• Introduction & Biography

Thornton has a BA in Art History and a PhD in Sociology. She writes about contemporary art for The Economist and contributes to many other publications and broadcasts (such as BBC TV and radio, ZDF television, and NPR radio).
A Canadian who came to Britain on a Commonwealth Scholarship, Thornton’s PhD was published by Polity Press as Club Cultures: Music, Media and Subcultural Capital. She co-edited the first edition of The Subcultures Reader.
Thornton was once a member of faculty at Sussex University where she ran the MA in Media Studies. For one long year, Thornton did undercover research as a brand planner in an advertising agency. Her plan was to write a book but she settled on publishing an article (see Critical Quarterly) and had two children instead.
Since 2003, Thornton has been investigating the social and cultural dynamics of contemporary art. Her book, Seven Days in the Art World, is based on extensive ethnographic research, including in-depth interviews with over 250 people and hundreds of hours of participant observation.
Thornton is a frequent guest speaker. She has contributed to a wide range of conference panels and conversations on stage. In the past year, Thornton has given talks at Cambridge and Oxford Universities (England), the Royal College of Art and Goldsmiths’ College (London), Bocconi University (Milan), UNAM (Mexico City), UCLA (Los Angeles), the Corcoran (Washington DC), the Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto), and the Sydney Writers Festival, among others.

• Books by Sarah Thornton
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