Luke Morgan

Professor Luke Morgan is the Director of Art History & Theory in the Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture at Monash University. He holds dual roles as an Australian Research Council Future Fellow and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. His research focuses on Renaissance and Baroque art, particularly landscape design, grotesque elements, and early modern cultural studies. Morgan has authored seminal works like The Monster in the Garden (2016) and Nature as Model (2006), and co-edits the Monsters and Marvels book series. His work bridges art history, architectural theory, and cultural analysis, exploring themes such as garden symbolism, monstrosity, and early modern aesthetics.

Education:

• PhD in Art History, University of Melbourne (2005)
• MA (First Class Hons) in Art History, University of Auckland (1998)
• BA in Art History, University of Auckland (1995)

Research Interests: Renaissance and Baroque landscape design, grotesque art, early modern gardens, and interdisciplinary cultural studies. He examines how gardens served as sites of cultural, philosophical, and artistic expression, particularly through symbolic motifs like monsters, hybrid forms, and natural phenomena.

Grants & Projects:

• A Reception History of Early Modern Landscape Design (ARC Future Fellowship, 2020–2025)
• Monsters and Marvels book series (Amsterdam University Press)
• Editorial roles at Studies in the History of Gardens and Designed Landscapes

Labs/Teams: Collaborates internationally on projects like Digital Bomarzo Underground and The Enchanted Garden in Early Modern England, combining digital humanities with traditional art history.