Thinking Back, Making Forward: Artistic Research in Practice

by Brad Haylock (Editor)

To PhD or not to reflections from 30 artists-turned-doctoral candidates

In the last three decades, creative practice disciplines, such as art, design, architecture, creative writing, fashion and others, have undergone a "research turn," strongly stimulated by doctoral programs to deepen artists' reflections on the roots, relevance and urgencies of their work. For Thinking Back, Making Forward, the editors issued an open call to ask artists, spanning disciplines and nationalities, how PhD research has influenced their making and thinking. Through its 30 contributions, the book tackles these questions in an open way, addressing equally the advantages and disadvantages of the creep of the PhD into artistic practice. Each essay delves into the personal experiences of the artist-academic, who discloses their creative, material and professional motivations for pursuing a doctorate. Whether driven by mentorship, archival access, structure, funding or a professorship, all of the contributors provide candid, in-depth reflections of their time in academia.

400 pages, Paperback

Published August 11, 2026

Reviews

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had been talking with Sarah about creative practice PHDs and how they are designed to acknowledge that not all knowledge is captured by traditional approaches to research. This book does a good job of unpacking this as well as telling stories about the global development of creative research, how it does or doesnt relate to people's practices (mostly giving them much more formal tools for developing and understanding their work), the pains of doing a creative practice and writing a thesis, and what to do with this in terms of finances and jobs.