University of Dundee Student Publications
This collection contains selected undergraduate dissertations and abstracts from final-year students in Fine Art and Art & Philosophy at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design (DJCAD), part of the University of Dundee. It was compiled to coincide with the DJCAD Degree Show 2026, and represents a curated snapshot of current undergraduate research and practice in the visual arts and interdisciplinary humanities.
Except where otherwise noted, the text in this dissertation is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) licence. All images, figures, and other third-party materials included in this dissertation are the copyright of their respective rights holders, unless otherwise stated. Reuse of these materials may require separate permission.
This exhibition proposal aims to increase the visibility on gynaecologic conditions through a feminist lens, featuring contemporary artists centring on women’s lived experiences with chronic health conditions and accessing healthcare in a patriarchal system. The title Gy(nae)co(logic) is a reference to the lack of logic within the structure and application of healthcare when treating women, as medical misogyny historically clouds rational conclusions, using Scots within the title naturally as I am Scottish and the exhibition is set in Scotland. This text explores the relevance of artworks on display at the V&A gallery in Dundee, Scotland in aiding with breaking down of stigma in women’s health. Featuring an eclectic medium of works by nine contemporary artists: Eugenie Lee (b. 1974), Helen Chadwick (b.1953-96), Katherine Fay Allan (b. 1996), Lindsey Mendick (b.1987), Poppy Gilfillan (b.2003), Saoirse Amira Anis (b. 1997), Tonia Nneji (b. 1992), Tracey Emin (b. 1963) and Wangechi Mutu (b. 1972). Content Warning: Abortion, disability, discrimination, racism, references to death, surgery and an image of a brain.
Copyright (c) 2026 Poppy Emmagen Gilfillan (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
A Tentsmuir Stravaig is a curatorial proposal for a mindful, women-narrated walking art trail set within Tentsmuir Forest in Northeast Fife. Combining site-specific artworks, poetry, and guided communal walking, the project explores how movement and shared experience can deepen engagement with both art and landscape. Drawing on the walking-based practices of figures such as Sophie Cooke, it emphasises accessibility, inclusivity, and the creative potential of gentle, rhythmic movement. Through collective pacing, discussion, and embodied observation, the proposal reimagines outdoor art as a reflective social experience shaped by women’s voices and ways of moving through place.
Copyright (c) 2026 Flora Ann Fraser (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Learning From History: Tracing the Historical Retheorisation of the 20-minute Neighbourhood Concept Through the Principles of Equity, Sustainability and Resilience
The 20-minute neighbourhood (20MN) has emerged as a prominent urban planning model, promoted for its potential to create sustainable, inclusive, and resilient communities. It centres on the principle of local living, enabling residents to access most daily needs - such as work, education, healthcare, recreation, and shopping - within a 20-minute walk or cycle from home. Although often presented as a contemporary innovation, the 20MN draws upon a lineage of neighbourhood planning models such as the Garden City (Howard, 1902), Neighbourhood Unit (Perry, 1929), and New Urbanism (Jacobs, 1961; Hall, 2002a; Gehl, 2010). These earlier approaches sought to integrate proximity, functionality, and community cohesion but frequently failed to address structural inequalities, questions of justice, and the distribution of power. This dissertation examines how the principles of equity, sustainability, and resilience - frequently cited in support of the 20MN - have been reinterpreted over time and how they are represented in contemporary planning discourse. The study adopts a historically informed qualitative approach, drawing on the concept of historicity (Gadamer, 2013) to situate the 20MN within its broader temporal and spatial lineage. Using critical discourse analysis (Fairclough, 1995), it examines planning frameworks and policy documents from diverse contexts. The analysis interrogates how equity, sustainability, and resilience are defined, prioritised, and operationalised, and how these principles influence implementation strategies. The findings indicate that while the 20MN offers a persuasive vision for more connected and liveable communities, its implementation can risk entrenching spatial and social inequalities. Equity is often treated as an aspirational ideal rather than a binding policy requirement; sustainability is framed predominantly in environmental terms, with less emphasis on its social and economic dimensions; and resilience is frequently approached as a technical capacity for adaptation, with limited attention to the political and structural factors that determine who benefits from adaptive measures. 2 The research concludes that realising the transformative potential of the 20MN requires embedding equity, sustainability, and resilience as substantive, contested social objectives rather than depoliticised technical targets. This requires integrated governance, enforceable policy mechanisms, and participatory processes that prioritise the needs and voices of marginalised communities. The research offers practical recommendations for policymakers and planners, including clear operational definitions, balanced emphasis on environmental, social, and economic goals, and mechanisms to ensure accountability in implementation. By situating the 20MN within its historical lineage and critically interrogating its guiding principles, the research also contributes to debates on how urban planning can advance more just, inclusive, and resilient cities.
