Unit of Assessment 34 (UoA 34) Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
Almost all of the research in this UoA is officially classified as world-leading or internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
The following academic unit forms the submission to UoA 34:
Fine Art at Newcastle includes practice-based and theoretical research in:
fine art
art history
curatorship
digital media
It is a small specialist unit that has established an international profile for excellence in research, founded on acclaimed publications, exhibitions, installations and interventions.
Our impact case studies illustrate aspects of studio-based and other creative practice, curatorial practice, and scholarship, that has demonstrably had clear reach and significance beyond academia.
Challenging the disciplines: generating creative collaboration and public dialogue between craft and sculpture
Professor Andrew Burton's practice-based visual arts research, presented through international public exhibitions, commissions, conference presentations and publications has impacted on international cultural life and public discourse around the creative intersection between the worlds of sculpture, ceramics, architecture and craft.
This research has:
provided opportunities for public audiences to experience unique artworks which embody and combine an articulation of fine art and craft sensibilities, methods and skills
stimulated practitioner-led debate around the traditional separation between the practices and educational disciplines of sculpture, ceramics, architecture and craft
The reach and significance of Professor Burton's research is evidenced by: the international profile of his projects; the inclusion of Professor Burton’s works in national and international exhibitions; invitations to present at major ceramics conferences in the UK and in Europe; inclusion of his research activities in monograph and catalogue publications; articles about his work in influential art, architecture and crafts magazines and the award of prizes by international juries.
The artist John Piper, and his wife, the editor, anthologist and librettist Myfanywy Piper were key figures within the cultural field of mid-twentieth-century Britain. The research on which this case study is based brought to public attention their reclaiming for British art a sense of place, national identity and belonging.
Professor Frances Spalding, Professor of Art History at Newcastle University, through her books, essays, public lectures, journalism, appearances at literary and arts festivals and on radio and television has made a major impact on cultural life. The research has influenced cultural, heritage, and media organisations, directly altered policy on conservation of heritage, and shaped the cultural understanding of informed audiences, both in Britain and abroad.
Challenging our expectations: presenting alternative narratives and world views through artistic production and curation
Through the public exhibition of his own video practice and his innovative approach to the presentation of other artists' works Mr Richard Grayson’s research projects as an artist-curator have impacted significantly on cultural life and public discourse around the contemporary visual arts in the UK and internationally. Specifically this research has:
provided opportunities for audiences to experience new artworks and exhibitions which question conventional social narratives and world views
contributed to the development of public understanding of contemporary visual art
The reach and significance of Mr Grayson's research is evidenced by the positive critical reception of his artworks and curated exhibitions within the international arts press and by on-going invitations to work with respected galleries in the UK and abroad, including his recent high profile appointment as Curator of the Adelaide International 2014, Australia.