How to write about art
Weekend-long art theory course
7 July 2018 10am - 5pm8 July 2018 10am - 5pm
The British Academy Room, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
£420. Includes light refreshments on both days and a wine reception..
Terms and conditions
What is the purpose of art criticism, and what does it take to become a successful critic? Led by Thomas Marks, writer and editor of Apollo magazine, this course offers a unique opportunity to learn about the curious history of art journalism while honing your own skills as a writer and critic.
Drawing on their own experiences of writing and publishing, Thomas Marks and guest speakers, including Dr. Tim Smith-Laing, who write for leading international newsprint and magazine publications, provide exclusive insight into the historical role of criticism and how it relates to the worlds of art and journalism today.
How important have critics been for the interpretation, evaluation, and promotion (or demolition) of artists and exhibitions over the past two centuries? How did the genres of the exhibition review, the artist interview and the critical essay develop? What are the responsibilities of critics and how difficult is it for them to maintain their integrity and independence in today’s madcap art world?
This weekend course will include a strong practical element, in which participants will consider crucial questions such as the relationship between language, style and individual works of art, and what types of judgement are involved in reviewing exhibitions. Both days will feature a seminar focused on the scrutiny of historical and recent examples of art criticism, as well as a writing exercise in which the fruit of those discussions can be put into practice in the context of the Royal Academy’s summer exhibition programme.
It has never been harder than it is today to make a living as a critic, but it has never been easier to publish art criticism and get your voice noticed. This course will include practical advice about current and future opportunities in art journalism (including reviewing, feature writing, reporting and market journalism) and give participants access to the knowledge (and colourful experience) of figures who have – perhaps against the odds – fashioned their careers from it.
"I enjoyed the expert speakers, the flow and mix of lectures versus the practical. This was an amazing opportunity to be surrounded by art and the exhibitions of the Royal Academy. The fellow attendees were inspiring in themselves" - Previous participant, November 2017
£420. Includes light refreshments on both days and a wine reception..
Terms and conditions
About the course
This course is for you if:
• You would like to learn new skills to help you describe, interpret and judge art.
• You are an aspiring art writer for print or online and want insight and feedback from leading specialists in the field.
• You would like the opportunity to develop your writing skills and ideas in a small group setting and get inspiration from peer group discussion and debate.
Minimum age 18
This course is suitable for all levels.
£420
Saturday 7 – Sunday 8 July 2018
10.00am-5.00pm on both days
• Expert-led advice and feedback, including group discussion and critique
• Written materials and handouts created specifically for the course
• Light refreshments at the beginning of each day
• A drinks reception at the end of the first day
• A certificate of participation upon course completion
Tim Smith-Laing
Dr. Tim Smith-Laing is a writer and arts critic based in London. After taking his BA in English literature from Pembroke College, Cambridge he moved to Oxford, to take an MSt in early modern literature at Balliol College followed by a DPhil in late medieval and early modern mythography at Merton College. Outside Oxford, he has undertaken research at the École Normale Supérieure and teaching at Sciences Politiques in Paris. A lecturer in literature at Jesus College, Oxford for three years, he has taught extensively on early modern literature, cultural history, and the history and theory of criticism. Since leaving academia in 2013 to concentrate on writing and independent research, he has published on subjects ranging from early modern philosophy to Hieronymus Bosch, Paul Valéry, and The Monkees. A book critic at The Telegraph, he is also a regular contributor of features and reviews on art for Apollo and Frieze, and has published fiction, poetry and essays in The Junket. His current projects are a novel based on the life of 18th-century German sculptor Franz Xaver Messerschmidt, and a cultural history of chance, titled Fortuna: The Lives of Lady Luck from Ancient Athens to Quantum Physics.
About the tutor
Dr Thomas Marks
Dr Thomas Marks was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and Magdalen College, Oxford, from where he holds an MSt in Romantic and Victorian literature and a DPhil on Victorian poetry and architecture. In 2011, he was a founding editor of The Junket, an online quarterly magazine that continues to publish original essays, fiction and poetry. He has written on art and literature for a wide range of publications, including The Telegraph, the Times Literary Supplement, Literary Review, and the New Statesman, and has taught extensively at the University of Oxford on 19th and 20th-century literature and culture.
Since 2013, Thomas Marks has been the editor of Apollo, one of the world’s most prestigious art magazines, founded in 1925 and renowned for its outstanding and authoritative writing about art, whatever the field or focus, and for its exclusive access to leading artists, collectors, and cultural leaders. During his editorship, Thomas has relaunched the Apollo website as a forum for daily art news, comment and reviews, and established the forward-looking Apollo 40 Under 40, a publication celebrating talented young people in the art world. He writes regularly for the magazine about international artists and exhibitions, and has profiled many major museums around the world.
Our courses and classes programme
Our programme of short courses and classes offers the opportunity to explore a range of subjects, led by expert tutors and practising artists.
Related events
Short courseFreeThe Primary Art School
9 January - 12 June 2025
Short courseArt and conflict
1 February - 2 February 2025
Short courseModernism around the world
4 February - 11 March 2025
Short coursePortrait photography: ideas from modernism
15 February - 16 February 2025
Short courseThe Art of Carnival
1 March 2025
Short courseBotanical art
11 March - 8 April 2025
Short courseExploring ink: method and imagination
29 March - 30 March 2025