Spatial Planning with Sustainable Urban Design
Copyright (c) 2026 Eloise Griffin (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
With the problem of the absurd, Albert Camus argues that one of the first steps to revolt against it is realising and confronting the feelings caused by meaninglessness. As the realisation of the absurd is caused by an emotional moment of lucidity, one that is often hard to remember; one of the best ways to recall the feeling of it is through art. As art is more based on emotion rather than reflection, it can be argued it is more effective at expressing the feelings of the absurd than a logical argument in an essay. Through the image of the desert, many pieces of art imply the feelings of absurdity. The desert’s relationship to the void makes it an image used for the realisation and confrontation of the absurd. By identifying the different deserts in several pieces of art; in literature, theatre and visual arts, as well as analysing my own artistic process, this link can be made and can be used to argue in favour of the advantage art has when expressing the feelings of absurdity. Through exploring the different examples where this is the case, the conclusion is reached; that by transmitting a feeling rather than a concept, and by showing the absurd to the viewer, it can be better understood, and the viewer is forced to confront the irrational. This is significant as it shows the importance and role of art in the absurd, as it becomes life-affirming; the first step needed to revolt against absurdity.
Copyright (c) 2026 Irene Chapman (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
‘and if Saturday Don’t Come Soon, I’m Gonna Lose My Mind’ – an Examination of How Drugs Impact the Lower and Working Classes and Why the Quest for Escapism in the Modern Age Drives Capitalism, Along With the Media’s Representation of It
Throughout human history, the use of natural substances to alter one’s mind and body has been a consistent practice worldwide, suggesting that this behaviour is not new but rather an inherent part of the human experience. The Industrial Revolution marked a significant turning point in how technology and the economy functioned, with the mass production of pharmaceuticals made possible by these discoveries. This had a profound impact on the working class. As a result, individuals found themselves faced with a choice between chemically manufactured pills and traditional natural remedies, leading to a culture of consumption for the overworked man. This dissertation will explore the impact that drugs have on the lower and working-class communities, examining how the need to turn to drugs as a means of coping with daily struggles contributes to a capitalist system that many feel trapped within. Additionally, this discussion will consider the portrayal of drugs in art, particularly within film studies, highlighting how this medium serves to communicate the experiences and challenges faced by these social classes, which should inspire the audience to reflect on social dynamics.
Copyright (c) 2026 Kacey Gow (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The Bridge to Land Literacy: A Review of the Artist's Role in Understanding the Richness of the Gaelic Landscape
The Scottish Gaelic language is richly descriptive with an inseparable tie to the landscape. Over the last 200 years, the language has almost faded to extinction, in my own family it died with my great grandparents when they were forced to move down to Glasgow from the west highlands. This dissertation examines the correlation between loss of understanding the language and disconnection from land culture in Scotland, and the role the artist plays in rekindling connection, and language revitalisation. The increase in Community Heritage Arts Centres, such as the Inchree Barn Project, work directly with communities to inspire interest in local history via art and language. Similarly, the exhibition A Fragile Correspondence (2023) also engaged with communities to observe the correspondence between language and land and how this can give us the tools to save both for the future. This dissertation then looks at the film Dùthchas (Home) (2022) which combines archival footage with the voices of the inhabitants past and present of the isle of Berneray to discuss their connection to the language and how its loss has corresponded with a loss of community and connection to home on the island. The final example is an analysis of the contemporary exhibition Gaelic Futurisms (2025) which looks at the connection of younger generations to Gaelic in Glasgow and questioning how we can protect the language now for a better future. We are at a pivotal point in history where we have a duty of care to protect this endangered language and the land from climate emergency. Artists could be the ones to inspire the change necessary.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ruth Gibson (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The Embodying Connections of Interactive Art
The fundamental need for connection, is not specific to civilisation, as it stretches to the intermodal relationship of the world. This is evident in the interactions of the mundane every day, and the unity of humankind through difficult periods, such as war. The emotional provocation, expression and freedom of speech channelled into art, serves as a critical talking point, and a catalyst to change. Art in many forms is a medium to connect with individuality, community, history and society. This serves not just the artist, but the viewer too, as they are allowed access to the artists perceptions and beliefs. Despite all art obtaining the power to connect on a metalevel, this dissertation’s specific focus on ‘interactive art’, identifies it as a prevalent movement for connection. This led the discussion of the dissertation; interactive art’s evolution, and how it creates this social cohesion and connection within society.
