Cornish Art Research Network (CARN)

Cornish Fishermen, The Quay, St Ives - Christopher Wood (1901-1930) - Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Matt Retallick, Manchester Metropolitan University

The Cornish Art Research Network (CARN) brings together researchers working in the field of Cornish modern and contemporary art. It is led by Matt Retallick (Manchester Metropolitan University) and is part of the Institute of Cornish Studies at the University of Exeter Cornwall Campus. As a group, we come together to produce art historical, critical, and theoretical responses to the art and artists of Cornwall, offering new perspectives, challenging perceptions, and enlivening debate. Our current research areas include Cornish modernism, Cornish artistic identity, Cornwall in contemporary painting, and the Cornish artistic diaspora.

CARN is currently seeking members. To register your interest please email:m.retallick@mmu.ac.uk with a brief explanation of your research focusses and academic affiliations. Membership is free and is open to academics and post-graduate researchers.

Matt Retallick is an Art Historian and Curator and is currently Lecturer of Art History and Curating at Manchester School of Art (Manchester Metropolitan University). Originally from Cornwall, much of his research activity focuses on modern and contemporary Cornish art. For example, his doctoral research is the first in-depth scholarly study of the German / Cornish artist Karl Weschke. He has curated exhibitions and led projects for a variety of cultural institutions, and his writings on art and culture have been published widely. He is a research lead for the British Art Network (Tate, Paul Mellon, Yale), a member of the MMU Visual Culture Research Group, the International Council of Museums, and an honorary lifetime member of the Modernist Society. In Summer 2023 he founded the Cornish Art Research Network (CARN) as part of the Institute of Cornish Studies.