John Hartman, one of Canada’s most renowned contemporary painters, conceives of cities not as man-made anomalies but rather as provocative landscapes. With a unique and vibrant color palette and astral-like perspective, he captures the essence and lifeblood of cities, particularly those with complex waterfronts.

John Hartman was born in 1950 in Midland, Ontario, and studied Fine Art at McMaster University under George Wallace. In 2003, he began to paint aerial views of cities and these paintings made up the exhibition and book Cities, which toured Canada and internationally from 2007 to 2009. Hartman is a past finalist for the Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts and the recipient of multiple grants from the Canada and Ontario Arts Councils. His work is in the collections of over thirty important public institutions including the Art Gallery of Ontario, the National Library of Canada, the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery, the Mendel Art Gallery and the Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador. John Hartman is based in Penetanguishene, Ontario and frequently travels across North America and Europe documenting landscapes, cities and their stories for his paintings.