Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society
A picture is worth a thousand words - especially when it depicts the
natural environment. Images have played a prominent role in
environmental discussions for years; pictures, paintings, and
photographs have often been used to influence public opinion and advance
political discussion. While the impact of oil paintings on the
perception of land during the eighteenth and nineteenth century has been
investigated to a certain extent, this workshop aims to subject the role
of twentieth century images in diverse national campaigns to critical
consideration. Papers should examine the role of images in shaping
environmental discourses by analyzing the effect of photographs, printed
photograph collections, newspaper images, and magazines as well as
exhibitions or graphics (posters and logos) on environmental debates.
The workshop will analyze the impact of "eco-images" by discussing the
history of their perception and influence. Papers should establish the
connection between visual formats and public environmental awareness;
case studies on images, specifically those not extensively covered in
academic literature or those that examine Asian, African, and South
American contexts, are especially encouraged.
The workshop will engage with the following questions:
- How have visual strategies endorsed conservationist and/or environmental perceptions?
- How have eco-images helped environmental issues enter and influence political discussions?
- Is it possible to measure the pictorial influence on public opinion/political bodies/legislation?
- Which common global icons have been adopted by environmental campaigns?
- Can certain images be linked to specific national contexts?
- How have national perceptions of nature impacted visual rhetoric?
- How has the implementation of environmental images changed during the twentieth century?
Detailed abstracts (600-800 words) for papers and a short CV should be
submitted by email no later than October 15, 1011 to
arielle.helmick@lmu.de and giselaparak@gmx.com.
Applications and papers must be written in English. Successful
participants will be notified by November 15, 2011. Discussions at the
workshop will be based on pre-circulated papers (about 10 pages) which
will be due on February 15, 2012. The best essays will be considered for
publication in the Rachel Carson Center's Perspectives series. Travel
and accommodation costs will be reimbursed by the organizers.
For further information on organizational issues please contact:
Julia Staudinger at julia.staudinger@carsoncenter.lmu.de
The Rachel Carson Center is a joint initiative of LMU Munich and the
Deutsches Museum and is generously supported by the German Federal
Ministry for Education and Research.