12th Annual Southwest Graduate English Symposium
Arizona State University - February 24-26, 2006

(Re)Markable Identities: Confronting, Corrupting, and Conflating Cultural
Discourses

CFP Panel: Visual Discourse –
Identity Captured and Constructed on Film

"One of the tasks of photography is to disclose, and shape our sense of, the
variety of the world. It does not present ideals. There is no agenda except
diversity and interestingness. There are no judgments, which of course is
itself a judgement."
Susan Sontag, "A Photograph Is Not an Opinion. Or is it?"

The Afghan girl on the cover of National Geographic. The student in front
of the tank at Tiananmen Square. The sailor kissing the nurse in Times
Square on V-E Day. The emaciated prisoners of a German concentration camp.
No matter what emotions these pictures arouse, these are images that have
stuck with us because of their unabashed construction of life in a
particular place at a particular time. This panel seeks papers and/or
creative presentations that explore the responsibilities of photographers
and the representations of their photographs in the context of sensitivity
and censorship, ethics and honesty. Topics, addressing any era or culture
and issues ranging from Anne Geddes to Playboy, are encouraged to address
one of more of the following questions:

• Is verisimilitude possible in photography?
• What consideration of forum and audience does the photographer have?
• How has technology altered the reception and use of photography? (i.e.
digital cameras, internet and public domain imagery, etc.)
• How is reality shaped, constructed, framed, created?
• How is the identity of the photographer and the subject created?
• What ramifications are there to documenting difference (culture, race,
age, etc.) within photographs?
• How does the body exist in the photographed space?
• Is it possible to reserve judgment?

Note that both critical essays and personal creative projects are welcome.
Paper Abstracts should be no more than 350 words and submitted by December
1, 2005. Please include home and office numbers, complete mailing address,
e-mail address, professional affiliation, and AV requirements with your
submission. Direct questions or submissions to Cynthia Calhoun,
cynthia.knight_at_asu.edu.

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Received on Mon Oct 17 2005 - 23:52:43 EDT