Jennifer Clarke

Dr. Jennifer Clarke is an Associate Professor at Gray's School of Art, Robert Gordon University, where she serves as Stage 3 Co-ordinator for Critical & Contextual Studies. She leads two compulsory modules for all Fine Art and Design students: 'Critical Themes' (AA3313) and 'Research and Enquiry' (AA3311). Her academic work bridges contemporary art and anthropology through a feminist lens, focusing on urgent social and ecological issues, particularly forest-related concerns in the UK. She also maintains a significant connection with Japan, where she held a Visiting Professorial Research Fellowship at the University of Tohoku in 2022.

• MA in English Literature, University of Glasgow (1997-2003)
• MA in Visual Anthropology, Goldsmiths College, University of London (2005-2007)
• MRes in Anthropology, University of Aberdeen (2008)
• PhD in Social Anthropology, University of Aberdeen (2008-2014), supervised by Prof. Tim Ingold and Dr. Jo Vergunst
• Advanced Masters in Artistic Research, Sint Lucas School of Art and Design, Antwerp (2020-2021)

Dr. Clarke's research sits at the dynamic intersection of contemporary art and anthropology, with a strong feminist perspective. Her work addresses pressing ecological and social issues, particularly focusing on forests and forestry in the UK context. She explores how artistic practice can engage with environmental politics, landscape planning, and sustainability. Her research often takes collaborative forms, working across disciplinary boundaries to create projects that challenge conventional approaches to ecological and social challenges. She has developed innovative methodologies that draw on concepts like 'parasites' and 'hospitalities' to rethink relationships between humans, non-humans, and environments.

Dr. Clarke's research output demonstrates a consistent engagement with interdisciplinary approaches to environmental issues through artistic and anthropological lenses. Her recent work shows increasing focus on collaborative projects that bring together natural sciences, social sciences, and arts to address landscape research, uncertainty, and ecological concerns. The 'Feminist Hospitalities' project (2020-present) represents a significant strand of her recent research, exploring how parasitic relationships can generate new forms of knowledge and connection.

• Visiting Professorial Research Fellowship at the University of Tohoku (2022)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Dr. Clarke actively supervises multiple PhD and MRes students working on diverse projects at the intersection of art, environment, and social practice. Current supervisees include Joan Macleod (The Articulate Forest), Alison Scott (Treescapes), Manda Brookman (Giving Ground?), Pauline Elizabeth Maria Burmann, Fi Loveday (Augmented Fashion), and Aaron McCarthy. She is currently leading the 'Agroforestry Futures' research project (2022-2026), which investigates barriers to and facilitators of farmer adoption of rural agro-forestry practices in the UK. This project aligns with UK schemes that make agroforestry implementation relevant for various eligibility criteria. Dr. Clarke has also contributed to 'The Future of Treescapes' research, funded by UKRI, which focuses on afforestation and its role in climate action.

Dr. Clarke is affiliated with the Energy, Environment & Sustainability in Architecture Research Group at Robert Gordon University. She has curated the Field/Works Talks series, which features conversations with artists and researchers exploring the intersections of art and anthropology. She serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Scottish Sculpture Workshop since 2018 and was co-Chair of ANTART, EASA's 'Anthropology and the Arts' Network, from 2020-2022. Her collaborative approach to research is evident in her numerous joint publications and exhibitions, including the recent 'Field/works II: generating ecologies of trust' (2024).