James Gleeson is Australia’s foremost surrealist artist. His work looks beyond the visible, questioning the limitation of our senses through fleshy biomorphic, mechanical and illusionistic landscapes. Like the great surrealists before him, Gleeson penetrates the subconscious. In his words:

“Many of the depicted images are the end results of remembered dreams. Many others have floated into my consciousness so precisely detailed that they could only have been forced up by pressures in the subconscious level.”

‘Drawing no 187’ is a spellbinding image. It is at once familiar and abstract, it presents a plume of smoke, swirl of oil in water or fading memory, laden with hidden meaning. Gleeson incorporated elements of collage – delicate metallic details that recall jewellery or an exotic bird. Infinitely suggestive and feat of astounding technical ability, ‘Drawing no 187’ is bewitching. 

An artist, writer, and curator, Gleeson is the subject of numerous monographs and important survey exhibitions. His works have entered collections of the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, significant state, regional, and tertiary institutions, as well as respected corporate and private collections across Australia and abroad.

For collections of important Australian art or those seduced by the wonderfully weird, ‘Drawing no 187’ is a miraculous find.
 

James GLEESON (1915 - 2008)
'Drawing no 187' 2007
Charcoal and collage on paper
Image Size: 59 x 41 cm
Dimensions: 81 x 62 x 2 cm
Signed: Signed and dated lower left: Gleeson 8.12.2007 187
Comes with Letter of Provenance

Condition: Very Good: Describes a work of art’s image As New, but may show some small signs of surrounding wear. There are no tears to paper margin or disruption to paint surface. Image is in Fine condition.

© James Gleeson / Copyright Agency 2022