Who got that job?

Daria Martin
Lecturer in fine art, the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford University
Advertised: The Times Higher , December 9, 2005

Daria Martin is part of a new wave of artists to join Oxford University's Ruskin School of Drawing.

With recent works included in major exhibitions at the Tate and Hayward galleries in London, Kunsthalle Zurich and Basel Art Fair, her appointment will enable her to share her experiences as an artist with a new generation of young artists.

"The small size of the Ruskin makes it very intimate," she said. "The tutor-to-student ratio is very small, which is a challenge. What I love about Ruskin is the good contact with students and the precious relationships. With only 60 students, it is an intimate environment to form a community and build collective artworks through exploration together."

The American-born artist, who was originally a painter, made a "healthy transition" to working with large groups of people in film and performance to express her ideas.

"Since Richard Wentworth took over as master of drawing, he's changed the dynamics of the school," said Ms Martin. "I feel as though my coming is about part of a new wave of energy really. I bring my own experience as a student who has explored and struggled with various stages of my own art.

"My relatively young age, 33, means that I am also quite a bit closer to the students' age than other faculty members, so perhaps I can be more of a role model.

"Artists are naturally insular and need time alone in the studio. But I want the students to meet people who are artists in different environments, so I plan to bring in performance artists, dancers, actors and musicians to give students experience of different ways of working."

Martyn Bull