I have been teaching History of Art for 20 years. I began teaching the subject at A Level in 2013. I have worked for several colleges and universities, including Oxford Brookes and London’s City Literary Institute, where I continue to deliver lectures on art and design history. It is enormous fun as I frequently get to teach in locations such as the National Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum. I have been fortunate in that the many students I have taught in Further and Higher Education have shared my passion for the subject, which first developed when I studied on the foundation course at Winchester School of Art and was required to write an essay on the Bauhaus. I learnt quickly that being well informed about the history of a discipline helped develop my practical work and I have spent many years helping young artists and designers come to the same realisation. I continue to draw on my knowledge of fashion and graphic design history to feed my creative hobbies.
I received my PhD in History of Art from University College, London in 2011. My thesis, ‘Realism and Ridicule’ was on early twentieth-century American political paintings and cartoons. My post-doctoral research focuses on political publications such as the Masses magazine, and the artists that contributed to them, and I have published many articles on this specialism. This study has led to me teaching American History at A level in recent years. I also hold Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in the History of Art and Architecture. I particularly love art of the modern era, but I enjoy teaching everything from Gothic architecture to post-colonial cultural theory.
History of Art can teach valuable skills such as visual analysis, critical thinking, and forming focused and sustained evidence-based arguments. It can also deliver more discipline-specific abilities in art appreciation and broad historical and cultural knowledge. So whether you share Matisse’s view that art should be “something like a good armchair which provides relaxation”, or Picasso’s belief that art is an “an offensive and defensive weapon” studying this subject will be an informative and stimulating experience. I look forward to working with you and helping you achieve your education goals.
