John Gillies (artist and musician)
John Gillies is an Australian visual artist, filmmaker and musician, particularly known for his 'multi-layered and complex' video works and installations. He has also curated a number of video art programs.
Gillies studied Visual Art and Music at the University of Southern Queensland, including film and video with David Perry. Later he studied at Sydney College of the Arts.
He has produced many video art works since the 1980s including Hymn, Techno/Dumb/Show, Armada, My Sister's Room and Divide. and is particularly known for his collaborations with performers including The Sydney Front, Clare Grant and Tess de Quincey. Based partially on the writings of the early twentieth century Polish avant-garde writer and artist Witkacy and his argument in Australia with anthropologist Bronisław Malinowski, Gillies created the film and art installation, Witkacy & Malinowski: a cinematic séance in 23 scenes.
His video work is held in public collections such as the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; Australian Centre for the Moving Image; :ja:ふくやま美術館|Fukuyama Museum of Art, Hiroshima; Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane and the National Gallery of Australia.
Gillies has recorded and performed as a solo musician, and was drummer and percussionist with experimental musician Jon Rose, keyboardist Jamie Fielding and Indigenous singer-songwriter Kev Carmody. The subsequent Carmody releases Street Beat and the album Bloodlines, which included the song From Little Things Big Things Grow, were nominated for ARIA awards in 1993 and 1994. He has had a long collaboration with guitarist Michael Sheridan, including playing in Sydney post-punk jazz band Great White Noise, Slaughterhouse and with singer Radical Son.
