The Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh) has unveiled a compelling new exhibition by Melbourne-based artist and writer Joshua Gleeson. Titled Notes on the Partial Form, the exhibition runs from 18 June to 29 September 2025 in MAPh’s Atrium Gallery. It offers a powerful meditation on identity, queerness, and the fragmented nature of self, rendered through abstract photographic works.
Gleeson’s series explores the emotional and perceptual impact of fragmentation. Through photographic techniques that reduce and enlarge parts of the body or scene—what he terms “macrofication”—the works intentionally strip away clarity while retaining resonance. The images, though partial and often unrecognisable, evoke a strong sense of presence and introspection.
Inspired by the writings of existentialist and phenomenological thinkers, Gleeson’s process is deeply philosophical. His work also draws on the ideas of sculptor Auguste Rodin, particularly Rodin’s belief that a figure does not need to be whole to be expressive. In Gleeson’s photographs, parts become metaphors—limbs, textures, and shadows suggest something much larger and more intimate than the sum of their details.
The exhibition is built around a central inquiry: how can intangible experiences—of gender, queerness, or becoming—be made visible through art? In his own words, Gleeson is interested in “the construction of selfhood” and how visual abstraction can offer a more authentic expression than conventional portraiture. Rather than presenting fixed identities, his images gesture towards flux, ambiguity, and the unfinished.
Joshua Gleeson lives and works in Naarm (Melbourne). His practice combines photography and writing, integrating academic research and personal experience through an autotheoretical lens. He was awarded a Bachelor of Photography and Digital Imaging by Photography Studies College, Melbourne, in 2024. Notes on the Partial Form is his latest exploration of visual storytelling shaped by theory, embodiment, and lived experience. Gleeson’s exhibition is expected to resonate with audiences interested in contemporary art, identity, queer expression, and experimental photography.
To mark the opening, MAPh will host a public launch event on Friday 20 June, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. The evening will include an artist talk, with Gleeson in conversation with MAPh’s Senior Curator Angela Connor.
Exhibition Details
Title: Notes on the Partial Form by Joshua Gleeson
Dates: 18 June – 29 September 2025
Venue: Atrium Gallery, Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh), Wheelers Hill, VIC
Launch Event: Friday 20 June, 6:00–7:30pm (Free, RSVP required)
Admission: Free
