Stephen graduated from MA Art and Science at Central Saint Martins in 2022, and is currently working as a visual artist based in London.
Why did you choose to study MA Art and Science at Central Saint Martins (CSM)?
I did my Foundation in 2001–02 and in the subsequent years I set up initiatives for artists and creatives to work in policy and science settings (including bringing MA Art and Science students in to work on a report for the Government Chief Scientist). In parallel, I had been sharpening my practice through some excellent CSM short courses, including Mixed Media and Abstraction. I was also working part-time in the Government Office for Science… it made so much sense to apply to the MA Art and Science programme myself.
What have you been working on since graduating?
I have continued my practice and regularly exhibit, including as part of the Wilderness Art Collective. I co-head the UK Policy Lab, a team in the Civil Service whose mission is to radically improve policy through design, innovation and people-centred approaches. As part of that, I have set up a programme called MANIFEST, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, which has now brought eight well-known artists into government policy teams. I have developed a relationship with folks involved in the Artist Placement Group, and have most recently contributed to the retrospective of Barbara Steveni (who founded the APG) at Modern Art Oxford. Last but not least, I completed the Clore Fellowship between 2019–22.
What was the most interesting project you worked on during your time on the course?
I co-led, with fellow student Julie Light, a collaboration with the Royal Society to bring together ten artists to make a speculative museum of the future to help the Society think about the future of research culture. The Museum of Extraordinary Objects made abstract concepts real and was exhibited in the Royal Society in Carlton House Terrace before being used in workshops with scientists around the country.
What important piece of advice would you give to students thinking of studying this course?
Just do it! If you are interested in art and science in the broadest sense (from bio-design to economic and social research), the course is extremely rewarding.
What was the highlight of your Central Saint Martins experience?
I was lucky to have many highlights, including a residency at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, a number of shows, and I won a UAL bursary to visit Joya arte + ecología in Spain. But perhaps my highlight was the degree show. It was a really tough intellectual, technical and logistical challenge, but it resulted in me taking my practice in unexpected directions. For example, I responded to space constraints by producing a number of works for outside the gallery, scattered across London, Essex and Hertfordshire. The final work was shortlisted for a prize, and there was a tremendous buzz throughout the duration of the show.
What is the most important thing you learnt on the course?
I learnt how to create a dialogue between artistic practice and the real world. MA Art and Science is very outward-focused. They have developed a number of partnerships with various organisations, from science entities to policy organisations and cultural institutions. It helped me fundamentally think: how can my practice be relational and situated in the world of people, decisions, politics, technology, classrooms… not just art galleries (though they are important!).
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