A History of Dreams: Landscapes and Places Beyond

For the month of September, the Underground Gallery is featuring Anne Cleary's imagined, dream-like landscape paintings that are evocative of her interior world. This body of work is titled “A History of Dreams: Landscapes and Places Beyond.” 

Cleary has come to believe that this series of work is about finding joy and hope in the midst of tragedy. "They came out of a period of time of loss and deaths in my family," says Cleary. "It is interesting that in the midst of grief, here is a wellspring of joyful paintings.” 

Inspiration comes to Cleary when she is outside observing nature– she is always observing light, details in nature, or shapes in the sky. Cleary pulls from the language of her observed world to build her own daydreamy worlds, which are places she discovers within herself. 

Not only does Cleary draw inspiration from the natural world for her work, but her process is influenced by her wide range of creative outlets. Cleary has a musical background and even studied opera in graduate school. She also uses writing as an important way to process her life. These creative channels lend themselves to the atmospheric and even lyrical quality of Cleary's work. 

For Cleary, painting is a path of self-discovery, and her process reflects that. Cleary says that there is nothing more frustrating than a blank canvas. She begins by creating layers with shapes and marks, then covering the surface with spray paint. Then, she begins to explore what she has started with paint and lets the process take her somewhere new. 

The show can be viewed anytime in the Underground Gallery through the month of September: Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. The works can also be viewed and purchased on our online gallery through October.