This NeMLA panel invites proposals exploring the social, cultural, and political uses of regionalist aesthetics throughout the 20th cnetury.
Since in the early decades of the 20th century, regionalist aesthetics flourished across the globe, particularly in Latin America. Regionalist movements have often been interpreted as reactive defenses of authenticity and tradition against the internationalizing forces of modernity and capitalism. However, such sweeping interpretations tend to obscure the specific and varied roles that regionalist aesthetics played in different geographic contexts and media. This call for contributions invites papers that examine the social, cultural, and political uses of regionalist aesthetics throughout the 20th century across various media--literature, film, visual arts, etcetera--and in different contexts. While the session especially encourages work focused on Latin America, it also welcomes studies from other regions that may help expand and enrich the discussion.