Conference: Power to Empowerment: Critical Literacy in Visual Culture

1st January, 2008

Dates of conference: June 7-8, 2008

Location: Dallas, Texas

Papers are solicited for an international, transdisciplinary conference examining visual literacy as it is shaped by, shapes and integrates private and public identity and subjectivity through social institutions and forces including education, politics, ethics, technology, media, marketing, commerce, the environment and society.

The conference understands visual literacy from the perspective of individuals, communities, groups and organizations to mean the ability to successfully compose and deliver meaningful communication as well as decode and interpret visual messages. It involves perceiving visual images as components of a larger culture matrix, constituting their meaning and significance, discerning relationships between their intended and actual purposes and audiences, and acting with or upon them.

Visual literacy generates and is affected by relationships between the visual, literacy and power, including disenfranchisement. Particular themes or topics for papers may include but are not limited to the economics of visual culture, constructing the visual landscape, visual culture and affiliations and disenfranchisements, brands and users, ethnographies of visual culture, the charge of education to superintend visual literacy, visual literacy and power, visual illiteracy, visual culture and social difference, and visual cultures of everyday life.

Abstracts between 250-500 words are sought for 15-20 minute paper presentations. The deadline to receive abstracts is February 1, 2008. Notification of acceptance will be March 1, 2008.

Please send your abstract electronically as a word-document to Keith Owens, Assistant Professor, Communication Design, University of North Texas College of Visual Arts & Design, kowens@unt.edu.

Assistant Professor
Communication Design

College of Visual Arts & Design
The University of North Texas
PO Box 305100
Denton, Texas 76203

Office 940.369.7243
Mobile 214.649.3647