Father of Australian Surrealism’, his work explores human nature through illusionistic, fleshly and sometimes mechanical landscape forms. His deep concern for humanity was ignited by the Depression, the rise of Fascism in Europe and the Second World War.

Gleeson's work is represented in all major public collections in Australia, including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the National Gallery of Victoria and the National Gallery of Australia. He was the subject of two major retrospectives at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. 

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