Jesse Alexander
Course Leader, MA Photography (Online)
Jesse Alexander is a photographer, educator and writer on photography based in Somerset, England. Whilst studying photography at the Surrey Institute of Art & Design (Farnham) he began working as a freelance photographer. Cutting his teeth on editorial assignments, TV stills work, PR and events, studio assisting and product photography, and developing a commercial specialism in interiors, architecture and photography of the built environment.
Shortly after graduating Jesse began writing reviews and articles on contemporary photography for publications including Source Magazine, HotShoe International and 1000 Words Photography. In 2008 he completed an MFA on the Documentary Photography programme at Newport, where his commitment towards furthering the understanding of landscape and the representation of place really took hold. The culmination of his studies at Newport, 'Threshold Zone' led to his nomination for the 'reGeneration: 50 Photographers of Tomorrow' project. In 2015 Jesse published 'Perspectives on Place: Theory and Practice in Landscape Photography', which has become a staple introduction to the subject for those approaching the subject at all levels.
Jesse began teaching during his postgraduate studies, initially at college-level and later developed a specialism for remote learning and was the Programme Leader for BA(Hons) Photography at the Open College of the Arts from 2013-’18. This expertise placed him in an ideal position to set up the online MA Photography programme at Falmouth University, which he has been leading since 2016 and is the largest postgraduate photography programme of its kind. To create a discussion space for conversations around photography within higher education, he set up the Photo|Phone podcast with Clare Bottomley. Jesse became a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2024.
External Links
Qualifications
Qualifications
| Year | Qualification | Awarding body |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | MFA | University of Wales, Newport |
| 2004 | BA(Hons) | Surrey Institute of Art & Design |
Membership of external committees
Fellow, Higher Education AcademyResearch Interests
Research interests and expertise
Jesse's research interest included the representation of landscape, ecology and sustainability, and documentary practice. Recent projects include 'The Silent Land' (Bristol: Vika Books, 2021) and 'The Digging Season' - an exploration of the intersections of ecology, industry and archaeology on the Somerset Levels and Moors - exhibited at Photo|Frome in 2023.
Jesse is also interested in teaching practices across HE and has been the External Examiners on several programmes - currently the MA Photography course at Nottingham Trent University - and has acted as external consultant on numerous programme approval / re-/validation events.
Research Outputs
Publications and research outputs
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Alexander, Jesse
(2024), review: 'Extraction / Abstraction' - Edward Burtynsky, In: Photomonitor, Photomonitor, London, ISSN: n/a -
Alexander, Jesse
(2021), (Review) Coming up for Air: Stephen Gill – A Retrospective (Arnolfini, Bristol), In: 1000 Words Photography Magazine, 1000 Words Photography Magazine, London (online) -
Alexander, Jesse
(2021), A False Sense of Security: Chris Down's Visions from Arcadia, In: Photomonitor, Photomonitor, London (online), ISSN: N/A -
Toro-Troconis, Maria, Alexander, Jesse and Frutos-Perez, Manuel
(2019), Assessing Student Engagement in Online Programmes: Using Learning Design and Learning Analytics, In: International Journal of Higher Education, Sciedu Press, Ontario, 8 (6), ISSN: 1927-6044 (print) -
Alexander, Jesse
(2019), Robin Friend's 'Bastard Countryside': Review, Photomonitor, In: Photomonitor, Photomonitor / Christiane Monarchi, London, ISSN: online -
Alexander, Jesse
(2019), Interview with Hamish Fulton, In: Source Photographic Review, Source / Photoworks North, Belfast, pp. 50-60, ISSN: 13692224 -
Alexander, Jesse
(2016), 'This is how it is': Telling New Stories, In: Photomonitor, Photomonitor, Online, ISSN: n/a
