Jane Simon

Jane Simon is a Senior Lecturer in photography and film at Macquarie University's School of Communication, Society and Culture, where she also contributes to the Housing and Urban Research Centre. Her academic profile reflects a sustained engagement with visual culture, particularly focusing on the intersections of domestic space, self-representation, and photographic practice.

Simon's educational background includes a PhD from the Department of Gender and Cultural Studies at the University of Sydney. Her international experience includes a Visiting Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship at the European Centre for Photographic Research, University of Wales (2010), and editorial work as Co-Editor of Somatechnics journal (2013-2016). Her current research activities demonstrate ongoing international collaboration, with recent engagements at the University of the West of England in April 2025.

Her research interests center on feminist approaches to contemporary photography, with particular expertise in domestic space, home cultures, and the relationship between interiority and visual representation. Simon's work bridges theoretical and practical dimensions of photography, with special attention to artists' books as a medium. Her fingerprint analysis reveals strong connections to artists' books, autobiography, gaze theory, and disability studies within visual culture.

Simon's recent publications and projects demonstrate a consistent focus on how photographic practices transform understandings of domestic space and self-representation. Her work frequently examines Japanese photographic traditions alongside Western practices, with particular attention to women photographers, photobooks, and experimental autobiographical forms. The recurring themes across her publications include interiority, domestic objects, spatial relationships, and the political dimensions of seemingly private photographic practices.

• Faculty of Arts Learning Innovation Award (2021)

Jane Simon maintains active supervision and mentorship roles, with evidence of her pedagogical innovation recognized through teaching awards. Her research program includes multiple externally funded projects examining visual diaries, domestic documentary practices, and autobiographical photobooks from Asia. She participates extensively in academic service through peer review, editorial work, and conference presentations, demonstrating leadership in her field through activities such as her membership in the International Association of Art Critics.

Simon maintains laboratory and studio practice through her engagement with artists' books, with her own book works collected in international institutions including Manchester Metropolitan University's Special Collections Library and University of West England's Centre for Fine Print Research. Her current projects suggest continued development of collaborative research networks focused on domestic photography across cultural contexts.