PhD Fine Art
The PhD Fine Art represents an independent and original contribution to creative work in fine art practice comparable to that demonstrated by the PhD Art History. In this respect, the scheme extends and completes an educational continuum at postgraduate level that starts with the taught MA Art and MA Fine Art and Art History schemes.
The PhD Fine Art comprises a substantial body of creative work and its exhibition set in a theoretical and historical framework. It is accompanied by a Thesis (up to 40,000 words) of equal importance to the Exhibition that is meant to demonstrate a thorough grasp of appropriate research methods and outcomes.
In its intellectual substance, conceptual intent, and its range and complexity, this Exhibition is equivalent to a major one-person show. It should represent a coherent, focused body of images manifesting a carefully developed critical attitude. It may assume a form of a traditional display or be disseminated in a way appropriate to its medium and concept (for instance, as books, photographic portfolios, video installations, computer programs, or their combination).
The Thesis is a parallel discourse that aims to contextualize the art works and the creative process within a field of activity and visual-historical tradition. One of its principal objectives is to provide documented evidence of the research process in order for the work to be appreciated and assessed as a rigorous intellectual endeavour. It will also provide the critical context in which the work can be experienced and reviewed.
The PhD Fine Art is assessed by an informed peer consensus, based on the mastery of the subject, its analytical breadth and depth, as well as its scholarly defence.