Dr Jon Cockburn

Dr Jon Cockburn is a dual Australian and European Union ‘Italia’ citizen, but he was born and lived in Papua New Guinea before moving to Australia as a young adult to commence university studies. In a previous life Jon also practiced as a conceptual artist and performance poet or ‘peoples poet’ of very dubious standing. The general public embarrassment caused by his ‘artistic’ activities led to Jon being awarded the Australia Council studio abroad in Italy with the hope that he might not return. Unfortunately this very civic ploy did not work and he returned to Australia on the condition that he desist all such ‘art’ practices on pain of permanent exile: a condition also extended to the EU. Prior to joining the School of the Arts, English and Media, University of Wollongong, Jon taught design and visual arts history and theory at universities in greater Sydney, including the Western Sydney University, University of Technology, University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales