Dr Matt Lodder

Dr Matt Lodder is a Senior Lecturer in Art History and Theory, and Director of American Studies at the University of Essex.
His research primarily concerns the application of art-historical methods to history of Western tattooing. His expertise also extends to wider histories of body modification practices in the West, including tongue splitting, implants, and other procedures. He has also recently published work on feminist debates in pornography, and on the intersections of consent, culture and the law in the context of 1970s and ’80s queer subcultures. His first monograph, on the history of Western tattooing, is currently in production. His latest major exhibition, ‘British Tattoo Art Revealed’, began at the National Maritime Museum Falmouth in March 2017 and is currently on tour nationwide through 2020. Matt also serves as the presenter of the landmark television series “Art of Museums” / ‘Magie des Grands Musées’ / ‘Magie der Museen’, airing across Europe.

Classes 2024:

• The Three Hundred Year History of the Modern Tattoo Industry
• Western Influences in Japanese Tattooing 1880-1910
• RT: Queer Tattooing

Classes 2023:

• Ethel Granger and the Hidden Histories
• Alternative History of Tattooing

Classes 2019:

• Mr Sebastian, Operation Spanner, and the Queer Histories of Body Piercing
• The Legacies of R v Brown in Contemporary British Law: The Case of Dr Evil