James Gleeson

(Australia 21 Nov 1915–20 Oct 2008)

Title

The arrival of implacable gifts

Year

1985

Media category

Painting

Materials used

oil on canvas

Dimensions

198.0 x 245.0cm stretcher; 204.0 x 251.7 x 3.4cm frame

Signature & date

Signed and dated l.l. corner, red oil "Gleeson '85".

Credit

Purchased 1985

Accession number

225.1985

Copyright

Location

Not on display

Further information

'We often wish for things, that if the wish were granted, it would be detrimental for us. The gift would overawe us. If we get the gift it could dominate or wreck our real life. It occurred to me that this idea was linked up with the Cargo Cult. Primitive people thought gifts would come from the sky, dropped from silver-winged birds. These gifts would make life easy, fulfil their heart's desire. So often these gifts turn out to be anything but beneficent. So I thought of a sky like a stormy sea where incoming gifts are deposited like wreckage on people underneath, including me - right under the fallout. The sea deposits all these things that were longed for, that turn out to be things that bind us or even destroy us.'

- James Gleeson, 1986

Bibliography (17)

'The breadth of Darwin, A man who influenced the whole of western culture' by Terence Maloon, pg. 14-15., Look Jul 2009, Jul 2009, 14 (colour illus.). Article promotes eight lectures on Darwin which has been organised by the Art Gallery Society of New South Wales.

'James Gleeson' by Geoffrey Smith, pg. 626-633., Art and Australia (Vol. 40, No. 4) Jun 2003-Aug 2003, Jun 2003-Aug 2003, 630, 633 (colour illus.).

'Revealing drawings: ideas that were turned into monumental paintings' by Hendrik Kolenberg, pg. 22-26., Look Mar 2003, Mar 2003, front cover (colour illus.), 5 (colour illus.), 26.

Hendrik Kolenberg (Netherlands; Australia) (Author), Anne Ryan (Australia) (Author), James Gleeson: drawings for paintings, Domain, 2003, 13, 16, 26, 87 (colour illus.).

'Light fantastic' by Bruce James, pg. 11., The Sydney Morning Herald 02 Sep 2000, 02 Sep 2000, 11. NOTE: page 11 of Spectrum lift-out.

'Time makes its judgment' by Barry Pearce, pg. 2-3., The Weekend Australian 12 Aug 2000-13 Aug 2000, 12 Aug 2000-13 Aug 2000, 3 (colour illus.). This colour supplement is a 'Review Special' published for the 'Weekend Australian'. It consists of a four-page, colour wrap-around for the 'Weekend Australian Review'. 'The Australian' was the media sponsor for the AGNSW Exhibition 'Australian Icons', for the Olympic Arts Festival 2000.

'Aging survivor is still on his voyage of discovery' by Peter Gotting., The Sydney Morning Herald 04 Aug 2000, 04 Aug 2000, page unknown. Metropolitan section of newspaper.

'AGNSW polishes the silver', pg. 12., State of the arts Aug 2000-Dec 2000, Aug 2000-Dec 2000, 12 (colour illus.). Review of 'Australian Icons' exhibition.

'James Gleeson' by 20-25., Senior artwise: visual arts 11-12 2000, 2000, 22 (colour illus.). plate no. 3.2

Lou Klepac (Australia; Croatia, b.1936) (Author), Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Bruce James (Australia) (Author), John McDonald (Australia, b.1961) (Author), Peter Pinson (Australia, b.1943) (Author), Gavin Fry (Author), Sasha Grishin AM (Australia) (Author), Deborah Hart (South Africa; United Kingdom; Australia, b.1959) (Author), Australian painters of the twentieth century, Roseville, 2000, 130 (colour illus.), 131, 134.

Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Australian art: in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Domain, 2000, 278, 279 (colour illus., detail), 281 (colour illus.), 301.

Aspects of Australian art 2000, 2000, (illus.). card no. 10: James Gleeson and Robert Klippel 'Madame Sophie Sesostoris (a pre-raphaelite satire) 1947-48

Bruce James (Australia) (Author), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Director), Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook, Domain, 1999, 170 (colour illus.).

'New Look for 20th Century Australian Galleries' by Barry Pearce, pg. 13., Look Nov 1998, Nov 1998, 13.

Deborah Edwards (Australia) (Author), Steven Miller (Australia) (Author), Australian Collection Focus: James Gleeson & Robert Klippel Madame Sophie Sesostoris (a pre-raphaelite satire) 1947-48, Sydney, 1998.

Ewen McDonald (Australia) (Editor), The Art Gallery of New South Wales collections, Sydney, 1994, 76, 77 (colour illus.).

Annabel Davie (Editor), Art Gallery of New South Wales Handbook, Domain, 1988, 33.

Exhibition history (4)

Australian icons: twenty artists from the collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 04 Aug 2000–03 Dec 2000.

James Gleeson: drawings for paintings, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 12 Apr 2003–15 Jun 2003.

James Gleeson: Beyond the screen of sight, Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, 29 Oct 2004–27 Feb 2005.

James Gleeson: Beyond the screen of sight, National Gallery of Australia, 18 Mar 2005–13 Jun 2005.