About The Artist

Bob Bentley is a filmmaker as well as an artist. He grew up in the small town of Bideford in North Devon, England, his parent having moved there from London after the 2nd World War. Together with his sister Cath, the family integrated with the local community, his father Ben a country welfare officer and his mother Con the sales accountant for a coal merchant. School days were unhappy for Bob but Cath did well and soon went off to University. The local art school beckoned and became the place where Bob found his feet, with like minded young people who were interested in the arts. Bob went on to Brighton College of Art where he developed his visual talents. However he was seduced by the movies and saw more of a future in film and television. He applied for the Royal College of Art Film School, was accepted and soon the artwork became somewhat sidelined. Bob had a successful film & TV career, first as a technician and then a director, travelling the world and working with amazing people. He won several awards including a BAFTA in 1981. More recently a love of Japanese art led to a feature documentary about Kinbaku, Japanese rope bondage. See this website for the trailer and purchase options: www.thepleasureofrope.com A selection of the film & TV work, accomplished over a 50 year period, can be glimpsed on the MOVIE side of his general website: www.bobbentley.co.uk Bob also had a substantial teaching career at various universities and institutions, including the National Film School. Over a 15 year period at the University of Westminster he took pleasure in guiding aspirational young people from around the world. Bob sporadically continued with the art, but with no ambition to exhibit or sell. Much of the early work lay uncared for in his parent’s attic before being transferred to his own homes. He went on to create work up to the covid pandemic in 2020. Because almost none of the art was sold, the body of Bob’s work is almost intact, providing the basis for an exhibition and a book on his artwork from 1962 to 2020: BOB BENTLEY - IN PERSPECTIVE. A guided tour of the 2022 exhibition can be accessed through website: www.bobbentley.co.uk Bob is still working and planning a book on his photography, to be published in late 2024...