Scottish Society for Art History in partnership with the Public Statues and Sculpture Association

Public Sculpture in Britain 1945-1980

Webinar: 21 May 2022

CALL FOR PAPERS

The Scottish Society for Art History in partnership with the Public Statues and Sculpture Association will host a webinar on the theme of public sculpture in Britain from 1945 to 1980.
Following the trauma of the Second World War, the post-war period was a time of change, innovation and creativity that saw the emergence of new movements, art forms and new ideas about the role of the artist in society. The establishment of the Arts Council of Great Britain saw public funding for art on a greater scale than ever before. New Towns were built to replace bomb-damaged housing and tackle housing problems. Public artworks were commissioned for new public buildings and civic spaces as symbols of culture-led regeneration. Exhibitions and installations, including Enterprise Scotland (1947) and the Festival of Britain (1951), played an important role in bringing sculpture to a wider audience and creating spaces for experience and exchange.
The webinar will share and engage with current research and critical debate in the field of modern public sculpture. We aim to attract a range of multi-disciplinary papers from a variety of speakers including artists, academics, curators, archivists and independent researchers. We particularly welcome papers focused on Scottish artists and artworks but are also keen to bring in a global perspective to show international connections in public sculpture.

Topics include (but are not limited to):
• Public sculpture commissions, urban or rural
• The influence of the political, cultural and social landscape on public sculpture
• The development of new artistic languages, processes, forms and materials
• The pioneering work of artists in Scotland’s New Towns from the 1960s
• The reception and criticism of public sculpture
• The development of Sculpture Parks and Trails, permanent and temporary
• Environmental Art and Land Art
• Community-led sculpture projects
• The funding of public sculpture
• Sculptors from the UK who have worked internationally
• Sculptors from other parts of the world who worked on public sculpture in the UK

We welcome proposals for 10-minute online presentations for the webinar, which will take place on Zoom. Speakers will be expected to provide images to accompany their presentation. Proposals should be in the form of 300-500 word abstracts, accompanied by a supporting image. The deadline for proposals is 14 March 2022. If you would like to discuss the CFP in greater detail or submit an abstract, please contact Claire Robinson, ssahchair@gmail.com