History of Art Trip to Oxford

On Friday 12th December a group History and Philosophy of Art students set off to discover the cultural wonders of the museums of Oxford. The group initially explored the Ashmolean museum, perusing several millennia’s worth of incredible artefacts in the renovated museum that astounded the students in the scope of the collections and the ingenuity of the museum design.

Following this the group embarked on a walk across town to visit the hidden gem that is the Museum of Modern Art Oxford. The students were able to see an exhibition that had been widely discussed in one of the modules – ‘Love Is Enough’ – a show featuring the work of William Morris and Andy Warhol, as curated the eminent contemporary artist Jeremy Deller. The students loved the show that had only recently opened to the public and found the unexpected juxtaposition of Morris and Warhol a compelling one that made for a surprisingly absorbing exhibition.

Following on from this, some students explored the city and its magnificent architecture whilst others went to discover the Natural History and Pitt Rivers museums, dazed by the incredible variety, unusual display methods and sheer volume of objects in the aforementioned institutions.

The students found the trip an incredibly enriching experience that has helped them to discover a different city with a rich museum heritage. The trip was particularly useful and directly related to those taking the ‘Historyand Theory of Curating module’ but was beneficial to all HPA Master students. The opportunity to undertake this trip was invaluable and would not have been as easy to organise and undertake without the excellent staff at the School of Arts and the funding that was provided to subsidise the trip. All students expressed their gratitude for the trip at the end of the rewarding day and all have been able to benefit from the experience.

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– Claire Anscomb (MA History & Philosophy of Art)