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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture With apologies for cross-posting. The following is a call for papers for a session at the ASSOCIATION OF ART HISTORIANS conference in London, 10-13 April 2003. DETERMINING THE VIEWER OF MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE ART 'To what extent were the responses of medieval and renaissance viewers of art determined by the creators of the work, and to what extent did viewers remain determinedly autonomous? Were strategies adopted to ensure the 'safe' reception of an intended meaning, or to manipulate the viewers' experience? And what circumstances and attitudes contributed to viewers' reception of the work; their evasion, acceptance or reinterpretation of their given role as audience? This session invites contributions which explore both the ways in which medieval and renaissance works of art invite or attempt to enforce a privileged reading, and the ways in which viewers could either invest in these readings or, willfully or accidentally, create new readings of their own. Examples of controlling strategies might include the selection and composition of a work's content; glosses in other media such as text or associated performance; the siting of a work; the placement, selection or segregation of viewers; limitations on viewers' physical movement and patterns of access; the controlled revelation or concealment of the work of art. Examples of viewers' autonomous or conditioned responses to works of art might be found in their own accounts of works of art; accounts of their responses; individual cases or larger patterns of appropriation through copying, purchasing, embellishing or re-installing works We would also like to consider the potential for interaction between a work and its environment leading to viewer experiences which may be unanticipated and beyond determination by any interested party. Please send a brief outline of your proposal (c.500 words) to the convenors Robert Maniura, [log in to unmask], or Laura Jacobus, [log in to unmask], Birkbeck College, School of History of Art, Film and Visual Media, 43 Gordon Square, London WC1H OPD by 1st November. ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html