James Finch began his studies in October as the holder of an AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership award (a collaboration between Tate Research and the University of Kent). His subject is the art writings of the British critic and curator David Sylvester (1924–2001), working under the supervision of Martin Hammer and Grant Pooke. Sylvester was a hugely influential figure in the post-war art world, probably best known for his volume of interviews with the painter Francis Bacon. The PhD will make use of Sylvester’s extensive archive, newly acquired and catalogued by the Tate.