CROUCH, Christopher 1953-

PERSONAL: Born July 3, 1953, in London, England; son of John and Marjorie (Lawrence) Crouch. Ethnicity: "Mixed." Education: University of Leeds, B.A. (with honors), 1975; University of Liverpool, M.Des., 1985, Ph.D., 1991. Politics: "Left."

ADDRESSES: Home—60 Tenth Ave., Inglewood, Perth, Western Australia 6052, Australia. Office—Edith Cowan University, 2 Bradford St., Mount Lawley, Perth, Western Australia 6052, Australia.

CAREER: Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia, head of studies in visual culture, 1995–. Beijing National University, visiting professor, 2000; Guangdong Light Industry University, visiting professor, 2002. Exhibitions: Painter, with work represented in public and private collections in China, Australia, England, and Spain.

WRITINGS:

Modernism in Art Design and Architecture, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1999.

Culture in Liverpool, 1880–1914, Liverpool University Press (Liverpool, England), 2002.

Contributor to books, including Universal Design, edited by C. Christophersen, 2002; Common Ground, edited by D. Durling and J. Shackleton, Staffordshire University Press (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England), 2002; and Farewell Cinderella: Creating Arts and Identity in Western Australia, University of Western Australia Press (Crawley, Western Australia, Australia), 2003. Contributor to art, design, and architecture journals.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Research on cultural contexts of modernity, with particular reference to the formation of individual cultural identity.

SIDELIGHTS: Christopher Crouch told CA: "As a painter, with works in public and private collections in China, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Spain, my writing is not about the need to have an aesthetic voice, but about researching aesthetic practices within the history of art and design.

"Living for the largest part of my life in Liverpool, the city's architecture and its relationship—and lack of relationship—to the city's 'multiculture' started a long-term interest in the pros and cons of cosmopolitan practices in visual and material culture. This interest has been continued by my current residence in Australia, one of the world's most successful multicultures.

"My writing is about explaining cultural phenomena in a way that conveys ideas simply without obscuring their complexities. Oversimplification is an act of op-pressive editing; my aim is to reveal enough so that the reader is interested enough to start his or her own research. My writing is part of my persona as an educator. I see my observations on cultural history as an act of facilitation, rather than authoritative pronouncements.

"My chosen subject area is the interface between cultural systems and the individual, and it hinges on the empowering potential of the individual to become culturally reflexive."