AESTHETICS, ART, AND PORNOGRAPHY
An interdisciplinary conference
16-18 June 2011
Institute of Philosophy, London
(in collaboration with the Aesthetics Research Group, University of Kent)
The aim of this conference is to investigate, from an
interdisciplinary perspective, the artistic status and aesthetic
dimension of pornographic pictures, films, and literature.
Is there such a thing as pornographic art? Or are pornography and
art mutually exclusive? Can a line be drawn between these two
domains of representation? Or is there perhaps some interesting
overlap, some common ground worth exploring? To answer these
questions certain fundamental issues in the philosophy of art need
to be addressed. One cannot hope to critically examine the middle
ground between art and pornography without seriously engaging with
current research on the definition of art, the nature of aesthetic
value, aesthetic experience, aesthetic properties, the relation
between art and morality, the psychology of picture perception, and
the role of imagination in art. However, more is involved than just
an abstract philosophical problem. In the history of art, and
especially also in the contemporary world of art (construed in the
broadest sense), there are many paintings, photographs, prints,
films, poems, short stories, novels and graphic novels which have
been labelled 'pornographic art'. Any investigation of the artistic
status and potential of pornographic representations would not be
complete without a careful examination of such works that
consciously explore the boundaries between art and pornography.
The conference will bring together philosophers and aestheticians,
art historians and film theorists, to explore these topics. This
interdisciplinary approach is intended to throw new light on these
general questions, and to lead to a more accurate and subtle
understanding of the range of representations that incorporate
explicit sexual imagery and themes, in both high art and demotic
culture, in Western and non-Western contexts.
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS
PAMELA CHURCH-GIBSON Film & Cultural Studies, University of the Arts London
MARTIN KEMP History of Art, Oxford University (Emeritus Research Professor)
JERROLD LEVINSON Philosophy, University of Maryland
JESSE PRINZ Philosophy, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
ELISABETH SCHELLEKENS Philosophy, University of Durham
Additional speakers to be announced.
CALL FOR PAPERS
We invite submissions on any issue related to this topic, ranging
from abstract philosophical questions to detailed analyses of
particular films, paintings, photographs, novels, etc. Papers from
different disciplines and theoretical perspectives are encouraged.
Speakers will have a presentation time of approximately 40 minutes.
Papers should not exceed 5000 words and should be accompanied by a
100-word abstract and a short CV. Please send papers to conference
organiser Hans Maes ((H.Maes /at/ kent.ac.uk)) by February 1, 2011.
Communication of acceptance: March 15, 2011.
Submissions will be refereed by an international committee, and
selected on the basis of general quality and relevance to the
special topic of the conference. The organisers plan to publish (a
selection of) the conference papers.
We welcome volunteers to serve as session chairs and
commentators. We regret that we cannot cover travel or other expenses.
Organising committee: Hans Maes, Michael Newall, Murray Smith, Barry
C. Smith, Jerrold Levinson, Jonathan Friday.
We gratefully acknowledge financial support from the The American
Society for Aesthetics, The School of Arts and the Faculty of
Humanities at the University of Kent.
Dr. Mattias Frey
Lecturer in Film Studies
University of Kent
School of Arts, Jarman Building 2-26
Canterbury CT2 7UG
UK
++44 1227 827132
http://www.kent.ac.uk/arts/film/staff/m_frey.html
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