In the twenty-first century, a mode of visual art making has emerged that utilises methodological practices of writing in order to explore the functions and readings of the fine art object. This thesis examines this practice, termed Art Writing, in three stages.

The first chapter of this thesis draws the origins of Art Writing. This chapter describes various moments in visual art history where technological process in print publishing enabled visual artists to create new, analytical contexts for reading contemporary art. Case studies in this chapter include the manifesto-based practices of Futurism and Vorticism publications around Conceptual Art, including Semina, Aspen, and Interfunktionen; and artistic practices from the 1970s and 1980s that merged literature and the visual arts, such as Neoism and Transgressive writing.

The second chapter of this thesis analyses the current moment of Art Writing, with a specific focus on Art Writing in the UK. This research aims to define the boundaries in which Art Writing operates. Having diverse historical origins – that include criticism, curation, fiction writing, and independent publishing – Art Writing has a variety of manifest forms. This chapter examines different styles of Art Writing and places it within a recognisable praxis-based infrastructure.

The final chapter looks at the institutional structures that have emerged in the twenty-first century that has enabled Art Writing to become a recognisable form of contemporary art making. This research includes analytical case studies of the growth and development of the contemporary art institution, independent publishing, coupled with trends in contemporary art that coalesce curatorial research as exhibitive practice. Cumulatively, this thesis analyses the causes and effects of Art Writing in the UK and suggests its trajectory in the near future based on the findings of this research.