**** Apologies for cross posting ****

CUTTING EDGE : LASERS AND CREATIVITY
One-day symposium at Loughborough University exploring lasers in Art & 
Design and their contribution to making artefacts

Date : 4 November 2009

Organisers : Kerry Walton and Janette Matthews in collaboration with the 
Textile Research Group and the Drawing Research Group

Venue : Loughborough University School of Art and Design, Loughborough, UK

Contact : [log in to unmask]

Information : http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/ac/mainpages/research.htm


FIRST CALL FOR PAPERS AND ELECTRONIC POSTERS
Laser processing of metals, acrylics, wood, textiles and other materials is a 
well-known industrial process for cutting and marking.  Equipment is becoming 
more accessible and even commonplace in academic institutions for use by Art 
& Design and Design Technology departments.  As is often the case with 
emerging technologies, there is a requirement for the potential to be fully 
understood before the process can be exploited. A number of practitioners, 
designers and technologists are involved in exciting work that moves the laser 
process beyond just a cut or a mark in a material.  This one-day symposium 
will explore the laser process in Art & Design and the relationship of 
practitioners to the technology.  

Through a series of illustrated presentations and panel discussions by leading 
artists, designers, researchers and technologists, it will show how the process 
is being exploited through innovative practice and demonstrate that laser 
processing is more than a means of cutting.  The relationship between laser 
technology and its impact on underlying practice will be questioned.  
Advances and emerging trends in the development of laser technology and the 
consequent impact on practice will be explored through the following enquiry:-

•	Lasers are used for both speed and repetition and as creative tools 
for experimentation.  What methods and approaches enable experimentation 
and result in innovation?

•	Lasers can enable transferability of art work between a variety of 
materials.  How is this best achieved and what are the potential opportunities 
and limitations of this approach in terms of design quality and practicalities?

•	Working with lasers creates a physical distance between the 
artist/designer and the artwork/design.  What affect, if any, does this have on 
the sensibility of the final piece? How does this compare with other automated 
devices used in art and design for example other digital technologies such as 
printing? How is this 'distance' exploited or mitigated in the creative process?

•	Does software mediate this distance between the artist/designer and 
the artwork/design in laser work? How central is the creative use of software 
to innovate design/art that employs lasers? 

•	Laser operating procedures are necessarily 'safe', again creating a 
physical distance from the cutting/marking process. How can happy accidents 
be encouraged/facilitated in such situations?  Or are the safety procedures 
enabling?

•	To what extent does knowledge of materials science and/or the 
fundamentals behind laser processing inform creative work? If so, is it 
necessary to learn individually by trial and error?  Would a designer 
friendly 'handbook' be useful? Do different approaches result in different 
outcomes facilitating creativity? 

•	What are the advantages of lasers over other cutting and marking 
technologies? What new opportunities do they afford beyond speed and 
repetition?  

•	Relevant to art and design, what other opportunities exist beyond 
cutting and marking in regard to laser technologies?  How do practitioners 
become aware of these technologies in sufficient detail to exploit them and 
explore at the boundary edges? 


We invite contributions from both practitioners and researchers from different 
disciplines to respond to these questions. 

SUBMISSIONS
Contributions to the symposium may be made in the form of academic papers 
and/or illustrated presentations.  There is also the opportunity for the 
submission of 3 minute rolling PowerPoint presentations.  

We are now inviting the submission of abstracts in response to the above 
questions.  Abstracts of 250-400 words (excluding references) and up to 
three images may be submitted for :
•	Papers from researchers
•	Illustrated presentations from practitioners
•	3 minute rolling PowerPoint electronic posters from emerging and 
established researchers and practitioners.

Submissions which do not address at least one of the symposium questions will 
not be considered.  Although it is expected that authors will participate in the 
symposium in person, we welcome electronic poster submissions from 
practitioners and researchers not resident in the UK.

Authors of selected abstracts will be invited to submit full papers or 
presentations. Abstracts should be sent as plain text and images must not 
exceed 1MB in size in total.  Submissions should be sent via email to 
[log in to unmask]

The symposium will be documented to provide a record of the day and 
potentially published in an ISSN/IBSN format.

IMPORTANT DATES
8 April 2009			Submission of abstracts open
30 June 2009		Submission of abstracts ends
30 July 2009			Notification of acceptance of papers 
and presentations
30 September 2009		Submission of full papers and 
presentations
4 November 2009		Conference


Kerry Walton
Programme Leader – Textiles
email : [log in to unmask]
tel : +44 (0)1509 228935

Janette Matthews
PhD Research
email: [log in to unmask]
tel: +44 (0)1509 227594

School of Art and Design
Loughborough University
Loughborough
LE11 3TU