Megan R. Luke

Megan R. Luke is a Professor of Art History at the University of Tübingen (since July 2023), affiliated with the Institute of Art History within the Faculty of Humanities. She is currently on research leave for the summer semester 2025. Previously, she held tenured positions as Associate Professor (2017-2023) and Assistant Professor (2011-2017) at the University of Southern California. Her academic journey includes a Harper-Schmidt Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Chicago (2009-2011).

Education includes:

• Ph.D. in History of Art and Architecture, Harvard University (2009)
• A.M. in History of Art and Architecture, Harvard University (2004)
• B.A. in History of Art and Architecture, Yale University (1999)

Her research explores interdisciplinary intersections in modern visual culture, focusing on:

• 19th-20th century art and architecture, particularly through theoretical frameworks of historiography and visual studies
• Photography and facsimile reproduction as tools for redefining artistic authenticity and spatial representation
• Abstraction, collage, and spatial arts in avant-garde movements, with emphasis on exile contexts
• Film and material culture in relation to collective memory and artistic practice

Publications demonstrate a consistent focus on sculpture’s relationship with photography, examining how mechanical reproduction transforms artistic perception. Recent works analyze temporality in German modernism, mass reproduction in digital contexts, and interdisciplinary dialogues between visual media. Her scholarship frequently engages with artists like Kurt Schwitters, Hans Arp, and Jackson Pollock.

Awards and fellowships include:

• William C. Seitz Senior Fellowship at the National Gallery of Art (2022-2023)
• Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship for Experienced Researchers (2017-2018)
• ACLS Collaborative Research Fellowship (2013-2015)
• Fulbright Grant (2006-2007)
• Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship (2002-2003)

She directs the NEH-funded project "Images Out of Time: Visual and Material Culture in a Digital Age" (2022-2025) and served on the Executive Committee of USC’s Visual Studies Research Institute (2011-2023). Her curatorial background includes the Mongan Fellowship at Harvard Art Museums.