Call for papers: The Illustrated Woman’

A symposium on illustration research and practise in relation to notions of womanhood.

When we change the way we see, the things we see also change.

This symposium aims to bring together academics and practitioners to discuss the phenomenon of the illustrated woman – a constructed or drawn image of a woman with a defined purpose to promote, illuminate, educate or entertain. Though  designed for dissemination to large audiences, illustration remains an often academically overlooked site of potential power, particularly in the ways in which it covertly or explicitly reflects or challenges ideological positions of womanhood.  

To what extent do we actually see illustrated women? Whilst there is a wealth of studies about representation of women in art or photography, this symposium seeks to ask similar and new questions of illustration to uncover a fresh discourse.  

Such questions include - How do contemporary illustrated “spaces of femininity” or topographies of womanhood operate? Is there a characteristic of the Gen-AI woman that contributes to key debates about visual constructions of femaleness and femininity?  What new (and old) theoretical positions may shape our understanding of historical and contemporary illustrations of women? What can our own contemporary illustration practice contribute to our understanding of the illustrated female form? How do different cultural contexts influence the portrayal of women in illustration? Are there cultural variations in the depiction of femininity, and how do they reflect or challenge local ideologies? How have historical shifts in societal attitudes towards women influenced the style and content of illustrated representations? What lessons can be drawn from past illustration that inform contemporary practices? 

We welcome proposals addressing (but not limited to) female representation in relation to: specific illustrators/collectives; genres of illustration (editorial, commercial (packaging/advertising), children’s books, comics/graphic novels etc.); race; modes of making; cultural similarity/difference; spaces of femininity; anatomy and physicality; Gen-AI; queer illustration; theoretical frameworks or positions; historical or contemporary perspectives; the gaze; authorial or professional motivations; production or reception regimes; social or commercial contexts; methodological approaches. 

Proposal Submission 

Please submit a 500 word proposal (appropriate for a 20 minute presentation) to c.m.stones@leeds.ac.uk and c.zlotea@leeds.ac.uk.  

The proposal should include a clear aim/research question, an outline of key arguments/findings and a conclusion. Illustrations may also be included. 

There will be plans following the conference to publish presented papers in an edited volume. More details will follow after the conference.  

Deadline for proposal submission

Friday 31st Jan 2025, 5pm UK GMT 

Notification of Acceptance

Friday 28th Feb 2025, 5pm UK GMT 

In-person Attendance Fees: £30 (full price) £5 (student price).  

For more information or questions please contact Dr Catherine Stones (c.m.stones@leeds.ac.uk)  or Dr Cătălina Zlotea (c.zlotea@leeds.ac.uk).