ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the responses that received from the interviewees within six recurrent, interrelated themes that emerged from the data to explore deeper into the thoughts and feelings of the participants in the study in regard to the PhD in fine art. The themes include artist's identity, relationships between the role of creator and teacher, notions of research, the value of qualifications awarded in fine art, the importance of the art market upon production, the fear of change and instability, and the active interview style. Discussing these themes, the chapter examines the reflexive effects of the active interview process. The notion that knowledge is in art practice was ever-present during the interviews. A persistent debate surrounding the PhD in fine art and within the art academic community is the dispute over what actually constitutes research or knowledge in art practice. The chapter also discusses the participants' impressions toward artists working within the higher education system.
