Bob Hardie

Born in 1941 in Sydney Australia, I have always been fascinated by the simple beauty of natural form and function. In more recent years, that interest has been re-directed by available technology into areas of expression that once I would have thought impossible. There is an entire world of composite art just waiting to be explored. Even though I have always painted, I am primarily a film-maker and, by association, a photographer. While I have gained a great deal of satisfaction from the creative aspects of "pure" photography, the advent of digital photography and computer graphics has opened a completely new area of art to me; and of course, to countless others. The natural world provides me with an abundance of stimuli to create images of what could be, and extensions of what is.
More recently I have been filming performances by young musicians in an effort to encourage younger audiences to engage with classical music.

I am a zoologist by both profession and inclination, so much of my work is biased that way. After completing arts and science degrees, I taught at several universities before becoming a full-time film-maker in the mid-1979's. Most recently, I completed a PhD on the impact of digital technology on aspects of filmmaking

Little can compare with the creative freedom of being an independent producer and artist. Of course, the pay tends to be somewhat uncertain, but there are other compensations! Basically, whatever artistic expression and technique I posses has come from within. This is probably the way it is with artists of any genre As most of my time is occupied by film work, showing my work by way of exhibitions has been largely neglected. However, the few that I had in Sydney, Brisbane and environs were reasonably successful.

I have long looked forward to that time when, I was told, as I get older I will have more free time to spend on artwork. I have a feeling that it is just starting to happen.

After being based in New York for several years, I now spend most of my time in Australia working on wildlife conservation projects and the promotion of performance by young orchestral musicians.