Robert “Rob” Gonsalves was a Canadian painter adept at crafting images in which reality appears to bend back on itself, connecting with a twist in a kind of mental Möbius strip.
Though some would inaccurately consider his work to be Surrealism (which is specifically supposed to be derived from the unconscious mind or dreams), it would be better classed as the more loosely defined “Magic Realism”, which is the term usually applied to Gonsalves’ paintings.
I’ve always found his work to be particularly delightful, both in the fascinating juxtapositions of viewpoints and the whimsy that pervades them. Gonsalves revisits some of his themes multiple times, but finds amusing variations in additional subjects.
Rob Gonsalves died in June of this year at the age of 58.
I don’t think there is an official site for Rob Gonsalves, but I believe Huckleberry Fine Art is his primary gallery representation. Unfortunately, the images on their site are inexplicably small.
You may find it easier to view larger images of his work on sites like Tutt’Art, and some of the blog and web magazine posts I list below.
See also my previous posts on Rob Gonsalves, (and here).
There are several collections of his work, some still in print, others available only through used book sources.
These appear to be available (Amazon links):
Imagine a World (2015)
Master Of Illusion: The Art Of Rob Gonsalves 2018 Wall Calendar
Master of Illusion 2017 Wall Calendar
Masters of Deception: Escher, Dalí & the Artists of Optical Illusion (Gonsalves included with others)
These are available from Amazon through secondary sellers:
Imagine a Place (2008)
Imagine a Day (2005)
Imagine a Night (2003)
[Thanks to Thorin for suggesting the update on Rob Gonsalves.]
