| Date: June 6 – 7, 2009 Venue: London, UK Despite Matisse’s warning that “he who wants to dedicate himself to painting should start by cutting out his tongue”, artists in the modern period have frequently expressed themselves in writing (whether memoir, fiction or theory). This conference will ask what motivates artists to write, how they view the relation between their visual and textual practice, and how they use writing to manipulate or challenge the public reception and critical interpretation of their work. Challenging the myth of the visual artist as an intuitive anti-intellectual, it will demonstrate the extent and diversity of artists’ contributions to modern literature and criticism in various languages. It will also investigate how scholars interpret these texts: are they works of art in themselves or simply evidence about the artist’s life and craft? Do they conceal as much as they reveal? How has the role and perception of artists’ writings changed over time? Suggested topics: Contributions invited from art historians, literary scholars and artists. Proposals (max 300 words) for 20-minute presentations to Linda.Goddard@courtauld.ac.uk |
