At The Glasgow School of Art’s (GSA) graduation today (10 July), two notable figures – Thomas Joshua Cooper for Fine Art Photography and Stuart Robertson for securing the legacy of Charles Rennie Mackintosh – were awarded honorary doctorates in recognition of their outstanding contributions to education, architectural heritage, and Glasgow’s creative regeneration.
Thomas Joshua Cooper was conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters. Cooper founded the Photography programme at the GSA in 1982, and under his guidance, the department became one of Europe’s premier centres for the practice, study, and research of Fine Art Photography. His leadership positioned the GSA as one of Europe’s foremost departments for photographic study and research.
“Receiving this honour from The Glasgow School of Art is deeply moving,” says Thomas Joshua Cooper.
“Since arriving in the early 1980s, I have found my home in Glasgow, realising my most meaningful accomplishments as both teacher and artist within the city. My journey began with a childhood lesson from the Lakota Sioux: the difference between a ‘Seeing Eye’ and an ‘Eye that Sees’. At GSA, I sought to establish photography as a Fine Art, teaching that seeing is a purposeful, mental act leading to vision. I am boundlessly grateful to the colleagues who helped me realise these goals. As I continue my nomadic quest, I recall the Inuit wisdom: Nuannaarpoq – which means ‘take extravagant pleasure in being alive’.”
Professor Penny Macbeth, Director and Principal of The Glasgow School of Art, said:
“Today marks a key moment for our graduates as they move forward into the next stage of their creative careers, equipped with skills they have learned during their time here at The Glasgow School of Art and applying them in new roles across the creative sector.
“This year’s honorary doctorates are exemplars of the impact and legacy that our global creative network of graduates can make, demonstrating the value of creative education and the importance that creative people can make in setting the pace, in asking challenging questions, and in offering positive solutions.
“We are proud to award the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters in recognition of the outstanding success they have achieved in their respective fields, expanding their research and creative practices to international significance and acclaim. Thomas Joshua Cooper was the founding Head of Photography at GSA whose vision helped establish the medium internationally as a fine art discipline. Stuart Robertson has made a significant global contribution to the preservation of Mackintosh’s legacy, through a remarkable leadership role spanning 25 years.”
Professor Martin Newth, Head of the GSA’s School of Fine Art, added:
“I am indebted, as many others are, to the pioneering work Thomas has undertaken for the discipline of photography and fine art photographic education. The programme he founded here at the GSA in 1982 was the first, and for many years effectively the only one of its kind in Europe. As an artist, Thomas has travelled the globe with the same camera and black-and-white sheet film for decades, producing one of the most significant bodies of landscape art of our time. His photographs explore the medium’s potential not simply to describe the world, but to capture the essence of being in and of it. I and many others are deeply grateful: those Thomas has taught, those who have encountered him, and the thousands inspired by experiencing his work.”
As Director of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society (2001–2026), Stuart Robertson transformed the organisation into a globally recognised authority on Mackintosh’s architectural legacy. He led many critical heritage initiatives, including the first comprehensive survey of Mackintosh’s works and a year-long anniversary celebration in 2018. At The Glasgow School of Art, Robertson established the Mackintosh Travelling Scholarship, and remains a vocal advocate for Glasgow’s at-risk heritage.
“Receiving this honorary degree is a profound privilege. For over twenty-five years, my mission has been to position the Mackintosh legacy as a vital component of Glasgow’s contemporary narrative and creative economy.” Said Stuart Robertson.
“I am immensely proud of our work transforming the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society into a global authority, ensuring the preservation and continued investment in landmarks like Queen’s Cross Church. From initiating the first comprehensive survey of Mackintosh’s built heritage to establishing the Mackintosh Travelling Scholarship for GSA students, our goal has always been to inspire and educate. This recognition reinforces our collective ambition to protect and celebrate the city’s extraordinary cultural infrastructure.”
