BFA Freshers’ Suggested Reading List:
History & Theory of Visual Culture 2024
- Barthes, Roland Camera Lucida – Vintage
- Chambers, Eddie B l a ck Artists in British Art – I.B. Tauris
- Godfrey, Tony The Story of Contemporary Art – Thames & Hudson
- Jurgenson, Nathan The Social Photo: On Photography and Social Media – Penguin
- Lang, Olivia Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency – Picador
- Kalb, Peter A r t S ince 1980 – Laurence King
- Lorde, Audre The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House – Penguin
- Nochlin, Linda Why Are There No Great Women Artists? 50th Anniversary Edition – Thames & Hudson
- Proctor, Alice The Whole Picture: the colonial story of the art in our museums and why we need to talk about it – Cassell
- Stallabrass, Julian Contemporary Art, 2nd Edition – Oxford
- Tsing, Anna Lowenhaupt The Mushroom at the End of the World – Princeton
These are not set texts, just suggestions of books that contemporary art students often find useful or stimulating. You might also take a look at a couple of excellent series and, following your own interests, choose one work or theme to explore in more depth:
- Afterall’s One Work https://www.afterall.org/books/one.work/
- Whitechapel/MIT’s Documents of Contemporary Art https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/series/whitechapel-documents-contemporary-art
It is also well worth reading art magazines like Frieze (https://frieze.com), Art Monthly (http://www.artmonthly.co.uk), and e-flux (https://www.e-flux.com).
There is a useful repository of moving image and sound art, called Ubuweb, at http://ubuweb.com/.
The Tate Modern website also has links to articles and videos on contemporary art and artists: https://www.tate.org.uk/art.
Study skills for incoming undergraduates
As an Oxford student, you have many great opportunities ahead, but studying here can also be very challenging. To help you prepare for this, we have put together some resources that will help you develop your study skills before you start at Oxford, no matter your subject.
Starting at Oxford
Starting a course at Oxford can be very daunting, but there are many resources out there to help you succeed! Here are some useful guides from across the University that you might want to check out:
- Study skills and training: Here you can find advice on academic good practice including avoiding plagiarism, managing your time, reading, note taking, referencing and revision.
- Student life: It’s not all about academics at Oxford; here you can find out about the range of other opportunities available to you as a student, as well as tips on how to navigate student life with your workload. If you prefer podcasts, much of this information is available in that form here!
- Managing your budget: Student finances can be daunting at first glance. You can find can find more information on managing your money at university here, as well as information on fees and funding.
Useful contacts
If you have any questions that aren’t answered on this page, you can get in touch with the following people:
| Contact | Questions they can answer |
| Admissions Office: Sarah Jones | Anything to do with offers, visas, UCAS issues, reading lists and preparatory materials |
| Accommodation Office | Accommodation, what to bring, insurance, electoral roll issues |
| Bursary | All things financial |
| College Office | Practical arrangements, bank letters, etc. |
| Disability enquiries: Elaine Eastgate | Any issues relating to disability or special requirements |