Fine Art

Fine art is a discipline of making and enquiry, concerned with the development of a distinctive artistic practice and the critical and conceptual thinking that sustains it. Unlike more applied creative disciplines, fine art is relatively open in terms of medium and approach: you might work with painting, sculpture, installation, video, photography, performance, or digital media, or combinations of these. What unites fine art practice is the commitment to ideas-led making, to experimenting with materials and forms in the service of questions or concerns that matter to you, and to developing the critical vocabulary to understand and communicate what your work is doing.

At York St John University, this three-year full-time programme supports you in discovering what drives your practice and how to develop it with rigour and ambition. You will engage in the kind of experimentation and critical thinking that allows your work to become genuinely your own, moving beyond the execution of briefs to develop an independent artistic voice. The programme includes a sandwich year with placement and a year abroad option, giving you professional experience in relevant contexts and the opportunity to develop your practice in an international environment.

Both of these experiences are significant in a field where professional networks and diverse influences matter greatly.

Fine art graduates pursue a wide range of paths. Many develop careers as practising artists, often combining their practice with work as educators, technicians, curators, or within the creative industries more broadly. Others move into areas such as arts administration, community arts, curation, art criticism, publishing, and design.

The discipline of studio practice, the ability to develop and sustain an independent creative vision, and the critical thinking it develops are assets in many contexts beyond the studio. Postgraduate study at MA level is common for those who wish to develop their practice further or to move into academic teaching.