About
Rob Ball is a Reader (equivalent to Associate Professor) in Photography at Canterbury Christ Church University's Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Media and Creative Digital, where he joined the Photography Programme in 2009. He serves as founder of Obsolete Studios, Director of The Burton Gallery, and Director of The South East Archive of Seaside Photography.
His educational background includes:
- Masters Degree from The University of the Arts London (2005)
As a practice-based researcher, Ball's work centers on visual documentation of coastal communities, exploring cultural identity, memory, and place through photographic exhibitions and publications. His research bridges artistic practice and cultural anthropology, with a distinct focus on British seaside environments and their socio-historical significance.
His publications—including Dreamlands (2015), Coney Island (2017), and Funland: A Journey Through the British Seaside (2019)—reveal consistent thematic trends across British and American contexts, contributing to visual anthropology, cultural geography, and photographic history through documentary-artistic hybrid methodologies.
Through The South East Archive of Seaside Photography and Obsolete Studios, Ball leads initiatives preserving visual histories of coastal communities while fostering collaborative public engagement with seaside heritage.