Copyright (c) 2026 Katie Middleton (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Sex Sells: A Critical Examination of Sexualisation Within the Male Gaze Marketing Gimmick Through Kim Kardashian, Barbie, and Bonnie Blue. Three Major Influences of the 21st Century
This dissertation interrogates the widely accepted cultural belief that “sex sells” by examining how sexualisation functions across contemporary media, consumer culture, and identity formation. It explores the extent to which sexualised imagery and performances are perceived as empowering, commercially advantageous while arguing that such practices remain deeply rooted in patriarchal and capitalist systems. Through three case studies, Kim Kardashian, the Barbie franchise with emphasis on the 2023 film adaptation, and adult content creator Bonnie Blue, the research critically analyses how femininity and sexuality are produced, commodified, and circulated within our culture. The analysis of Kim Kardashian exposes contradictions in the post-feminist celebrity culture, where self-branding appears empowering but remains shaped by the “male gaze” driving the ideals of femininity. Gerwig’s film critiques the patriarchy while using the nostalgic ideals to fight against the idealised femininity with a lot of satire. Bonnie Blue’s online persona demonstrates the commodification of sexuality becoming the norm as society becomes more desensitized, monetising harmful gendered narratives. Collectively these case studies demonstrate that although women may use sexualisation as a means of agency and visibility, these actions occur within systems that continually reproduce patriarchal, values. The research concludes that the enduring influence of “sex sells” is less a reflection of inherent human desire and more a result of culturally reinforced structures that benefit from the objectification and idealisation of women’s bodies. Ultimately, meaningful progression towards gender equality requires structural change to challenge the logic of sexualised commodification rather than repackage it.
Copyright (c) 2026 Steele McTurk (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The Power of Women’s Pain is an exhibition that allows a unique exploration into the repossession of the brutality and power that womanhood’s pain holds when reclaimed by women, presenting negative emotions into artworks which employ a strong indescribable visual message that many women can relate to, without needing to converse through words. The pain illustrated in all of these artworks felt by the woman artist depicts either a mental, or physical pain, or both depending on the specific work discussed. The women’s works shown stand unashamedly tall, wearing pain as a badge of honour and pride rather than one of shame and embarrassment. There is power in reclaiming a negative association as instead a feeling of power and strength, displaying all aspects of it honestly and candidly. The energy of resilience is strong with each and every one of these artists’ works. This paper is a curatorial exhibition proposal to display a collective of nine artworks by multiple women artists, situated in Tate St Ives between the seasons of late December and late May. It will be open to an audience of selectively only oppressed genders, from all ages. The creation of this grouping of works has taken inspiration and influence from contemporary film, the individual yet grouped life experiences of women as a collective, and prejudiced ideas against women throughout history. The aim in grouping these artworks together is to allow a projection of a visual message which describes and accurately presents both the personal and shared pain that women experience throughout their lives, and the resilience taken to power through those moments and share it publicly and boldly in an artwork, without the influence of men’s ideology in the work’s portrayal. The exhibition showing will therefore be a safe space, with acknowledgement of shared pain and relativity amongst all oppressed genders. A coldswimming workshop was going to be introduced side-by-side the exhibition where Tate St Ives is situated on Porthmeor Beach in St Ives, Cornwall. This idea however dissolved upon further research displaying the negative effects, rather than positive healing effects it would have on some of the women audience members included, prompting additional research into the history of the overlooking and silencing of women in other areas of life.
Copyright (c) 2026 Flora Parkes (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The Horror of Fascism: Art as Resistance
The Horror of Fascism: Art as Resistance is a collation of artists that make meaningful work as a protest to the uprisal of fascism within society. Going over the past, present, and potential future of fascism within our communities and governments, this exhibition proposal examines key theories around how to prevent fascism and how to build a resistance to it through both art and horror. The inherent political nature of art and horror media makes them a powerful duo to communicate ideas between the working class, strengthening bonds and uplifting spirits during unfortunate times. The threat of fascism is very real and very close to home, but through independent exhibitions like the one proposed here, ideas and support can spread like wildfire through our communities and support the push towards a socialist future.
