Organizer Information
The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art (PMC) is a leading UK-based research institute dedicated to the study and promotion of British art and architectural history. It supports academic research, publications, grants, and public programming focused on expanding critical understanding of visual culture in Britain and its global contexts. The Centre works closely with major academic and cultural institutions, including the Warburg Institute, to deliver interdisciplinary research initiatives, conferences, and exhibitions.
This Call for Papers is organized in collaboration with the Warburg Institute and The Courtauld, three institutions known for their strong contributions to art historical scholarship. The event is structured around the archival legacy and theoretical contributions of artist, writer, and educator Deanna Petherbridge (1939–2024), whose work on drawing has significantly shaped contemporary discourse in art theory and practice.
Title & Description
Drawing as Knowledge: Practice, Theory and History – Call for Papers (Conference)
This international academic conference invites scholars, researchers, and practitioners to submit proposals for a two-day symposium exploring drawing as a mode of knowledge production. The event is conceptually grounded in the work of Deanna Petherbridge, particularly her influential framework of “drawing as visual thinking,” and seeks to expand this idea within the broader field of British art history and global drawing practices.
The conference will take place in London and is framed by a series of institutional events marking the cataloguing of Petherbridge’s archive, as well as the publication of a revised edition of her seminal book The Primacy of Drawing: Histories and Theories of Practice. The program also includes an accompanying archival exhibition and display of related artworks, positioning the conference within a wider curatorial and scholarly context.
Participants are invited to present twenty-minute papers that engage critically with drawing as an intellectual, perceptual, and material practice. Rather than treating drawing as purely representational, the conference emphasizes its role as a cognitive tool—one that structures thought, observation, and interpretation across disciplines.
Key thematic directions include the analysis of drawing as a technology of knowledge formation, its relationship to power structures (including colonial visual regimes and pedagogical systems such as life drawing), and its role in interpreting the human body, natural environments, urban spaces, and imaginative processes. Contributors are encouraged to consider drawing across historical periods, geographic contexts, and methodological approaches, with particular attention to material practices, tools, surfaces, and scales.
The conference aims to reframe drawing as an active epistemological practice that intersects with art history, anthropology, philosophy, and visual culture studies, reinforcing its significance beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries.
Categories
- Writing
- Curatorial
- Art History / Theory (Academic Research)
- Drawing
- Interdisciplinary Arts
- Visual Arts
- Scholarship
Eligibility
This Call for Papers is open to:
- Academics, researchers, and postgraduate students
- Independent scholars and practitioners in relevant fields
- Curators and art historians
- Interdisciplinary researchers working on drawing, visual culture, or material practices
There are no geographic restrictions; submissions from international contributors are welcomed. Applicants must demonstrate a clear academic or practice-based engagement with drawing as a subject of research.
Program Benefits & Awards
- A £200 speaker fee
- Coverage of reasonable travel costs
- Accommodation support where applicable
- Opportunity to present at a major international academic conference
- Engagement with leading scholars in British art history and visual culture
- Inclusion in a curated program hosted by the Paul Mellon Centre, Warburg Institute, and The Courtauld
- Access to related archival materials and exhibitions connected to Deanna Petherbridge’s practice
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- A maximum 450-word abstract outlining the proposed paper
- A 250-word academic biography
- Combined into a single Word document
- Submission via email
Additional requirements:
- Subject line must include: “CFP Drawing as Knowledge”
- Incomplete or late submissions will not be considered
How to Apply?
Submissions must be sent via email to: events@paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk
Key Dates
- Submission Deadline: 13 July 2026
- Conference Dates: 16–17 September 2026
- Exhibition Period (related materials): 29 July – 30 October 2026
Location
London, United Kingdom
Additional Details
The conference is part of a broader research and curatorial initiative centered on the archive of Deanna Petherbridge. It emphasizes drawing not only as an artistic medium but as a system of intellectual inquiry and knowledge production.
Submissions are expected to engage critically with drawing as a practice that intersects with disciplines such as anthropology, architecture, natural science, and visual studies. The program encourages both historical and contemporary perspectives, with attention to materiality, pedagogy, and power structures embedded in drawing practices.
The event operates under a formal code of conduct promoting respectful academic exchange and inclusive participation. Breaches of conduct policies may result in exclusion from the event or future programming.