Matthew Cornford

Matthew Cornford is Professor of Fine Art at the University of Brighton, where he leads the BA (Hons) Fine Art Critical Practice program. His research examines the cultural history of British art schools through photographic surveys and critical analyses of institutional evolution.

Cornford co-authored 'The Art School and the Culture Shed' and has exhibited widely, including at the New Art Gallery Walsall. His work investigates the transformation of art education, architectural heritage of provincial art schools, and pedagogical shifts in post-studio practice. Recent exhibitions document art schools across England's Midlands regions.

Publications analyze risk assessment in performance art, student placement schemes, and the symbolic significance of abandoned art school buildings. His methodology combines archival research with contemporary artistic practice.