Undergraduate degree study guide
FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY (BA)
The Photography Programme at The Glasgow School of Art has an international reputation
for excellence. Established in 1982, it was the first programme of its kind in Europe to award
a BA(Hons) Degree in Fine Art Photography and has produced successive generations of
successful graduates, many of whom are now leaders in their field.
For us, the invention of photography, and the birth of the modern age could be said to
be simultaneous. The momentum of the industrial and post-industrial revolutions advanced
photography at an incredible rate, from its low-tech photo mechanical beginnings to its current
digital, state-of-the-art technologies.
So, photography is a medium for which a blend of art and technology is fundamental. A
blend of conceptual, aesthetic and technological awareness makes the use of photography one
of the most relevant artist’s mediums of this age.
The power of photography - seen everywhere, used by everyone - is sometimes easy
to forget. However, it would be hard to imagine a world without photography and we look
forward to sharing that world with you.
Welcome to Fine Art Photography at the GSA.
Prof Thomas Joshua Cooper
Head of Department
OUR ETHOS
The broad aim of the Fine Art Photography programme is to enable and nurture artists whose
interests are based upon, and developed through, technology and lens-based media, the
materials of photography and other related disciplines in fine art.
The programme emphasises the full range of possibilities offered to an artist at every
stage of the creative process: from the initial intention or idea, through to confrontation with
subject, photographic materials, technology and darkroom techniques, then on to the public
presentation of an independent artwork.
We believe in the tradition methods and the latest technology. Our students are involved
with the early 19th century technologies of the cyanotype and salted-print, onto the digital and
moving image of the 21st century. There is also an involvement with audio-visual technologies,
drawing, fabrication, and with the possibilities of making artist book-works and publications.
EACH YEAR OF STUDY
The BA(Hons) Fine Art is a four year, full-time degree programme and students are recruited into one
of three specialist departments (Photography, Painting + Printmaking, Sculpture + Environmental Art).
The Fine Art programme employs a variety of learning and teaching methods which may alter and
adapt according to the perceived needs of students. The main methods of programme delivery are
lectures, seminars, artists’ presentations and group discussions, tutorials, progress reviews. Projects,
group crits, workshops, students’ exhibitions, field trips, independent study, and formative and
summative assessments. In addition to this, the School provides students with opportunities to take
part in placements, residences and exchanges. All students undertake a programme of study in the
Forum for Critical Inquiry.
In addition to applications for first year level entry, the School also welcomes applications for
second and, exceptionally, third year level entry from suitably qualified applicants.
The course aims to:
• Enable students to develop their intellectual and imaginative abilities;
• Guide students’ critical and creative thinking through an understanding of philosophical,
historical, social and economic contexts of art and culture;
• Encourage students’ creative independence, as well as to foster their ability to work
collaboratively;
• Develop students as self-critical, socially aware and responsible individuals;
• Develop in students a high level of technical skill and an integrated understanding of the fine
art process;
• Cultivate in students high standards of visual articulacy linked to the ability to formulate ideas
and concepts efficiently in both speech and writing and in the gathering and use of information;
• Stimulate in students an inquiring and imaginative approach in addressing formal, technical and
conceptual creative problems;
• Encourage and enable students to experience the professional practice and application of their
fine art skills in a broader cultural context.
YEAR 1
The First Year Fine Art programme is the first of the four years of the undergraduate course in Fine Art
at the Glasgow School of Art.
First Year of Fine Art differs from traditional diagnostic foundation programmes in that students
are recruited on a subject-specific basis to one of the five specialism’s: Painting, Printmaking,
Sculpture, Environmental Art or Photography that are structured into the three academic
departments of Fine Art Photography’ Painting and Printmaking and Sculpture and Environmental Art.
The First Year programme deals with the generic creative processes of fine art practice and with
medium specific studies of the three academic subject areas is designed to develop confidence and
understanding in the management, manipulation and resourcing of ideas from both observation and
concept. A wide variety of learning and teaching methods are used to enhance, support and facilitate
learning through practice both at a group and individual level.