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Alexander, Jesse
(2021), ‘Impact Assessment Plans: consumption and accountability in MA Photography research project proposals’, In: Expanding Communities of Sustainable Practice, 14th – 15th October 2021, Leeds Arts University (online) -
Fontoura, Catarina
(2020), 'Authenticity, Creative Practices and Community in Online Teaching and Learning', In: AdvanceHE Teaching and Learning Conference 2020, June 2020, Online, (Submitted) -
Alexander, Jesse
(2019), Global Guest Lectures, In: APHE Summer Conference: Photography and Collaboration, 12-14 July 2019, Coventry University -
Toro-Troconis, Maria, Alexander, Jesse and Cosgrove, Steph
(2018), Into the Image World: Creating Global Communities of Practice, In: AdvanceHE Teaching and Learning Conference 2018, 03-05 July 2018, Birmingham -
Alexander, Jesse
(2016), Photography - Writing - Land - Pastoral, Hereford College of Arts, Hereford -
Alexander, Jesse
(2015), Inside the Mountain, Kendal Mountain Festival, Kendal, (Submitted) -
Alexander, Jesse
(2015), Street Views and Minority Perspectives, Millennium Gallery, Sheffield
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Alexander, Jesse
(2021), The Silent Land, VIKA Books, Bristol, UK, ISBN: 978-0-9570255-6-1 -
Alexander, Jesse
(2015), Perspectives on Place: Theory and Practice in Landscape Photography, Fairchild Books/Bloomsbury, London, ISBN: 9781472533890
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Alexander, Jesse
(2021), Review: 'On Meaning and Landscape' by Richard Misrach, In: Source, Photoworks North, Belfast, pp. 81-81, ISSN: ISSN 13692224 -
Alexander, Jesse
(2015), 'Some Thing Means Everything to Somebody' by Peter Mitchell, In: Photomonitor, Photomonitor, Online, ISSN: n/a -
Alexander, Jesse
(2015), 'High Rise' by Peter Bobby, In: Photomonitor, photomonitor, online, ISSN: n/a
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Alexander, Jesse
McLeod, Gary, Cosgrove, Steph, Sank, Michelle, McMurdo, Wendy, Fontoura, Catarina, Brett, Karen and Pfab, Anna-Maria, (2019), The Living Image: Falmouth Flexible Photography Symposium 2019, Falmouth University -
Alexander, Jesse
(2016), New Pastoral Paradigms: Explorations in Landscape and the Self, Bank Street Arts, Sheffield
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Udy, Oliver
(2023), terra. An exhibition from the terra. research cluster., In: terra., 31.3.23 - 15.4.23, Grays Wharf -
Alexander, Jesse
(2023), The Digging Season - examining the ecological impact and cultural legacy of peat extraction on the Somerset Levels, In: Photo|Frome, 24 June - 14 July 2023, Rook Lane Chapel, Frome. Somerset. UK -
Alexander, Jesse
(2016), Elementary Husbandry, Bank Street Arts, Sheffield -
Alexander, Jesse
(2015), Elementary Husbandry, Ploiesti, Romania -
Alexander, Jesse
(2014), Depart, Phoenix Gallery, Brighton
Events
Research Students
Current research students
Chris Hewitson, PhD candidate: 'Performing the Anthropocene: human and non-human animal interaction in the Corbières region of France.'
Teaching
Areas of teaching
- Contemporary photographic practice
- photography and visual culture history and theory
Courses taught
- MA Photography
Professional Engagement
Independent professional practice
Jesse operates a commercial photographic practice, specialising in architectural and interior photography, as well as independent projects with various cultural outputs.
Social, community and cultural engagement
Jesse is on the steering committee of Photo|Frome, a CIC and photography festival in the West of England.
Engagement with professional associations and societies
‘Impact Assessment Plans: consumption and accountability in MA Photography research project proposals’
Expanding Communities of Sustainable Practice Symposium 14th – 15th October 2021, Leeds Arts University.
‘Online Learning, Teaching and Assessment: Jesse Alexander and Richard Mulhearn discuss the virtual world of teaching’. Association for Photography in Higher Education, 22 April 2020.
Professional esteem indicators
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Senior Fellow of the Higher Education, January 2024 |
