The paintings of Bryan Spier are characterised by playful geometry, subtle illusionism, and a judicious use of intense colours. There are clear historical references: colour field painting, geometric abstraction, de stijl, and op-art. But there are less obvious allusions to narratology, surrealism, psychedelic art, and typography. Under these influences geometry fractures, and colour trades in a contradictory syntax. An expansive interior space is activated in the work that strains against the material limits of the support and oscillates between alternate time frames.
Bryan Spier was awarded a philosophy doctorate by the Australian National University (ANU) in 2017. His thesis examined the application of visual narrative strategies to the creation of non- representational artworks. His first solo exhibition of artwork was in 1999, and he has since continued to exhibit regularly across Australia and overseas. Although primarily a painter, Spier experiments with a range of media including installation, printing, sculpture and video. Spier is a tutor in the Interior Design program at RMIT, and has tutored in painting at the ANU and RMIT. He has also contributed writing about abstract art to journals and exhibition catalogues.