Tasmanian Gothic Art: The Colonial Roots of a Thriving Contemporary Mode
Principal Supervisor: Dr Sam Bowker
Co-Supervisor: Dr Chris Orchard
The Tasmanian Gothic is a popular mode in contemporary literary and visual culture. The literary roots of the genre can be quite clearly traced back to Marcus Clarke’s His Natural Life (1872), but Tasmanian Gothic art appears to be a much more recent trend. Although it often employs colonial tropes such as cannibal convicts and ghostly thylacines, in the visual arts very limited research has been conducted into the precursors, or even existence of this mode in colonial Tasmania. My research aims to establish whether Tasmanian Gothic art existed as a colonial mode, or whether it is a purely contemporary and post-colonial invention. Areas of research include convict portraiture, colonial landscapes, colonial women’s art, and an in-depth case study on the work of Mary Morton Allport. In each instance, colonial and contemporary works are compared to establish ongoing trends in this vital way of viewing and understanding the island that I call home.
Undertaking a PhD has always been a personal goal, and after completing my BA (Hon.) with CSU in 2014, I was encouraged to consider postgraduate study by my mentor and colleague, Dr. Sam Bowker.
I have been a sessional academic with CSU since 2015, teaching, marking, and developing subjects in the field of art history and visual culture.