Copyright (c) 2026 Rhys Jardine (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
How did the Portraits of Hans Holbein the Younger Function as Propaganda in Tudor England, and What was his Legacy?
This dissertation examines how Hans Holbein the Younger’s portraits functioned as propaganda tools in Tudor England, shaping public perception and reinforcing royal authority. Arriving in England during a time of considerable instability and religious turmoil, Holbein employed specific visual strategies that transcended literacy and, in so doing, created images that both legitimised Henry VIII’s reign and projected stability. The case studies of key works, including portraits of Henry VIII, Sir Thomas More, Anne Boleyn, Thomas Cromwell, and The Ambassadors, the research investigates techniques such as idealisation, symbolic costume, and object placement to express power, virtue, and continuity. Finally, how has his legacy endured from the Elizabethan era to today's media, digital propaganda, representations of power, and collective memory.
Copyright (c) 2026 Vicki Scaife (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Women in Text - Breaking Gender Barriers
This exhibition dissertation explores text-based artworks by female artists. This exhibition aims to raise awareness about the issues of patriarchy brought to light by feminist artists. examining a range of works in an effort to engage and spread the feminist message to a wide range of members of society from various backgrounds, including working class, race, gender, and age. The dissertation will explore what makes them so successful in communicating their message and why this form of expression is so crucial. Is it the media, the font, the colour, or is it the outrageously blunt way it's being said?
Copyright (c) 2026 Sarah Tod (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Andiamo!: An Exploration of the Relationship Between Abstract Expressionist Painting and Women Artists From the Mid-20th Century to the 21st Century
Andiamo!: An exploration of the relationship between abstract expressionism painting and women artists from the mid-20th century to the 21st century is a unique contribution of knowledge to the conversation of gender bias within the abstract expressionist movement. This propositional exhibition will critically analyse the impact of gender bias on women abstract expressionist painters through the inclusion of eight women artists work from the mid-20th century to the 21st century. The exhibition will be held at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice, Italy and aims to highlight historically underappreciated women artists as well as their contribution to the abstract expressionist movement and lasting influence on contemporary artists working today.
Copyright (c) 2026 Olivia Runciman (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Hidden Threads: A Contemporary Exploration of Fungi and Mycelial Thinking
Hidden Threads: a contemporary exploration of fungi and mycelial thinking presents an engaging, ecologically informed exhibition featuring nine unique contemporary artworks spanning installation, sculpture, sound art, science, photography, painting and animation. The title draws on research around fungi and mycelium networks, aiming to bring this lesser-known area of ecology into the Dundee Botanic Gardens through the eyes of interdisciplinary artists. The exhibition will not only be a site to view art, but also to educate, encourage discussions around fungi and their relation to wider ecology issues, and to bring to the community of Dundee a new way to connect with the non-human world through artistic expression. In the first chapter of this paper, I discuss my curatorial thesis around ideas of mycelial connections and fungi’s potentials for the future. In chapter two, I provide critical analysis of the artworks with reference to the thesis. In chapter three, I explore the curatorial decisions made for the exhibition, such as my choice of venue and environmental art. Lastly, chapter four examines additional ideas from a range of sources that influenced the exhibition.
Copyright (c) 2026 Zhana Fritsch (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Art Observation and Visualisation Advances Medical Learning and Clinical Proficiency
In the field of medicine, art and visualisation has influenced the progression of medical education, practice and research from the early renaissance to now. This interdisciplinary dissertation aims to explore these contributions to medicine and suggest appropriate inclusions of art visualisation within medical practice and research. These contributions additionally suggest innovations in pedagogy for medical education that is partly interdisciplinary through an inclusion of valuable artistic methods and visualisation practice. The practice of visualising can make information easier to understand (Agosti et al., 2013) and improve observational skills (Dolev, Friedlaender and Braverman, 2001). Therefore, historically and up to the present day, the use of visuals has aided medical understanding and the formation of improved clinical proficiency. The information in this dissertation demonstrates firstly how art observation and in more recent years, artistic methods in medical curricula, have directly increased anatomical learning. Then there will be a demonstration of how artistic study can improve observational skills that are essential for effective clinical practice. Finally, discussions will explore how both technological visualisation and science art have progressed many aspects of medical learning including wider public engagement. Consequently, this dissertation argues that art and visualisation techniques have considerable potential and value within modern medical pedagogy.
