“Rethinking Craft: Colonialism, Postcolonialism, Decolonization”
College Art Association Conference 2023
New York City, In-Person Session
February 15-18, 2023
Proposals due August 31, 2022
The William Morris Society in the US is seeking participation for its upcoming CAA 2023 session. Proposals are accepted July 21 - August 31, 2022. The submission information and additional key dates are found on the CAA website.
“Rethinking Craft: Colonialism, Postcolonialism, Decolonization”
For centuries, craft has been set apart from the Eurocentric and academic sphere of the fine arts. Likewise, people who craft have often been marginalized in society. With this history in mind, how is the practice of craft implicated in discourses of colonialism? Where do the histories of craft and social justice movements overlap and diverge? What is the role of craft in postcolonial theory? How has craftivism contributed to processes of decolonization?
Drawing inspiration from William Morris’s roles as a craftsman and social activist, this session responds to recent and ongoing activism to decolonize the discipline of art history. The organizers invite papers that critically examine the topic of craft in relation to colonialism, imperialism, postcolonialism, and decolonization. How are the violent histories of colonialism and imperialism interwoven with the appearance, production, marketing, collection, display, and/or study of crafted objects? How do concepts such as the handmade and the industrial intersect with the histories of colonization and decolonization? How do craft practices and production methods challenge or reinforce the imbalance of power that results from colonialism or imperialism? In what ways have artistic techniques and media been impacted by global interactions? When and why has cross-cultural collaboration, inspiration, and/or appropriation occurred?
The William Morris Society welcomes submissions that engage with these or other related questions. Proposals focused on historiographic and theoretical questions are encouraged. Presenters may engage with craft in any period, geographic region, or medium.
Submit proposal by email to session chair Monica Bowen (monica.bowen@gmail.com) per CAA Submission Guidelines by August 31, 2022.