2011
Adrian Searle
Honorary Degree of Doctor of Art in recognition of his outstanding contribution to public appreciation of art through high-quality reviews and art journalism.
Unusually among press critics, Adrian Searle had considerable practice in his field before he earned his living by passing judgment on it.
He painted and taught in art colleges and took up writing about art, which gradually took over as his main occupation. He has been chief art critic of The Guardian since 1996 and has continued to contribute to other publications.
Adrian has curated exhibitions in the UK, Europe and the USA, most recently the first retrospective of Brazilian sculptor Lucia Nogueira for the Serralves Museum in Porto, Portugal. He has served on the Turner Prize jury and is a visiting professor at the Royal College of Art in London. His work sets high standards for criticism and arts journalism.