Mark Pennings taught as a tutor and lecturer in the Fine Arts Department at Melbourne University and at RMIT, in Melbourne and Hong Kong, before joining QUT in 2001.
He has written numerous articles for art journals such as “Art and Australia”, “Eyeline”, “Australian and New Zealand Journal of Art” and ‘Photofile’ as well as many catalogue essays. Recent publications include: Garth Clark (ed) Ceramic Millennium: Critical Writings on Ceramic History, Theory and Art (Nova Scotia: Press of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, 2006).
Pennings’ doctorate considered the use of schizophrenia, the unconscious, and the simulacrum as figures of psychic rebellion in the postwar period. This is a cultural and historical account of modern and postmodern conceptions of consciousness and reality that emerged in the 1960s. The thesis examines consumerism, pop art, advertising, psychoanalysis, philosophy and social theory. Recent theoretical interests include the political economy of contemporary international art.
Pennings’ primary teaching interests include modern, postmodern and contemporary art, consumer culture, video art and culture.
He is currently supervising four doctoral and two Masters’ student. He is a member of the Australian Art Association in Queensland and the College Art Association (USA).
This information has been contributed by Dr Mark Pennings.