Copyright (c) 2026 Zoe Jarvis (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Out of Bounds: Footballs' Trajectory Off the Pitch and Into the Gallery
This dissertation explores works by five contemporary artists; who have produced works that drill beyond the obvious stereotypes of football representation to challenge social norms, audience roles and complex social biases through their work. Representations of football, and football culture by the media are abundant; often disparaging, cynical, and loaded with negative stereotyping which fuels class division (Giulianotti, 1999). The contemporary artists explored in this dissertation have, produced works that question different aspects of contemporary culture and society. re-examining and presenting a nuanced understanding of football and its culture as a vehicle for cultural commentary (Phillips-Ewen, I. 2020). In this dissertation a short section setting out it’s theoretical basis is followed by a section defining what is intended, and included by the term ‘football’, in the context of this study, and a chapter outlining the role of the gallery space as a juncture between the ‘art world’, football, and the public. This chapter acknowledges the importance of the work of these artists, in addressing the cultural gap between the ‘art world’ and football (Thorne, H. 2018). Thereafter, across three chapters, analysis of relevant works by the five artists is provided. The artists and works are, in order of mention; Roderick Buchanan’s ‘Work In Progress’ (1995), a work that looks at the class dynamic and sectarian divide within Glasgow’s football culture and brings these political questions of accessibility and community into the gallery space, questioning accessibility and community (National Galleries, 2020). Cevdet Erek’s, recent work ‘Away Terrace (Us and Them)’ (2025) raises similar themes of class and cultural representation within the gallery (Linckens, 2025). Eddie Peake’s performance piece, ‘Touch’ (2012) in which a game of naked football was staged inside the Royal Academy where the work challenged the ‘highbrow’ culture of the gallery space (Bourdieu, 1984). Maider Lopez’s, whose work ‘Polder Cup’ (2011) challenges themes of social compliance and obedience. Within this work Lopez utilising a similarly leftist ideology to Peake (van Rijn. Schmitz and Tegelaers, 2011). Finally, Harun Faroki's ‘Deep Play’ (2007) brings together simulation theory with semiotics and the role of the viewer (Moss, 2010). Faroki’s work challenges the political structures within the gallery by asking his viewers to carefully question the images they are presented with, within the context that they are viewed (Le Grand Café, 2020).
Copyright (c) 2026 Elena Uxue Nieva (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
This is a photography exhibition, Nightclubbers. I strategically curated an exhibition of 10 photographs by Tom Wood, Wolfgang Tillmans, Susan Meiselas and Eva Bell. Nightclubbers will be held in the night club Firewater in Glasgow, Scotland. Research methods I focused on were film and television, past exhibitions I've attended and social media, as this is where I find most photographers and gather my inspiration. This exhibition is about night clubs, and the different experiences people go through on these nights. Main themes; being present (in the moment), looking for love, boredom, the idea of being sober in a drunken world, all aspects of the night life scene. I believe these photos deserve to be seen within the environment they were originally created in.
Copyright (c) 2026 Eva Bell (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Objects Maketh Man: Are Possessions and Identity Inextricably Interlinked?
This dissertation explores the link between possessions and one’s selfhood, examining the positives and negatives of attaching meaning to objects and where free will exists in the context of our current capitalist climate. It investigates how craft, collecting and coming-of-age experiences assist in helping us relate to our belongings and how our perception of them may change when untethered from the view of human subjectivity. Overconsumption as an economic force also impacts buyer decisions when it comes to what objects one decides to own, and this analysis highlights how one might be able to make shopping decisions based on personal needs rather than incessant advertising. Through reviewing how different artists scrutinize their own relationships with their and other’s belongings, this text highlights how self-discovery is a very important process that can be furthered by assessing one’s own relationship with possessions, and how to navigate dependency on the things that exist around us.
