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Dr Judith Tucker

  • Position: Director of Research: Culture and Impact
  • Areas of expertise: landscape, place and environment in contemporary art; memory in contemporary art; painting and place; collaborative work between poetry and fine art; walking as art practice; practice-led research.
  • Email: J.A.Tucker@leeds.ac.uk
  • Phone: +44(0)113 343 6922
  • Location: G 78d Clothworkers Central
  • Website: Judith Tucker Artist | Contemporary British Painting

Profile

I am an artist and academic, my work explores the meeting of social history, personal memory and geography; it investigates their relationship through drawing, painting and writing. I have a long-term collaboration with the radical landscape poet Harriet Tarlo. 

In 2018 and 2019 I was a finalist in the Jackson’s Open Painting Prize and in 2020 was a catagory prize winner. I have been shortlisted for I have been selected to be one of ten UK artists exhibiting in the first Sino British Contemporary Biennial, Yantai Art Museum, China. Exhibition venues include Arthouse1 and Collyer Bristow London and many regional galleries throughout the UK, and further afield in Brno, Czech Republic, Vienna, Austria, Minneapolis and Virginia USA and Yantai, Nanjing and Tianjin in China.

I am co-convener of the Land2 landscape and visual arts network and of Mappig Spectral Traces and am Vice-Chair of Contemporary British Painting, a platform for contemporary painting in the UK. I write essays which can be found in academic journals and in books published by Rodopi, Macmillan, MUP, Intellect.

Roles and leadership

  • 2011–present Senior Lecturer in the School of Design, University of Leeds
  • 2006–2011 Lecturer in the School of Design, University of Leeds
  • 2003–present Co-convenor of LAND2 a landscape and visual arts research network
  • 2006–2009 Visiting Research Fellow University of the West of England 2003–2006
  • AHRC Research Fellow in the Creative and Performing Arts School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies, University of Leeds

Leadership experience

  • 2020 – Director of International Activities and member of SMT
  • 2016–2020 Deputy Director of Research and Innovation
  • 2015–2016 Deputy Head of School of Design, University of Leeds
  • 2016–present REF leader for Practice as Research group, School of Design, University of Leeds
  • 2009–2015 Programme manager B.A. Art and Design, University of Leeds
  • Chair of School of Design Degree show committee
  • Co-convenor of Land2 research group
  • Co-convenor of Mapping Spectral Traces international research group

Membership of professional bodies and research networks

External Examining Experience

PhD

  • University of Newcastle 2020
  • University of Huddersfield 2019 
  • Norwich University of the Arts, 2018
  • University of the Arts, London, 2017
  • Anglia Ruskin University 2017
  • University of Lancaster 2016
  • University of Gloucester 2015
  • York St John University 2014
  • University of Southampton 2008, 2010
  • 7 internal candidates at the University of Leeds 

MA

  • MFA Digital Arts, University of Malta
  • MFA Fine Art, Wimbledon College of Arts, University of the Arts, London, 2017–2020
  • MFA Art and Humanities, University of Dundee 2012–2016
  • MA Fine Art, Grimsby Institute affiliated with the University of Hull 2007–2008

BA

  • BA Fine Art University of Nottingham 2014–2016
  • BA Fine Art University of Chester 2010–2014
  • BA Visual Studies Norwich University College of the Arts 2008–2011
  • BA Fine and Applied Art, Grimsby Institute affiliated with the University of Hull 2005–2008

Peer reviewer (Journals)

Journal for Artistic Research: peer reviewer.

JAR is an international, online, open access and peer-reviewed journal for the identification, publication and dissemination of artistic research and its methodologies, from all arts disciplines.

International Journal of Applied Arts Studies: peer reviewer.

International Journal is an open access and peer-reviewed journal which publishes original scholarly research papers in the field of Architecture, Arts, Urban Planning, Architectural Conservation, Restoration, Cloth Design, Graphics, Painting and Fashion Design.  

Advisory roles

  • AHRC Consultant for the AHRC Landscape and Environment programme
  • Advisory committee of Contemporary British Painting Galleries Advisory Committee, University of Leeds

PhD Studentship assessor

Mentoring experience

  • Mentor for members of the REF research group Practice as Research
  • Mentor for recently appointed staff

Responsibilities

  • Director of Research: Culture and Impact

Research interests

My research explores the meeting of social history, personal memory and geography; it investigates their relationship through drawing, painting and scholarly writing. I consider my re-presentations of landscape in relation to Karen Tills notions of spectral traces and Iain Biggs work on deep mapping as well as Marianne Hirsch’s considerations of postmemory.

Most recently I have been working on commissions with the radical landscape poet, Harriet Tarlo: through the process of painting and drawing in relation to poetry, and in conversation with each other, each seeks to provide an enriched perspective on a specific place. I have also collaborated with the sculptor Deborah Gardner as artists in residence at Armley Mills Industrial Museum, Leeds.

I am co-convenor of LAND2. I run this creative practice-led research network with Professor Mary Modeen, University of Dundee as a national network of artist / lecturers and research students with an interest in landscape / place-oriented art practice. Members of the network share a common interest in how art can engage with the possibilities and problems of landscape / place as it is understood today, while recognising the contested nature of both. The network meets for presentations of members work, has a website (that both represents the network and serves as an educational resource for those interested in practice-led research into landscape), undertakes occasional group projects, and organises conferences and exhibitions. We have recently forged international links with the University of Minnesota. There are several members of the School of Design who are members of LAND2.

I am also Vice-Chair of  Contemporary British Painting: a platform for contemporary painting in the UK.

<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Any research projects I'm currently working on will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Qualifications

  • PhD Fine Art 2002 University of Leeds
  • MA Fine Art 1998 University of Leeds
  • BA Fine Art 1981 University of Oxford

Student education

I teach levels 1–3 at undergraduate level in both studio and theoretical modules and contribute to MA, MPhil and PhD at postgraduate level.

Undergraduate

  • Studio Practice from level 1 to level 3
  • Research led theoretical modules concerning Contemporary Art and Memory and Landscape Place and Environment in Contemporary Art 
  • Research Methods (contributor)
  • Independent Study Dissertation (contributor by subject)

Research

I welcome practice based PhD and MPhil applications in the broad arena of place, memory, identity. Please see PhD and Postdoctoral Supervision for details of PhD student supervision, current and completed.

Current postgraduate researchers

<h4>Postgraduate research opportunities</h4> <p>We welcome enquiries from motivated and qualified applicants from all around the world who are interested in PhD study. Our <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk">research opportunities</a> allow you to search for projects and scholarships.</p>
Funding
    <li><a href="//phd.leeds.ac.uk/funding/286-university-of-leeds-school-of-design-&ndash;-art-and-design-(practice-based)-scholarship-2023-">University of Leeds School of Design &ndash; Art and Design (Practice-based) Scholarship 2023 </a></li>