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GRADUATE
PHOTOGRAPHY
ONLINE 2016

MA/MFA Selectors:

Cliff Lauson, Curator

Hayward Gallery

www.southbankcentre.co.uk

Introducing the Selectors for the MA/MFA Phase of Graduate Photography Online 2016: we talk to Cliff Lauson, Curator at the Hayward Gallery.

What is your core role in the job that you do?

As a Curator at the Hayward Gallery, I research and organise large-scale exhibitions of international art.

How did you make your way into the career you're now in? Did you always want to work in a field that involved photography?

I came to curating via the history of art, but always wanted to work in museums and galleries rather than in academia. I have always been interested in photography and photographic art, and more broadly speaking, in lens-based media and digital media.

How do you decide on what makes an interesting photograph or photographic project?

The idea of 'interesting' is fairly subjective, but is informed by a combination of background information about the work, and how I think it sits within the histories of photography and art.

As regards the artist's statement, what is important for you to know about the work?

I am always interested to know more about how an artist sees the world in addition to the specificities of the artwork, series or project.

What advice would you have for someone interested in working in your area of photography?

To look at what has gone before, but to find your own way. To be authentic to yourself and to your practice.

Do you foresee any significant developments in the role of photography in relation to your field of work?

I think the relationship between photography and digital technology will continue to deepen, and I am always keeping an eye on future directions in art.