Gavin Parkinson

Professor Gavin Parkinson is a leading scholar of European Modernism and Surrealism at The Courtauld Institute of Art in London. He holds a BA from the University of Manchester, an MA from The Courtauld (1997), and a PhD (2000). Before becoming Professor in 2019, he held roles at Birkbeck College and the University of Oxford. His research focuses on intersections between art, science, and literature, particularly Surrealism’s engagement with modern science, occult practices, and science fiction.

Education:

• BA, University of Manchester
• MA, The Courtauld Institute of Art (1997)
• PhD, The Courtauld Institute of Art (2000)

Research interests include Surrealist historiography, art and science relationships, and the longue durée of Surrealism from 1848 to 1960. He has published extensively on André Breton, Robert Rauschenberg, and surrealist engagements with quantum theory, alchemy, and comics. Recent works explore surrealism’s links to science fiction, Tex Avery’s animation, and Hilma af Klint’s legacy.

Professor Parkinson has supervised over 15 PhD students on topics ranging from surrealist fairy tales to postwar European constructivism. He has held editorial roles for Art History and series on surrealism and transnational art. His work bridges art historiography with interdisciplinary studies, emphasizing surrealist movements’ global and scientific dimensions.