Ten years have passed since the New Museum's Unmonumental: The Object in the 21st Century, which Blake Gopnik labeled 'a world awash in scrap' adding, 'Art once had to assert its worth despite its seeming uselessness. Now it's all about an overdose of useless stuff, perhaps including art.' While Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum,wrote in the introduction to A History of the World in 100 Objects, 'All museums rest on the hope ' the belief ' that the study of things can lead to a truer understanding of the world.' The shift from making art to 'doing' art has been an increasingly dominant movement in the art world, but as a recent Northwestern University panel discussion, entitled, 'Post Post Studio' has asked, 'Has post-studio art developed too complimentary a relationship with a much expanded institutional art world, replacing criticality with affirmation? Is it time to rethink the strategic possibilities of the studio, as holding out the potential for reclaiming some critical vantage?' So, what, then is state of the state of the object? Proposals are sought from a range of perspectives from studio artists, critics, curators, art historians, philosophers, etc.
Session Chair: Greg Shelnutt, Clemson University. Contact: gshelnu@clemson.edu
October 8 – 11, 2014
Paper proposals deadline: April 20, 2014 Midnight, EDT
SECAC membership required at the time of acceptance
Registration fee required for all
You may submit a total of two (2) proposals. Abstracts, maximum of 200 words, should be prepared before you complete the online paper proposal form.
