The BA Painting course at Camberwell is focused on the practice of painting, but it also encourages students to work in other Fine Art media, such as photography, printmaking or sculpture, thereby enabling students to follow their own particular interests and supporting them to explore other artistic ways of working. The individual nature of student's studies is at the heart of the course, with students negotiating with tutors how they wish to develop and manage their own learning.

BA Painting is a studio-based course, and is one of only a few BA courses that actually specialises in painting. Tutors will support students to follow their own specific lines of enquiry and research. Students attend specific lectures organized by BA Painting and the Fine Art Area. These look at the history or art and ideas and current theoretical and artistic debates. The course has a high number of internationally active visiting teachers and artists working on it.

A 'thinking through making' ethos runs throughout the College's programmes. An ethos which describes the relationships between intentions, actions and outcomes, and which promotes 'a reflective practice' that enables students, through a strong studio culture, to develop their own independent critical and professional position within contemporary art-making.

Students attend technical and skill based workshops support by the College's Resource Centres, the Tate Conservation Department and leading professional art-technicians, which investigate the properties of various painting materials. Like all Camberwell students those enrolled on the BA Painting course have access to the College's excellent workshop facilities, darkrooms and life drawing classes. Regular study trips and studio-visits are arranged throughout the academic year.

The BA Painting course at Camberwell aims to provide a supportive environment for students to become self-reliant, self-motivated and competent as professional practicing artists.

Staff Team Profiles

All staff on the course are nationally and internationally recognised artists, mainly painters, but also artists and critics whose work emanates from an understanding of painting The Course Director, Daniel Sturgis is a current prizewinner of the John Moores Painting Prize - 2010. The staff team include Julian Bell, Nick Callow, Matthew Draper, Tina Gveroic, Pil and Galia Kolectiv, Hew Locke, Neil Rumming, Dr.Edgar Schmitz, Claude Temin-Vergez and John Wilkins. Humphrey Ocean R.A and John Keane are the current Visiting Professors in Painting at Camberwell.

Research / External Links

All staff are involved in academic and artistic research communities, and regularly exhibit their own artworks nationally and internationally, and participate in external lectures, talks and symposiums looking at ideas and theories that govern how art and painting operate today.

Camberwell's Painting course regularly organizes research events such as 'Contemporary Painting and History' conference at Tate Britain in 2009. The course is linked to other research active Universities and art schools internationally and helped implement and set up the University of the Arts Painting Research Network 'Paint Club'.

Recent visiting artists include:

Charles Avery, David Batchelor, Dianne Bauer, Basil Beattie R.A, Simon Bedwell, Juan Bolivar, Robert Rush, Varda Caviano, Stephen Chambers R.A, Matthew Collings, Keith Coventry, Peter Davies, Stephen Farthing R.A, James Faure-Walker, Pia Fries, Kirsten Glass, Katharina Grosse, Jane Harris, Peter McDonald, Jock McFadyen, Andrea Medjsi-Jones, Clare Mitten, Ian Monroe, Simon Periton, Ana Prada, Dan Rees, David Ryan, Miho Sato, Michael Stubbs, Alison Turnbull, Christian Ward.

Recent visiting writers include:

Dr. Amanda Beech, Dr. Roger Cook, Tony Godfrey, Dr. Jonathan Katz, Robin Klasnick, Paul O'Kane, Barry Schwabsky, Jan Verwoert.

What Do Students Say About the Course?

Tom McParland - BA Painting Graduate, 2009

"The tutorials and lectures, from some of the most respected painters working in London, were invaluable during my time at Camberwell. You gain a great insight into professional practice by talking one-to-one with younger and more established artists. The technical support available was also excellent. The course and its staff are really focused on what painting is today."

Amy Woodward - BA Painting Graduate, 2009

"Within the support structure that Painting at Camberwell offers, exploration and risk in personal vision can be practiced. The seduction of painting practice is that you can create your own unknowns: Camberwell offers a critical and assertive vision of what painting can be and what it could be, in the context of contemporary Fine Art. Students have a closeness and awareness of one another that provides a strong sense of individuality within the course. This triggers the possibility of open and penetrating critique of personal practice."

Nina Rodin - BA Painting Graduate 2008

"The BA at Camberwell encourages its students to explore the full spectrum of what painting can be in a contemporary practice. In conjunction with the larger structure of the college and of UAL, it gave me the professional skills and confidence to call myself an artist and continues to support me in developing my career."

Dan Rees - BA Painting Graduate, 2004

"The Camberwell painting course had a lot of energy; it was a place where you could experiment with different mediums and begin to successfully communicate your ideas. The emphasis the course had on understanding the importance of 'context' in making work was what I found the most influential."

Jennifer Cronin - Study Abroad student, University of Illinois, 2009

"I am really happy with my experience in London on Camberwell's painting course.I think that the education that I attained at Camberwell complemented my US education extremely well, further preparing me for life as an artist. While the studio time and actual art-making was placed at the forefront, it was all tied greatly with the idea of research."

