Jonathan Carson

Associate Head (Academic) & Senior Lecturer in Critical & Contextual Studies

• Centenary Building HT024
• T: 0161 295 6712
• E: j.carson@salford.ac.uk
• SEEK: Research profile

Monday 9:30am – 12:30pm

I have taught art and design in further and higher education since 1999, working at a number of institutions in the UK. At the same time I have maintained my creative practice as a visual artist as well as undertaking other work in the creative industries that supports my practice and research interests. My undergraduate and masters level training is in art and textiles, particularly in art practices that are based in textile traditions and methodologies, as well as in the contemporary fine art disciplines of installation, print and publication. I joined University of Salford in 2004 as a Lecturer in Critical & Contextual Studies, working part-time initially then taking on a full-time position in 2010.

At University of Salford I have taught critical and contextual studies across all undergraduate design programmes offered by the University, as well as teaching at masters level and undertaking PhD supervision.

Much of my teaching has focused on the area of fashion – its production, meaning and future development. In relation to fashion and to other creative disciplines I am particularly interested in gender, sexuality and identity. I have also developed modules that explore critical and reflective thinking in relation to personal creative practice. I value interdisciplinary approaches to creativity and explore this within my teaching.

I was appointed to the role of Associate Head (Academic) in 2011 and in this role I lead academic development and quality assurance for the School.

I have worked collaboratively with my colleague Rosie Miller since 2000. As Carson & Miller our practice is driven by our interest in narrative and the way in which we can tell and re-tell stories. Our recent work has used the game, the book and the object as methodologies for collaboration and production.

Carson & Miller have produced a number of artists’ books including The Exquisite Fold (2007, with Patricia Allmer and John Sears), synopsis (2008) and Scrapbook (the story of things) (2009, published by Manchester Metropolitan University Special Collections). In 2009, we edited the artists’ book stilled lives for Righton Press. Our artists’ books have been acquired by a number of collections including Arts Council Ireland (Dublin), Chetham’s Library (Manchester), Laurence Sterne Trust (Coxwold, Yorkshire), Limfjordscentret (Denmark) and Southern Cross University (Australia).

In 2009 Carson & Miller curated The Story of Things for Manchester Metropolitan University Special Collections (2009-2010). Other work has featured in exhibitions including Swap/Vaihto (UK & Finland, 2008) and Universal Shipping Box (Argentina, Germany and UK, 2010). We have played a series of games in galleries in Liverpool, Manchester and Berlin and have spoken and written about our work in a number of settings, including lectures and presentations in Belgium, the UK and the USA, and texts in publications including the journal Image [&] Narrative (2011) and Recording Leisure Lives: Everyday Leisure in 20th Century Britain (2012). Carson & Miller are members of the steering group for the ESRC seminar series Generating Alternative Discourse of Childhood, hosting The Other Child: exploring the strangeness of infancy and early years in April 2012 as part of the series and publishing an accompanying text: Other Objects: piercing childhood (published by Manchester Metropolitan University).

In 2012, with Theresa Wilkie and Rosie Miller, I co-edited Photography & the Artist’s Book (published by MuseumsEtc: www.museumsetc.com).

MA Textiles – 2000, Manchester Metropolitan University

BA (Hons) Textile Art (first) – 1998, Winchester School of Art

Member of the International Centre for Arts & Cultures of Childhood.

Member of Suite Studio Group, Salford