Copyright (c) 2026 Eve Simpson (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Exploration Into the Dual Representation of Women as Monsters and Victims in Horror Cinema and Fine Art
This dissertation examines the representation of women in horror cinema and fine art through the recurring figures of the female victim and the female monster. Using the theoretical frameworks of Laura Mulvey, Barbara Creed, and Julia Kristeva, this analysis explores how these seemingly opposing archetypes are formed through shared patriarchal anxieties surrounding female sexuality, the female body, and female autonomy. By analysing some key work that include Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), Artemisia Gentileschi’s Susanna and the Elders (1610), Brian De Palma’s Carrie (1976), Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith Slaying Holofernes (1620), Caravaggio’s Medusa (1597), and John Fawcett’s Ginger Snaps (2000), this dissertation argues that the transition from victim to monster is not solely about fear of female empowerment instead it highlights how by becoming the abject female bodies are seen as dangerous to the traditional patriarchal order
Copyright (c) 2026 Erika Coupek (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The Inherent Queer and Political Nature of Gothic Art and Media
This dissertation aims to show that the Gothic as a genre, primarily through art and media is inherently a queer and political genre. It discusses art as a very broad term, covering paintings, literature, music, fashion and film, as well as discussing subculture. This analysis has been done by looking at books and thesis’ by researchers into different aspects of the Gothic such as Catherine Spooner, John Robb, Paul Hodkinson and Charles Mueller. This work begins in Chapter 1 by discussing the start of the Gothic, from the ancient Germanic tribes, working its way into a discussion of the start of Gothic art as a genre, covering The Garden of Earthly Delights (1480-1505). Then, in Chapter 2 it moves into discussing another Gothic revival, that of Gothic literature in the 18th/19th century and its inherent queer underlining. It analyses The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) and Dracula (1897), discussing queerness and Nosferatu (1922) before moving onto German expressionism and queerness in Weimar Germany. In Chapter 3, contemporary Goth subculture is analysed in its relation to queerness before discussing what the contemporary Gothic and contemporary Gothic is, defining it before discussing the installation ‘Gone, yet still’ (2005) by Terence Koh.
Copyright (c) 2026 Casper Tracey (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The Art of Drugs: Psilocybin, Perception and the Art of Distorted Structure
The influence that psilocybin has on human experience is one that warps perception and creative output. Art can therefore be a gateway into understanding psilocybin and other perceptual distortions such as visual impairment, dementia, and schizophrenia, alongside cultural influence and acceptance. Drawing from scientific research, psychological studies, and visual analysis of relevant artworks, it is explored how these perceptual shifts shape artistic output across varying contexts. The cultural connection to psilocybin use is considered through the drug-related advertisement shift of the 1970s and how drug use links back to consumerism, contrasted with culturally accepted drug use seen within Amazonian tradition. The differences showcase consistencies in artworks in relation to cultural identity, spirituality and how society can directly influence altered consciousness. By comparing art made within non-psychedelic altered perception, artist Claude Monet’s infamous struggle with cataracts and vision loss is examined through his deteriorating artworks. This brings the intentionality behind recreational drug use into question, and the extent to which this influence is neurological. Dementia and schizophrenia are considered as visual similarities between psilocybin-induced artworks arise. Through deeper research, the brain’s Default Mode Network is discovered to be a crucial link for these similarities. Distorted views of colour, pattern and structure reflect on the artists’ mental state, with artworks being a possible form of self-therapy. This exploration concludes by investigating how media romanticisation of drug use can lead to misconceptions that psilocybin creates artistic genius. This negatively impacts public perception of artists, mental health and creates discourse within the art community.
Copyright (c) 2026 Gemma Carpenter (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Beyond the Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Disability, Femininity and Representation in Visual Culture
Visual culture plays a significant role in shaping societal expectations of gender, beauty, and identity, yet disabled women have historically been misrepresented, marginalised, or rendered invisible within dominant visual narratives. This dissertation examines how disability and femininity intersect within visual culture, with a particular focus on the misrepresentation of neurodivergent women through the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope. While feminist theory and disability studies have critiqued structures of power and representation, disabled women have often been excluded from intersectional analysis, leaving ableist and gendered stereotypes unchallenged. Drawing on feminist theory, disability studies, and feminist disability studies, this research employs visual and textual analysis to examine film, art, and media. Through the use of case studies, this dissertation argues that mainstream visual culture frequently aestheticises or instrumentalises disabled femininity, while alternative, disability-led practices offer more ethical forms of representation. By centring authorship, lived experience, and self-representation, this research highlights the importance of challenging ableist and patriarchal visual frameworks in order to create more inclusive and meaningful representations of disabled women.
