About Will

Will Clarke is an art historian, educator, and writer based in Grimsby, Lincolnshire. His research explores the intersections of visual cultures, gender, and sexuality, with a particular focus on the history of photography and its relationship to sexuality in the post-war period (1945–1967).

His most recent work examines the history of physique photography in 1950s and 1960s American physique magazines. Rooted in a materialist approach, his MA dissertation investigated how the photographed male body in post-war US physique magazines was part of a growing male homosexual network. This research remains ongoing, as Will refines and expands his ideas while drafting a PhD proposal that will explore these themes in more depth. He is shifting his focus as he does this, hoping to conduct research on physique photography in Britain after World War II, thinking about its relationship to homosexuality and culture.

Will holds a BA (Hons) in Fine Art and Art History from the Manchester School of Art and an MA in the Social History of Art from the University of Leeds. His research continues to evolve as he networks with scholars and institutions in preparation for doctoral study.

As an aspiring university lecturer, Will has written on the history of art and visual culture, covering topics such as the history of homosexuality and visual culture, historiography of art history, feminism in art history, and the cultural and collective memory of the Holocaust. His analysis of T. J. Clark’s concept of the ‘Imaginary Public’ remains a key piece in his body of academic work and is available to read on this website. Will also teaches an art history group at Franklin Sixth Form College in Grimsby as part of his job as a Progress Coach. Taking a seminar approach, the group focuses on exploring key art historical texts, providing art students at Franklin with the ability to interpret artworks and visual cultures.