Material Processes of Medieval Art and Architecture
CAA 106th Annual Conference
Los Angeles, February 21–24, 2018
Chairs: Kristine Tanton (kristanton@gmail.com) and Meredith Cohen (mcohen@humnet.ucla.edu)
This session will explore the material processes of medieval objects and monuments. Art and architectural historians focus most often on the finished product, but there is much to be gained by considering the processes of making as a site of constant negotiation and conflict. Amendments to objects and structures present distinct moments that may be defined beyond Marxist approaches. For example, what are the phenomenological experiences related to making? How do the inherent temporalities in artistic production shed light on decisions and workflow, as well as temporary, transitory, and intermediate solutions? How do changes in materials, such as the addition of gold leaf to manuscripts or gems to a reliquary, serve as signs of problem solving or problem making? New technologies such as digital reconstructions, laser scans, X-ray fluorescence, and Raman spectroscopies provide us with the opportunity to understand the conceptual processes of art making in the Middle Ages as never before through reverse engineering. We invite presenters to analyze medieval objects and structures in relation to the inherent temporalities in working procedures involving ephemerality, instantaneity, or memory to explore what it means to make in the Middle Ages.
DEADLINE FOR PAPER PROPOSALS: August 14, 2017
Proposals should be sent directly to the session chairs. Each proposal should include the following items:
- Completed session participation proposal form (located at the end of the 2018 Call for Participation, which is available for download at http://www.collegeart.org/pdf/call-for-participation.pdf)
– Make sure your name appears exactly as you would like it listed in the conference program and conference website.
– Make sure your affiliation appears as the official, recognized name of your institution (do not list multiple affiliations)
– Make sure to include an active CAA Member ID (all participants must be current members through February 24, 2018; inactive or lapsed members will be pulled from participation on August 28, 2017.
- Paper/project abstract: maximum 250 works, in the form of a single paragraph.
- Email or letter explaining your interest in the session, expertise in the topic, and availability during the conference.
- A shortened CV