Copyright (c) 2026 Winter Ryan (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Gentlemen Start Your Engines: Gendered Aesthetics and the Structural Misogyny of Rupaul's Drag Race
This dissertation explores the approach to gender equality in RuPaul’s Drag Race [RPDR] and the broader implications that this has for drag as an artform through exploration of the Neoliberal values of reality television and the policing of the female presenting body. For the sake of producing a concise argument as well as relevance to the gender debate the sources used will be in reference to North America, the UK, and European franchises of RPDR. The female voice is lost in the realm of drag media and the slowly emerging representation of cisgender female competitors in the UK, Europe, and Canada has caused great controversy. This, coupled with the advancing global political shift towards the right, suggests that now is the right time to conduct this research on the policing of the female and female presenting body both in and out of drag.
Copyright (c) 2026 Jennifer Caine (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Who Killed Who First: Lineages of Technology and Liberation Through Experimental Film
Experimental film is a vast and difficult to navigate field, with many undetectable roots that lie beneath its grainy soil. This study traces and connects some of these both well-known and obscure, analysing how the specifics of the filmmaker’s film mediums worked in tandem with their outsider perspectives. Specifically, it shall explore 3 distinct eras, firstly Maya Deren and her roots in Socialist activism in relation to her 1943 film Meshes of the Afternoon. It then connects her practice to that of Richard Kern and the Cinema of Transgression operating in New York in the 1980s. This movement is underrepresented in academic research, so this shall act as an academic contribution to its discussion within the history of underground film. It finally draws from there to the use of videotape by the filmmakers Charles Pinion and Cecelia Condit, whose work has experienced a cultural resurgence and the contemporary work of Kasper Meltedhair. The research has drawn together numerous sources that have previously been disconnected and also benefited from the insight of Pinion and Meltedhair, semi-structured interviews with whom have supported the 3rd chapter.
Copyright (c) 2026 Hector Laidlaw (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The Dark Side of the Canon: Art History’s Dirty Laundry
The Dark Side of the Canon: Art History’s Dirty Laundry investigates the Western art canon’s hidden biases, examining how systems of power, this includes racism, sexism, and heteronormativity that have determined which artworks and artists are celebrated. Rather than centring on the individual figures, this dissertation critiques the structures that shaped the canon itself: the moral authority of Christianity, the influence of colonial expansion, and the cultural ideals that elevated white, cisgender, heterosexual male creators as “universal geniuses.” By analysing these patterns in history, this study reveals how art history’s so-called neutrality was always rooted in some type of exclusion and hierarchy.
Copyright (c) 2026 Hunter Lindsay (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
This exhibition dissertation proposes the curation of an exhibition of a collation of 9 works created by the tight knit trio of Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo and Kati Horna, providing focus on the Femme Enfant’s and underappreciated women contributors of the Surrealist movement, including investigating and displaying their differing influences and connections which fed into their work. Their works are filled with mystical witchcraft and maternalistic influence. The desire to hold this exhibition came from my anger whilst researching my original proposed dissertation on psychoanalysis within Surrealist art, where I discovered a reoccurring theme of misogyny and bizarre entitlement that came beaming off the main artists within the movement, conveniently all the highlighted members being men. This fed me into moving my subject and dissertation style to focus on the female activities within the movement, becoming absolutely fascinated by the works, practice, and lives of these three female artists. I felt there needed to be a good display and recognition of the themes within the works, as well as highlight their contribution to the movement.
Copyright (c) 2026 Anna MacDonald (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Seeing Through His Eyes: Reinterpreting Religious Art to Recover Feminine Individuality From the Male Gaze
This dissertation explores the male gaze in religious artwork and its impacts on modern society, particularly in relation to femininity, sexuality, gender, and identity. It investigates how religious imagery influences contemporary views on woman. Chapter one examines the depictions of The Virgin Mary, analysing both physical and emotional portrayals alongside public perceptions of women today. Comparing male and female capacity to recognise facial expressions, using Zafra’s sculpture piece Our Lady of Consolation as a place of perspective. This chapter also looks at the origins of the male gaze, drawing from Laura Mulvey’s Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. Chapter two investigates themes of sexual and bodily shame within biblical texts and their representation in art, focusing on William Blake’s painting Eve Tempted by the Serpent. This artwork symbolises the beginnings of shame and its continued feature in modern periods such as purity culture and slut shaming. The final chapter addresses the ways in which women are reclaiming their femininity and sexuality beyond the male gaze. Highlighting how female artists create spiritual and explorative works centred on female experiences and rejecting the male centric ideals of perfection and sexuality. The creation of feminine spaces in art is essential for independence and development away from objectified patriarchal perspectives. Ultimately, this dissertation argues that the male gaze is a longstanding societal issue, embedded in both biblical and contemporary contexts. While it may be unlikely for it to disappear from society, individuals and artists are creating ways to navigate around it. Asserting their own autonomy, independence and reshaping the pre-existing ideologies of both femininity and religion. This work emphasises the importance of exploring and changing narratives around traditional ideas of holiness, purity, and strength through the lens of gender and art.