The Fine Art Area at Camberwell

By uniquely retaining single subject degrees in Fine Art at undergraduate level, Camberwell offers students the benefits of in-depth study in specific subject areas-Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Drawing-whilst also enabling students to access cross-course teaching and facilities, and work with their peers in all the other Fine Art areas. All undergraduate Fine Art students at Camberwell attend cross-course crits and tutorials throughout their course even though they are primarily based in their own subject areas.

Painting at Camberwell

The BA Painting course is a small studio based course. Each student is allocated to a Tutor Group which meets on a regular basis to discuss each members work. Regular 1-1 tutorials take-place with your personal tutor and other Camberwell painting staff. Running alongside the studio teaching, students attend a Contextual Studies programme and varied weekly lectures by visiting artists.

Year 1

The first year is focused on equipping students with both technical and conceptual vocabularies. Through a Contextual Studies programme run by BA Painting you will be introduced to historical and contemporary 'Ideas in Art'. This programme is augmented by the Fine Art Area's 'Key Ideas' lectures that are attended by all undergraduate Fine Art students. Through the initial induction units you will be introduced to the subject of painting, and Fine Art, and the various teaching methods employed within the course. Workshop, library and technical inductions help students to understand the resources that are available and how to use and operate them effectively. In addition, they will also be introduced to University and College resources such as IT, Academic Support and Student Services.

Year 2

During the second year students continue to develop their individual practices and the theory needed in order to put them into context. As with the first year Contextual Studies is delivered partly within the BA Painting course, through a visiting lecture programme, and partly through the Fine Art Area's 'Key Ideas' lectures. There are two written essays during the year, each focused on a close reading of artworks and the context in which they operate.

Year 3

During the third year students plan, develop and realise an 'Individual Programme of Study' that culminates in the Degree show examination and exhibition. Students carry out sustained practical and contextual research, and through a sustained piece of written work explore in-depth the context of their practice and develop their ideas using an appropriate research-based methodology. Written work is focused either around a dissertation topic or the documentation and contextual analysis of a live-project or appropriate work-placement.

Facilities

Camberwell's excellent studio facilities enable students to work in a variety of media, such as painting, sculpture, and photography. All painting students have access to the College's technical workshops, the Photography, Printmaking, 3D, and Digital Media Resource Centres, as well as the College Library. Camberwell shares a site with the South London Gallery, one of the cities' premier contemporary art spaces.

Many graduates go on to further their studies in Fine Art on MA and MFA programmes at various institutions, such as Goldsmith's, The Royal Academy, The Royal College, or overseas. Recent graduates are now exhibiting professionally, and recent alumni include Turner Prize nominees and international exhibiting artists, as well as students who pursued careers in related fields such as curation, teaching and arts administration.

Graduates have set up studios in London, Berlin and New York and exhibited recently in well-respected galleries and museums such as Talbot Rice Gallery (Edinburgh), Yvon Lambert (Paris), BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art (Gateshead), The Barbican Centre (London), Tate Britain (London), ICA (London), Saatchi Gallery (London) and National Portrait Gallery (London).

Alumni:

• Mark Walker
• Matthew Stone
• Will Jarvis - Co-founder of The Sunday Painter
• Nicole Morris
• Stuart Middleton
• Nina Rodin
• Abigail Box
• Yuki Aruga

• Portfolio of work.
• A foundation course/ National Diploma/AVCE/ Advanced GNVQ or equivalent.
• Pass in 1 GCE A Level.
• Passes at GCSE level in 3 subjects (grade C or above).

• Applicants whose first language is not English must show proof of IELTS level 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each of the four skills. All information regarding acceptable tests, scores and exemptions from testing can be found here: http://www.arts.ac.uk/international/apply/englishlanguagerequirements/

• Applications are welcome from students who are returning to education after a break and have evidence of related experience/prior learning.

Study Abroad Applicants

This course accepts a limited number of Study Abroad students (international students who would like to spend one, two or three terms studying alongside our undergraduates, as part of their course at their home university). To find out further information about Study Abroad fees and the application process please visit the CCW Study Abroad pages.  

You need to apply through the UCAS online application system. You can complete your UCAS application from anywhere that has internet access.

All Camberwell College of Arts UCAS Course Codes can be found on the course 'At a Glance' tab or on the UCAS website.

Our University code is UAL.

Our College Code is U65.

There is no Campus Code for Camberwell College of Arts.

For further information about UCAS, or their application procedure, please contact them directly.

T: +44 (0)870 1122211
E: enq@ucas.ac.uk

For any other information please contact Camberwell College of Arts.

T: 020 7514 6302
E: info@camberwell.arts.ac.uk

International Applicants

Please visit the ccw international apply page for details.

or contact the CCW International Office.

T: +44 (0) 207 514 1852
E: ccwinternational@arts.ac.uk

Study Abroad Applicants

International undergraduate students can apply to join this BA course for a period of up to three terms as a Study Abroad student. Please visit the CCW Study Abroad pages for details on how to apply or contact the Study Abroad office:

T: +44 (0) 207 514 2249
E: studyabroad@chelsea.arts.ac.uk