[Commlist] CFP - Picturing Sound: The Static Visual Paratext of Music

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*_PICTURING SOUND: THE STATIC VISUAL PARATEXTS OF MUSIC_*
Thursday 12 December 2019, University of Glasgow
In 2019, the hub of Text/Image cultures Glasgow University will host a 
conference on the topic of reception, consumption, and framing of music 
through the prism of static visual culture. Leading authority in the 
field of musicology and musical multimedia analysis Nicolas Cook has 
suggested that we have seldom experienced music in isolation from visual 
accompaniments and marketing strategies, the importance of which has not 
always been recognised. As part of a broader discussion on music and 
other media, he writes specifically on record sleeve art and 
its relation to music, maintaining that certain sleeves ‘contribute to 
the construction of musical meaning’, are ‘part of the discursive 
framework within which the music inside them is consumed’ and ‘function 
as agents in the cultural process, sites where meaning is negotiated 
through the act of consumption’.
cid:image001.png@01D4EF8E.CE80D090
Cook's contention resonates with existing dialogues and theory found in 
the field of Comics, a medium that has often come into proximity with 
music culture. Specifically, and as already noted in a handful of 
articles, comic art has often propagated and discussed the mythology and 
emblematic signs associated with genre and music history. Comic 
artists such as Robert Crumb have also famously produced album covers 
for LPs. Yet, as this example shows, the way music is being received, 
consumed and experienced has also been framed by many other graphic 
traditions, such as photography and illustration, which along with 
various other media form the paratext surrounding a musical work.
As a result of their shared fundamental nature as temporal media, 
discussion surrounding the interactive nature of music and moving image 
(specifically in relation to film and television) is well-established 
and continues to progress. However, we see the relationship between 
music and the static image as a rich, yet virtually unexplored semiotic 
field with a long history, and now seek to shift the focus towards it. 
We therefore warmly invite speakers to investigate and participate in 
our discussion of music and static image interplay, drawing upon, but 
not limited to, the following topics:

  * *Comics and printed illustrations*
  * *Photography*
  * *Sleeves and cover art of LPs, CDs and other records*
  * *Clothing and memorabilia*
  * *Stage production and performance*
  * *Visual marketing and industrial issues*
  * *Festival culture*
  * *Education*
  * *Audiovisual identity of digital platforms (Spotify, iTunes, etc.)*

We are also interested in _including performances_ within and around the 
conference. Please contact us if you are involved in relevant artistic 
practices, or if you know someone who is.
*_Submission guidelines:_*

  * Please ensure the length of proposed abstract is 250-300 words and,
    where appropriate, indicates your institutional affiliations. Please
    also provide a short bio (100 words max).
  * Ensure the abstract provides a clear and accurate overview of
    subject matter since this may be used as part of the conference’s
    promotional material.
  * All submissions should be sent to (picturingsoundGU /at/ gmail.com)
    <mailto:(picturingsoundGU /at/ gmail.com)> by 23*/08/2019*


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