New: History and Theory of Photography Research Centre
Birkbeck's School of Arts has launched a new research centre focussing on the History and Theory of Photography.
Based in Birkbeck’s School of Arts, the new History and Theory of Photography Research Centre is led by Professor Lynda Nead and Dr Patrizia Di Bello. The Centre has links with museums in London, and supports teaching and research on photography in the School through the MA in History of Art with Photography and MPhil-PhD supervision.
The Centre aims to facilitate, exchange and showcase existing and new interdisciplinary research on the History and Theory of Photography at Birkbeck and in the wider photographic and academic community. We are interested in the materiality of photography throughout the arc of its life – from how it is taken; realized as a tactile as well as visual object (album, print, poster, book, magazine, file, screen…); circulated in contexts that might differ widely throughout the lifetime of the photograph (for example from document – historical, legal, scientific, or personal – to ‘art’); and viewed in specific ideological, historical and material circumstances (in the lab, at home, in the gallery, on the ‘phone, …).
Professor Lynda Nead commented on the launch: 'This centre will bring together exciting work on the history and theory of photography which is already being done across academic departments as well as instigating new research and collaboration in the field through a dynamic programme of events'