Ba (hons) 1st class Illustration Glasgow School of Art 92-95
Foundation in Art & Design: Coventry University 91-92
Exploring the ephemeral world of the body in motion and stillness, the language of dance, its language and rhythm; in doing so seeking to capture glimpses of shapes and emotions and moments of movement.
Brian Hartley's work crosses the boundaries between many art forms, from painting through performance to design for theatre.
Solo exhibitions
2001 transient equilibrium The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen
2000 put on your red shoes Queen's Hall, Edinburgh
1999 recent paintings phoenix, Glasgow
1999 moments of movement Dundee Rep Theatre
1888 Continental Shifts St. Brides, Edinburgh
1997 drawn to danse Waterfront Hall, Belfast
1997 new moves on paper Tramway, Glasgow
1996 holy body tattoo Vancouver, Canad
1995 drawn to danse Montreal & London
Press reviews...in the very best of his work, captures the essence of dance with rough and economical brush strokes.
The Scotsman: Hartley's art holds the heart and pulse of living dance in a way that is both enviable and uplifting.
The Herald: His paintings are bold, swift testaments in paint to the body in motion.
Scotland on Sunday: it is the essence of movement that fascinates him, a combination of gesture and bodily interaction, as well as emotional anatomy.