Teaching

Decolonisation and Design

A critical studies reading group module that explores decolonisation and decoloniality in graphic design adapted from Bloomsbury Publishing and Decolonising Design Group. Over five weeks, students engage with diverse texts to analyse and reflect on the political, cultural, and material impacts of colonialism. The module encourages critical examination of Eurocentric perspectives in design while incorporating undervalued knowledge and cosmologies into design practices.

Each week involves readings, discussions, and reflections documented in a research journal to prepare for individual pecha kuchas on chosen topics. By the end, students gain a nuanced understanding of how decolonial approaches can influence contemporary design, promoting more inclusive methodologies and challenging dominant narratives.

Aura, Art & A.I.

In this lecture, I examine Walter Benjamin's essay "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" and its relevance to contemporary culture. I provide an overview of key concepts such as production and reproduction, value, the aesthetics of politics, and the ideas of aura and authenticity. This discussion leads to an evaluation of artificial aura in digital artworks and algorithmic aesthetics, as well as the affordances and anxieties posed by artificial intelligence in contemporary arts practices, highlighting the critical insights Benjamin's work offers for understanding these issues.

Aesthetics and Ethics of Repair and Damage

In this lecture, I examine the term 'repair'; encompassing various materials and actions aimed at restoring broken objects, as well as intertwined with historical themes of religion, health, and finance. I consider how breakage can enhance our appreciation of an object's meaning. In this regard, I reference the philosophy of Kintsugi that celebrates repair as a part of an object's history, encouraging us to rethink notions of 'originality' and authenticity; and  Graham Harman's idea that objects are liberated through their breakdown. 

I use several case studies to explore literal and metaphorical presentations of damage and repair. Architect Carols Quevedo Rojas’ restoration of Matrera Castle in Spain is compared with antiquarian Sir Arthur Evans’ intervention with the Palace of Knossos. Ai Wei Wei’s cracked ‘bubble’ and subsequent ‘left right studio material’ are analysed in relation to Benjamin’s essay The Storyteller. Contextual and metaphorical breakage and repair as a narrative device is examined via W.G. Sebald, Tacita Dean and my own past practice. I then concentrate on a project that featured in my doctoral studies and was published (The Damage that Decorates); this illustrative examination of Blitz-damaged ceramics reconsiders our relationship with damaged objects. Flaws and imperfections can tell stories about history and our aesthetic values, inviting reflection on our attitudes towards ‘ruin lust’ and the beauty found in imperfection.

Empathic Methodology for Creative Practice

In this lecture, I examine how illustration can serve as an empathic arts practice, allowing visual creators to connect with people from the past and evoke emotional understanding. I define empathy as a broad ‘umbrella term’ with varying meanings in psychology, sociology, and aesthetics. It first appeared in English in 1909 as a translation of the German word "einfühlung," meaning 'feeling into,' highlighting how we project our feelings onto art. I discuss the history and etymology of empathy and connect it to concepts of physical affection and immersion in art. I also touch upon phenomenology, focusing on individual subjective experiences. A significant part of my talk centres on Edith Stein, a key philosopher in this area. I present how I interpret her empathic theory into a vital methodological tool for creative practitioners, enabling meaningful connections and richer understanding of human experiences. Finally, I utilise examples of creative practice made during my doctoral studies to demonstrate this.

Walking as arts practice

In this lecture, I explore the concept of walking as a practice that transcends mere transportation, tracing its roots in ancient philosophy and modernism to highlight its role in fostering a sensual engagement with our environment. I discuss how walking stimulates creativity, enhances problem-solving, and promotes self-reflection in our fast-paced lives, while also touching on its historical significance in art and literature. Notable figures like the flâneur and examples of artists such as Richard Long, Marina Abramović, Janet Cardiff, Sophie Calle, and Bani Abidi illustrate how walking informs and enriches their creative practices.

Visual Analysis lecture series

This lecture series examines the formal, semiotic, and contextual analysis of artworks, focusing on key elements such as colour, composition, and cultural significance. In formal analysis, students will explore components like form, line, and space to understand an artwork's emotional resonance and technical skills. Semiotic analysis covers Saussure’s signifiers and signifieds, Pierce’s categories, and Barthes’ polysemic images, with students practising denotation and connotation through visual advertisements. Contextual analysis emphasises the cultural values reflected in art, using case studies like the toppling of the Colston Statue in Bristol and Edward Hopper's ‘The House by the Railroad,’ revealing the broader social and historical contexts of artworks. Through descriptive and interpretive exercises, students will enhance their appreciation of art's emotional impact and its societal reflections.

Methods & Methodology: Practice as Research 

This lecture introduces how contextual frameworks can enhance practitioners' ability to achieve nuanced and ethical outcomes in art and design. It covers diverse research methods, focusing on Christopher Frayling’s framework distinguishing between research into, through, and for art, while also exploring Henk Borgdorff’s concept of artistic research, and encouraging critical reflection on project aims and appropriate research methods to ensure a thorough, justifiable creative practice.

The Death of the Author

In this lecture, I examine the concept of authorship through Roland Barthes’ essay ‘The Death of the Author,’ tracing its historical evolution from the often anonymity of Medieval artworks to the individualistic celebration of genius during the Renaissance. I discuss how Barthes’ ideas signal a shift from structuralism to post-structuralism, embracing multiple meanings and promoting a democratic approach to creativity and interpretation, with contemporary examples highlighting the ongoing relevance of these perspectives in today’s arts culture.

Oulipo

In this lecture, I explore the literary movement Oulipo, which rejects spontaneity, favouring structured constraints to expand the possibilities of literature. I discuss the origins and influences of the movement and key members; creative constraints they employed; collaboration and criticism of the Oulipo; and its influence on visual artists and designers such as Jenny Holzer, Sophie Calle, and Christian Bök. Students participate in Oulipo style exercises for visual practice.

Postmemory and Illustration: working with, from and through the past

In this lecture, I explore the concept of postmemory, introduced by Marianne Hirsch, and its connection with visual culture, especially in illustration and graphic literature. Postmemory allows generations after a traumatic event to connect with the memories of those who lived through it, encompassing a wider range of traumas beyond just Holocaust survivors. It is formed from fragments of stories and images, often leading inheritors to creatively engage with these memories, acknowledging both presence and absence. I highlight the silence surrounding trauma, which can be inherited and complicates future generations’ connections to these histories.

I use examples from Miriam Katin, Art Spiegelman, Line Hoven, and Nora Krug to illustrate how graphic novels demonstrate postmemory practice. This culminates in a self-reflective analysis of my own postmemorial experiences in my doctoral studies, which has been shared at academic conferences and is being developed into an article for the Journal of Illustration.