On behalf of=20

Visual Studies Graduate Students

University of California, Irvine

Call for Papers: Import/Export
Octopus (Volume 3) Fall 2007=20
www.octopusjournal.org
Deadline for Submissions: April 15, 2007

Octopus: A Visual Studies Journal invites submissions for its third =
volume,
Import/Export. We are interested in exploring how registers of the =
visual
and the aesthetic contribute to contemporary and historical perspectives =
on
globalization, economics, culture, and artistic practice=97especially as =
they
relate to questions of exchange, influence, traffic, and regulation. Our
efforts to make these issues more tangible also compel us to investigate =
the
stakes of cultural transmission and problematize forms of cultural =
exchange.
Explorations of what occurs between these historical, geographical, and
conceptual spaces are also encouraged. Octopus encourages work that
questions the notion of =93import/export=94 or rephrases the question in
fruitful ways from a diverse range of approaches.=20

Located at the University of California, Irvine, part of our interest in
this topic is based on our own geographic specificity. Our position near =
the
two busiest ports in the country (Los Angeles and Long Beach) brings our
attention to the constant flow of goods and the interconnectedness of
commerce. Culturally, southern California and its environs are situated =
in a
complex matrix of influences from Mexico, the Pacific Rim, Hollywood, =
and a
multitude of global locations. Hardly unique, we share this position =
with
many other sites=97some real, some virtual=97throughout the world: =
bodies, bits,
borders, and commodities are constantly in flux.

What are the ramifications for import/export in the art world? It is =
crucial
that we rethink received modernist lineages of artistic influence and
recover the place of Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean =
world in
the legacy of modernity and modernism. Moments of cross-cultural =
artistic
exchange or collaboration offer another mode for thinking about artistic
import and export. The continuing popularity of strategies of =
appropriation
and recuperation demonstrates the vitality of the import/export question =
in
visual practice.

We are also interested in how the thematic frame of import/export =
resonates
with contemporary debates about citizenship, immigration, economics, and
politics. Globally, our government has undertaken the uncertain prospect =
of
exporting a foreign system of government=97democracy=97to another =
nation, while
the IMF has also been accused of capitalist self-promotion. By contrast, =
the
importing of Asian and European TV programs, comics, movies, sports, and
fashions increasingly challenge the cultural imperialism of the United
States. While more clandestine activities, such as drug running, illegal
immigration, and transnational corporation (TNC) laborers allude to more
invisible forms of import/export. It is important to destabilize the
center/periphery model and the power relations this implies.

Paper topics may include but are not limited to:

- Globalization, transnationalism, internationalism
- Pirates and Piracy: exchange/sharing of information
- Trade in historical perspective
- Transportation
- World bank, IMF
- Travel, tourism, souvenirs, and collecting
- Appropriation, rehabilitation, and recuperation
- Processes of selection and access
- Politics of space
- Pilgrimage, Ecotourism, destination shopping
- Rethinking the canon and modernism
- Data and new media
- Satellite television, Internet, viewer reception=20
- Nationalism, borders, and mestizo cultures
- Immigration debates
- Cultural export- and importation
- Center/periphery model and its limitations
- Imperialism and the colonial legacy of political importation
- Simulation, re-creation, re-enacting, anachronism
- Translation, reinterpretation
- Intellectual exchange: debates, =E9migr=E9s, =93schools of thought=94

Deadline for Submissions: April 15, 2007.

Submission Guidelines:
All submissions must include the title of the contribution, the name(s) =
of
the authors, and the postal address, e-mail address, and phone numbers =
for
the author who will serve as the primary contact with the editors on
revisions.=20

Electronic submissions should be sent as Microsoft Word .doc or Rich =
Text
Format attachments to octopusjournal_at_gmail.com. Please put the word
=93submission=94 somewhere in the subject line.

Manuscripts to be considered for publication should be accompanied by an
abstract of no more than 150 words, six keywords, and a short biographic
entry about the author(s). Please provide a brief history of the =
manuscript;
whether it is part of a dissertation or thesis, book-length project,
conference presentation, etc. Because Octopus follows a policy of blind
peer-review, no material identifying the author(s) should appear =
anywhere
other than on the detachable title page. Manuscripts should conform to
CHICAGO formatting standards.

For book reviews and criticism [~750 words] please include title of =
book(s),
retail price, and ISBN at the beginning of the review. Art/show reviews
should include the gallery, curator, and dates. For film and video/media
reviews, include the director, production company (if applicable), and =
year
of production.=20

Manuscripts and reviews submitted to Octopus should not be under
consideration at any other journal. Written permission to reproduce film =
and
video stills, artworks, photographs, song lyrics, or any other copyright
protected materials must be obtained by the authors from the
copyright-holders before submission.=20

Subscriptions/Advertising:
For subscription or advertising requests, please contact
octopusjournal_at_gmail.com

Octopus is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal published by the
graduate students of the Program in Visual Studies at the University of
California, Irvine. The journal is devoted to work by emerging scholars
engaged with visuality, culture, history, and theory from a range of
contexts, disciplines, and methodologies. In addition to submissions on
=93Import/Export,=94 Octopus welcomes scholarship and criticism =
addressing
questions regarding the politics of vision, the historicity of visual
practices, and the cultures and theories of vision and visuality on an
on-going basis.=20

www.octopusjournal.org
octopusjournal_at_gmail.com

         ==========================================================
              From the Literary Calls for Papers Mailing List
                        CFP_at_english.upenn.edu
                         Full Information at
                     http://cfp.english.upenn.edu
         or write Jennifer Higginbotham: higginbj_at_english.upenn.edu
         ==========================================================
Received on Fri Feb 16 2007 - 21:49:07 EST