St Mary’s University

Twickenham, London

Law both regulates cultural representations and creates them. These dual themes will be explored in a conference focused upon the twin strands of law and visual culture, and law and gender.

How does law regulate gender; how does it regulate images? What is/are the relationship/s between visual culture and the gendering of law? How have gendered divisions structured the legal profession and practice, and what is the role of the visual in understanding such complexities? How can visual culture and representation challenge or enlighten the gendered dimensions of law? This conference is aimed at exploring the intersections of law, gender, and the visual in an effort to address such questions and related concerns.

Papers are sought in relation to the dual themes of the conference:

Visualising Law: Intersection(s) of law with visual culture, in all its manifestations (including graphic fiction and Graphic Justice, TV, film, photo-journalism, art and art history). The conference welcomes an exploration of ‘law’ and ‘visual culture’ in the broadest sense of these terms.

Gendering Law: The representation of gender in the law, historically and today, and the law’s responses to wider cultural representations (topics may include but are not limited to gendering legal history, law as gendered spectacle, sexuality and the law).

Papers traversing or combining these broad themes are particularly welcome.

Submit abstracts (300 words) to the organisers (thomas.giddens@smuc.ac.uk or judith.bourne@smuc.ac.uk) no later than 31st May 2014. The organisers are also willing to discuss prospective ideas for papers prior to the submission of abstracts.

Conference date: 3rd-4th September 2014
Location: St Mary’s University, Twickenham, London TW1 4SX
Registration fee: £100
Please visit www.smuc.ac.uk/law-and-culture/conferences for more details.