Alumni Profile: Daniel Boetker-Smith

Degree: Creative Arts (Masters) 2005 Current Position: Course Leader, BA (Hons) Fine Art: Photography, University of Gloucestershire, UK Photographer and academic Daniel Boetker-Smith returned to his hometown of Melbourne to pursue his Masters studies after completing an undergraduate degree at the University of Wales. After graduating he returned to the UK to help establish the Photography degree programme at the University of Chester, one of the country's oldest higher education institutions. In 2008 Daniel took up the position of Course Leader of Fine Art: Photography at the University of Gloucestershire where he teaches alongside Turner Prize nominated artist Richard Billingham. Daniel now combines his leadership and teaching responsibilities with his own continuing photography practice, research and PhD studies.

I studied in the School of Creative Arts at the University of Melbourne from 2003 to 2004. I completed an MA in Creative Arts (Photography) in 2004 for which I received a H1 mark. My supervisors were Dr Peter Morse, Dr Peter Hill and Maggie Hegarty. My MA work was a photographic exhibition and thesis titled ‘The Averted Look’.

In 2008 I was appointed Course Leader of Fine Art: Photography at the University of Gloucestershire, UK. I run the BA (Hons) Fine Art: Photography programme and teach across the Fine Art Department at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. I am continuing my practice as a photographic artist and studying for a PhD in Fine Art at Manchester Metropolitan University with Prof Pavel Buchler and Dr David Sweet.

I have exhibited in Australia and the UK; notably at the CCP (Centre for Contemporary Photography) in Melbourne and at Truman Gallery, Brick Lane, London. My research interests include the work of British documentary photographer Christopher Killip; contemporary German art; the work of Christopher Wool; the physical surface of the photograph: Jacques Derrida and the visual arts; Abstract painting and photographic practice: the work of Bill Henson; the use of gesture in photography; and Mieke Bal and photographic narrative.

My greatest memory of Melbourne Uni is having an office in the Philosophy Quad for the majority of my MA. During my time there I fell in love with academia and with the multi-disciplinary conversations that would occur in the corridors. For two years I lead the life every postgraduate student dreams of. The Baillieu Library is wonderful and dangerous - I would go in to get one book and come out with twelve, eleven of which were not remotely about my topic.