MA Contemporary Photography and Theory

University of the Arts London

MA Contemporary Photography and Theory begins from a fluid and interdisciplinary understanding of photography, situating it in relation to fine art and through an engagement with contemporary philosophy and theory. The course is located in photography’s ‘expanded field’, wherein traditional, medium-bound notions of what constitutes a photograph find themselves challenged by other forms of making, including film and video, installation, sculpture and assemblage, performance, and painting. Taking photography as a starting point—but not an end—this course understands the practice of image-making as central to the condition of contemporary society.In our current landscape, visual literacy is more important than ever. By learning to think with and through photography (whether or not you employ it in your practice), you will be inspired to critically engage with images: both those that you make, and those which you are surrounded by. You will be asked to look beyond framing devices like racial, gendered and geographic hierarchies, and to consider not only what these capture but what they leave out. By attending to photography and other image-making practices, the complex systems in which we work and live can be unpacked and re-formed.MA Contemporary Photography and Theory invites students and staff to learn from each other through taught seminars, group critiques, workshops and exhibitions. This will help you to integrate your making and thinking, developing your practice as both an artist and a researcher. Academic and teaching staff will support you as you refine your work, helping you to position it within a field of discourse appropriate to your interests.