Copyright (c) 2026 Jenny MacGregor (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
How a New Town Gained Identity: Public Art in Glenrothes and How It Has Come to Embody the Term ‘genius Loci’
This dissertation aims to answer the questions of how the Scottish New Town of Glenrothes came to be, and why the public artwork within it has played an integral role in creating an identity for the town. This research is important as it fills a gap in current academic knowledge as to how public art was accepted within New Town communities, and the techniques that aided this. I will answer these questions by analyzing the history behind the Scottish New Towns and how the public art within Glenrothes was created in such a way, that it has become integral to the town and its community. I will examine the role of the Town Artist and dive into David Hardings working methods, to uncover how these artworks became accepted within the community. Finally, I propose that the public art within Glenrothes has become the ‘Genius Loci’ of the town, through examining all of the points mentioned previously. This paper emphasizes the significant role public art can play in the town or city it is placed within and the impact it can have on those communities. I will conclude this paper by emphasizing the importance of preserving the artworks within Glenrothes so we can continue to learn from them and the benefits of public art in the future.
Copyright (c) 2026 Jess Simpson (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
A Curatorial Thesis Exploring the Representation of Women Throughout Art History and How Women Have Reclaimed Their Narrative
This dissertation presents a feminist curatorial project exploring the representation of women throughout art history and visual culture and how women have reclaimed their narrative through self-representation. Situated in Glasgow Women’s Library, the exhibition challenges patriarchal structures that continue to marginalise women artists and shape visual language through the male gaze. Drawing on feminist theory and institutional critique, the project foregrounds women’s lived experiences and address’s themes of identity, motherhood, and bodily autonomy. Through narrative-led curatorial strategies, the exhibition centres women’s voices and artistic agency. Offering a critical intervention for sustained feminine visibility and inclusion within contemporary art discourse.
Copyright (c) 2026 Amelie Thomas-Richardson (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The Value of Art as a Means of Cultural (and Personal) Expression in an Increasingly Globalised World
This thesis sets out to highlight the value of art as a means of cultural expression in a world that is becoming increasingly globalised. Chapter one gives insight into what the commercial art market is and what it looks like. Discussing the role of large galleries and auction houses and goes into detail into the workings of that world and the artists that have gained big names as well as a lot of money through the way the system works. It also looks at what local art galleries and artist run spaces look like and their role and place in the contemporary art market. Through looking at these two spaces, I aim to give an accurate impression of what the global art world looks like with its strengths and weaknesses. In chapter two I dissect the intricacies between the artists and their cultural context to highlight the importance of the nationality as well as cultural and personal background of an artist with regards to the artwork they make and the unique voice with which they present their art. In this way, I will create a picture of how you can see and experience the culture and upbringing of an artist through their work. After I have done this, I will reflect on my own personal practice and the fascination I hold with cultures, languages and the expression of a national identity. Through unpacking my practice, I aim to draw importance to learning about various cultures, their unique perspectives and the importance of being able to learn and connect with those cultures to build global connections. Chapter three aims to highlight ways in which culture can be preserved within the art world and the value of educating young people well on the importance of the nation's past and contemporary art practice. In this chapter I will be looking around travel gallery Scotland also known as art on a bus and projects such as room 13 and the impact that organisations and projects such as those two have had in the shaping and retaining of the local and national art and how they build a bridge bringing in the next generation of contemporary artists. I will conclude that whilst there are various different aspects to what makes art valuable, personal expression from the standpoint of cultural and personal experiences plays a key point to fighting the commercialisation of art, where art becomes solely about the money that can be earned as opposed to the value it can bring to the people it is created for.
Copyright (c) 2026 Joëlle Brandes (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0