The Area for Esotericism, Occultism, and Magic at the Southwest Popular/American Culture Association invites presentation proposals for this special panel addressing the relationship of esotericism, occultism, and magic to art, particularly in the context of art history.  A brief panel description is below, but any related proposals will be considered.  Even if your proposal is not selected for this special panel, the Area welcomes any proposals relating to esotericism, occultism, magic, and associated areas of culture.  For further details or to inquire about sending an abstract for this special panel, please contact the Area Chair, Dr. George Sieg, as soon as possible at georgejsieg@gmail.com .  

"The Esoteric Turn as Methodological Reform in Art History"

It is generally accepted that esotericism and occultism were pervasive strains in the production of modern Western art. However, art historical methodologies are often reductive and inadequate to the study of exceptional human experience. In the midst of an esoteric turn in the mainstream artworld, and surging interest in esotericism, occultism, and magic throughout media and popular culture, the forms of standardization embedded in disciplinary art history are in need of reform. This special panel invites presentations that seek to explore the necessity of disciplinary inclusion and methodological pluralism, and how such approaches can embody new ways of knowing and thinking, new epistemologies. Can we think of new ways of making sense of the background and interpretive context of artistic works? How might methods from seemingly disparate disciplines, humanities and the sciences, enhance an understanding of modern art with esoteric, occult, and magical themes? Can we articulate what’s missing from standard, conventional methods and propose new solutions? We invite artists, art historians, critics, and scholars to explore these questions and others as we engage the ongoing limitations in disciplinary art history in favor of more imaginative grounding.