Dr Alexander Boyd is an art historian and artist currently affiliated with Curtin University in Western Australia. His academic interests are focused on the development of photography in Scotland, as well as the re-emergence of alternative photographic processes such as wet-plate collodion. Other interests include mountain art in the UK, and the Isle of Arran as a centre of artistic production. During 2019-20 Dr Boyd led the Arran Art Heritage project which resulted in a symposium in 2021, and a physical heritage trail. A publication is currently in production.
The depiction of the military pastoral in Scotland, with particular emphasis on the Outer Hebrides was the subject of his PhD thesis which focused on photographers and artists working in areas owned by the Ministry of Defence.
He has published a number of books, the first of which ‘St Kilda – The Silent Islands’ (Luath Press 2019) was shortlisted for a Saltire Award. The second ‘Isle of Rust’ (Luath Press 2020) a collaboration with cultural critic Jonathan Meades. His third book ‘The Point of the Deliverance’ was released by Kozu Books in 2022.
His photographic work is in national collections in both the UK and the US.