Professor Sally Stewart, Head of the Mackintosh School of Architecture, added:
“Stuart Robertson is a recognised authority on the work of Mackintosh and his peers, and a respected voice in its preservation and promotion internationally. Stuart has been central in Glasgow’s recognition of the cultural, social and economic asset it has in its Mackintosh legacy, situating its importance within advocacy for Glasgow’s wider heritage under threat, challenging the city on its management, protection, development and ambition for its wider built heritage. Thinking of new generations, working with higher education, especially The Glasgow School of Art, initiating the Mackintosh Travelling Scholarship, offering GSA architecture students the opportunity to travel and undertake academic research as Mackintosh himself did as a young architect.”
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NOTES FOR EDITORS
About Thomas Joshua Cooper
Thomas Joshua Cooper, born in California in 1946, is one of the most celebrated and distinctive landscape photographers in the world today. Arriving in Scotland in the early 1980s, he became a pivotal figure in Glasgow’s cultural and creative-led regeneration. As the founding Head of Photography at The Glasgow School of Art (in 1982), he was instrumental in establishing photography as an art form in its own right, placed on equal footing with traditional disciplines like painting and sculpture. His leadership transformed the GSA into one of Europe’s premier departments for the study and research of Fine Art photography, while his teaching influenced generations of artists who remain central to the city’s contemporary fine art ecosystem.
Cooper is a nomadic artist whose practice involves seeking the world’s extremities to capture significant points around the globe. His work is defined by a singular rigour; since 1968, he has only made images outdoors and only ever captures a single negative in any one location. Using an 1898 AGFA field camera, he exquisitely hand-prints his work using 19th-century silver and gold chloride processes. With over 95 solo exhibitions and prestigious honours including the Guggenheim Award, his work is held in over 50 global collections, including the Tate and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About Stuart Robertson
Stuart Robertson served as the Director of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society between 2001 and 2026, establishing himself as a preeminent authority on the work of Mackintosh and his contemporaries. Over twenty-five years, he transformed the Society from a modest membership group into a global authority with international affiliates in London, Japan, and France. As custodian of Mackintosh’s Queen’s Cross Church, Robertson ensured continuous investment in the building, integrating it into Glasgow’s cultural infrastructure through partnerships with events like the Celtic Connections festival.
A respected voice in preservation, Robertson repositioned the Mackintosh legacy as both a vital heritage asset and a key driver of Glasgow’s contemporary narrative and creative economy. He spearheaded landmark initiatives, including the first comprehensive condition survey of Mackintosh’s built heritage and the Glasgow Landmarks Initiative. As Chair of the Mackintosh Heritage Group, he developed ambitious plans for UNESCO World Heritage Status and led city-wide festivals, including the year-long celebration in 2018 marking the 150th anniversary of Mackintosh’s birth.
Robertson’s educational legacy includes the ‘Mack Pack’ teaching kit and his book, The Amazing Mr Mackintosh. At The Glasgow School of Art, he initiated the Mackintosh Travelling Scholarship, offering architecture students research opportunities modelled on Mackintosh’s own travels. Robertson’s expertise remains vital; since 2022, he has served on the Steering Group for the GSA’s Mackintosh Building reinstatement plans and advises the National Trust for Scotland on Hill House.
He remains a vocal advocate for Glasgow’s heritage under threat.
About The Glasgow School of Art
The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) is internationally recognised as one of Europe’s leading independent university-level institutions for education and research in the visual creative disciplines – ranking 8th in the world and 5th in Europe in the QS World University Rankings 2026. Our studio-based, specialist, practice-led teaching, learning, and research draw talented individuals with a shared passion for visual culture and creative production from all over the world.
Originally founded in 1845 as one of the first Government Schools of Design, the School’s history can be traced back to 1753 and the establishment of the Foulis Academy, delivering a European-style art education. Today, the GSA is an international community of over 3,500 students and staff across architecture, design, digital, fine art, and innovation in our campuses in Glasgow and Altyre (in the Scottish Highlands) and a thriving Open Studio programme delivering non-degree provision to over 1,500 students annually.