YEAR 2
For the duration of the autumn term the student is required to work on one project (namely, the
colour project). The project is designed in such a way as to encourage them to further explore their
own areas of subject interest in combination with an understanding of the history of representation.
A programme of talks, practical workshops and critical reviews will provide the structure for the
term, and the student will also have the additional support of one to one tutorials. The students
are however; encouraged to allow their work to develop at its own pace. They will have, by now,
through the intensive project structure of the 1st Year, identified certain areas of personal interest.
The projects of the second year are designed to encourage further development of their individual
pursuits, while presenting them with the challenge of handling materials and working methods that
may be new to them.
By the end of the first term, they will have been given the opportunity to explore personal ideas
through photography (with introductions to colour negative process and printing, large format
camera and medium format camera work, photographic studio lighting, and staged photography). Continuing in a similar way, the 2nd term will be concerned with internal and external structures
by which photograph’s gain greater meaning. They will look at editorial structures that give greater
intelligibility to their work. This term the students will have the choice to work with the aesthetics
of either black and white or colour photography, or both. This terms work will culminate in an
independent work to be exhibited at the end of the second term. To accompany this exhibition the
students will be making a group catalogue of artist statements. In this way the student’s critical
position becomes more concrete in relation to their work.
The third term will deal with the artist book work. The students will be exploring the possibilities
of book structures from the unique to the multiple and giving consideration to text and drawing
within the book structure. Workshops in book binding and making and desktop publishing will support
the project.
The curriculum of the Fine Art course is centred on studio practice and is augmented by lectures,
seminars, group discussions, critiques and other academic events.
YEAR 3
For the duration of the autumn term the student is required to work on one project (namely, the
photographic and the autographic). The project is designed in such a way to encourage the student to
further explore his or her own areas of interest in combination with other areas of fine art practice.
A programme of talks, practical workshops and critical reviews provide the structure for the
term, and students have the additional support of one to one tutorials. The students are however;
encouraged to allow their work to develop at its own pace. The student will have, by now, through the
intensive project structure of the 2nd Year, identified certain areas of personal interest. The projects
of the third year are designed to encourage the further development of their individual pursuits, while
presenting the challenge of handling materials and working methods that may be new.
By the end of the first term, the student will have been given the opportunity to explore personal
ideas through photography (with introductions to alternative processes, large prints, Photoshop, and
drawing). Continuing in a similar way, the 2nd term will be concerned with time based media such as
film, video, tape slide dissolve etc., with an aim to working autonomously by the final term of third
year, a term when the students will be exhibiting in a public context. The experience of exhibiting
will give them an insight (if they do not already have this) of the organisational elements involved
in exhibiting and the students will work in groups that will deal with specific areas (e.g. installation,
sponsorship, publicity, design, etc.).
The curriculum of the Fine Art course is centred on studio practice and is augmented by lectures,
seminars, group discussions, critiques and other academic events.
In the third year the student will be encouraged to diversify within or out with their chosen area
of study (photography). There is therefore a strong investigative element to the year’s programme,
which is intended to assist in establishing for the student relevant research areas and viable
programmes for their final year.
YEAR 4
For the duration of the three terms of fourth year, the students will be required to work on a series of
self directed and initiated projects. These projects should be designed in such a way as to encourage
the student to further explore their own areas of interest within fine art practice. They are however
encouraged to allow their work to develop at its own pace. The student will have, by now, through the
intensive project structure of the 2nd Year and 3rd year identified certain areas of personal interest.
A programme of student led seminars based upon the dissertation or extended essay, practical
workshops and weekly critical reviews will provide the structure for this term, and they also have the
additional support of one to one tutorials from all of the staff within the department.
The curriculum of the Fine Art course is centred on studio practice and is augmented by lectures,
seminars, group discussions, critiques and other academic events.
UCAS Information:
Institution Name: GSA
Institution Code: G43
UCAS Code: W640
@gsofa
facebook.com/glasgowschoolofart
youtube.com/glasgowschoolofart
flickr.com/glasgowschoolart
The Glasgow School of Art,
167 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G3 6RQ
Tel: 0141 353 4500
Web: www.gsa.ac.uk