cfp.english.upenn.edu

The University of Pittsburgh Presents—

Thinking Inside the Box:
Cinema, Media, Art and Industry in (Strained) Concert

A Graduate Student Conference
February 26-28, 2010

How does a given art form function, flourish, or fail within an industrial context? How is art affected by industrial stasis or change—is it compromised, fostered or stifled? What is the role of the artist in an industrial setting, and what happens to a work of art once it is mass-produced, or distributed in a foreign territory, or exhibited through a new medium? As we move further into an era of economic and environmental crises, the relationship between art and industry acquires particular urgency, since the very idea of progress fuels the history of how these two fields of human activity meet. Any attempts to define, historicize, or question the relationship between art and industry – from the beginnings of the industrial revolution to the present, where the rapid advancement of digital technologies and the growing popularity of web distribution have come to occupy center stage in current debates – are welcome.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
- How industrial structures affect artistic expression
- How economic change affects the relationship between art and industry
- The industrial effects of new media / clip culture; the artistic effects wrought by the industry of new media
- Art, industry, and a changing audience
- How the academic publishing industry shapes the intellectual discourse on art.
- The new face of journalism: the dissipation of print criticism and the resulting migration of art critics (and theorists) to the blogosphere
- The “green turn” of art industries and its effect on existing models of production and distribution

Possible case studies.
- What is the industrial status of ‘independent’ cinema? What qualifies as independent cinema; how has the industrialized concept of independent cinema changed over time?
- As technologies of communication and artistic expression continue to advance, all industries now have access to an increasingly participatory audience. Now that these technologies are more accessible, how difficult is it for audiences to switch roles, and become producers of art? Who are these people, and how are they considered by the different media industries?
- How (or where) does industry appear in self-reflexive art?
- What is happening to the novel as the print industry continues to lose its footing?
- What are some of the non-industrial, or alternative models of art production / distribution?
- Are there any artists who are successfully working / have worked outside of the ‘system’? Have any of them crossed industrial boundary lines, effectively working both within and outside of the ‘system’?

Presentations may not exceed 20 minutes.

Please send abstracts of 250 words or less to Pittartandindustry@gmail.com by December 1st, 2009. Be sure to include your name, the title of the paper, university affiliation, and email.