I am a writer, translator and educator.
I first came to Hà Nội in 2005. Internet cafes and bicycles still festooned the streets. Complete language immersion was fundamental to living. Nói tóm lại, it was a radically different atmosphere of city life and cultural exchange.
Subsequently in 2008, I received a Fulbright Scholarship to study Vietnamese language and visual culture in Hà Nội. Little did I know the cosmos of chém gió; kiểu cách chơi chữ; văn hóa vỉa hè; mấy đàn bà buôn dưa lê bán dưa chuột, vân vân (word play, slang, and sidewalk culture) that would come to subsume my life and thinking.
After completing my research, I continued to live and work in Hanoi through 2010 and completed a book project entitled Hà Nội Trong Mắt Một Người Mỹ (‘Hanoi Through American Eyes’). I then returned to the U.S. to pursue a Ph.D. in Vietnamese History.
In 2012, I graduated with my M.A. in History from Yale University, and in 2019 completed a Ph.D. in Art History at Stanford University. I have studied and taught at some of the best universities in the world, and currently teach courses at the Chicago School of the Art Institute (SAIC).
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"Conor is one of the best lecturers at the school and creates an environment of strong, engaging lectures with clear themes, but also one in which classroom conversation is extremely valuable. I have never seen a full class engage in conversation as much as here."
“An absolute must. Will change your outlook on art history as a field and reinvigorate your belief in this school as a place to learn about art making. If you think art history is a waste if your time, Conor will set you straight right away.”
“It is a course talking through photographs that are pictures of catastrophe throughout history and different economic, political times in America, Vietnam, Germany, ect.. You learn how to speak of these photographs in group discussions and lectures. Also going to the museum and engaging with pieces of work and discussing the meanings and connections we learned and spoke about in class. ”
“Take this class. You won't regret it.”
“Keep this professor. He's one of the most engaging and intriguing art history professors I've ever had.”
“I wish that there was, like, a part 2 of this class that I could take. Or to be able to take it again. This was my favorite class this semester and definitely my favorite professor out of all the academic classes l've taken here. I don't think I've ever taken a photography class before where the professor was so emotionally involved with the content. He was passionate about this which I felt was encouraging for me to also take this subject passionately. I wanna take the concepts | learned here and apply it to my own artwork. ”
“I would describe this as a course on the role of an artist experiencing catastrophic events, whether at home or from a distance. The course is like chicken soup for the politically-inclined artist's soul and anyone else who reads the news. Not only did I gain communication skills through discussion, readings, and writing assignments, I also began to uncover my motivation for making work. ”
“This class is not a conventional art history class. It’s a class that encourages you to think, observe and to critique. You learn about topics that are very interesting to discuss, and it always ends in a general discussion that includes each and every student speaking about the topics covered. Conor is one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. His way of explaining and conveying ideas to students is superb, and his knowledge is fascinating. He always encourages student to join the weekly discussions, and he always listens and tried to understand what the students are arguing.”
“This class provided more than just information regarding the history of photography and war, it looked deeper at what photography, history, and suffering mean. This class has been a crucial part c the development of my practice as a photographer and writer. It has led me to understand, through the lens of the camera, the world in a new light.”
"If you need an art history credit to fill, I wholeheartedly recommend this course. You don't even need to know anything about photography, that's how accessible this course is. The professor makes everything known to you which is very good. Be prepared to engage in thoughtful discussion."
"This is a deeply important course. If you were to take any course during your time at saic, take this one. I deeply wish I had taken it sooner."