Jonathan P. Watts is a Research Tutor in Contemporary Art Practice at the Royal College of Art, London. His criticism and essays are published in British Art Studies journal, Art Monthly and Artforum, and he has made recent contributions to monographs on artists such as Magali Reus, Terry Atkinson, and Ryan Gander.
With Ben Brett, he is co-director of the artist-led gallery Josey, Norwich. Recent and upcoming exhibitions at Josey include solo presentations by Hilary Lloyd, Sue Atkinson, and Rhianna Turnbull.
EASTinternational is the subject of a fully-funded PhD which Jonathan began at Norwich University of the Arts in 2023. EASTinternational, often shortened to EAST, was an annual open-submission exhibition selected by invited guest curators, renowned artists, critics and gallerists, that took place at Norwich School of Art and Design between July and August every year from 1991 to 2009. Organised by Lynda Morris, it formed a vital part of the Norwich Gallery programme she curated – a gallery located inside the art school. Jonathan’s research draws on an extensive archive formed by curator Morris and uses oral history as a collaborative primary research method.
Oral history is an important method for Jonathan. With Nell Croose Myhill, he is currently undertaking an oral history of the first decade of the artist-led gallery OUTPOST, Norwich.
Jonathan is interested in collaborative and artist-centred approaches.
