Artist, Researcher, Teacher explores the relationship of three professional identities that often intersect in the lives of art practitioners, educators, and students.



Challenging conventional wisdom about specialization and professional identity, Alan Thornton shows that many individuals have complex, varied, and evolving relationships with visual art—relationships that do not fit into any single category. Against the backdrop of an expanding research culture and current employment models in the United States and the United Kingdom— where many artists also work as teachers—he argues for the necessity of a theory that both reflects and influences practice in the realm of art and art-related work. A great resource for those whose professional or creative lives encompass multiple aspects of art, research, and education, Artist, Researcher, Teacher will also provide fresh insights for those interested in identity formation and professional roles and practices. By elucidating our current situation, it opens the door to much-needed new approaches.