Art is a global phenomenon. Through art people remake themselves and their worlds, while commenting on their values and beliefs. Making, using and learning from artworks is fundamental to human social life and sensory engagement.
In the context of the reassessment of the collecting, display and interpretation of cultures, the study of art as a global human activity challenges categories of mainstream and marginalised arts and allows new histories to emerge, highlighting different standpoints and disciplines.
World Art encourages critical reflection at the intersections of theory, method and practice. It provides a forum for redefining the concept of art for scholars, students and practitioners, for rethinking artistic and interpretive categories and for addressing cultural translation of art practices, canons and discourses. It promotes innovative and comparative approaches for studying human creativity, past and present.
World Art welcomes contributions which promote inter-cultural, inter-national, inter-practice or inter-disciplinary concerns. Submissions can take the form of articles or art-works, based on individual or collaborative research. Audio and video materials may be included to accompany the on-line version of the journal.
The journal is an English language publication, but submissions in other languages may be considered. All contributions will be peer-reviewed. The editors are supported by an international Advisory Board.
Instructions for Authors
This journal uses ScholarOne Manuscripts (previously Manuscript Central) to peer review manuscript submissions. Please read the guide for ScholarOne authors before making a submission. Complete guidelines for preparing and submitting your manuscript to this journal are provided below.
Two issues of World Art are published each year. All contributions are peer reviewed, under consultation with the journal's Advisory Board. Some volumes are guest edited and, where appropriate, contributions will be grouped by theme. Issues alternate between those which are general in content and those which engage specific themes.
Upcoming themes include: Outside Things; The Future of Heritage; Museums and Marginalisation. Please contact the editors regarding any proposal for a contribution to a themed issue.
The editors seek original material with intellectual integrity. Text as well as image-based contributions are welcome. Picture or photo essays, with critical commentary will also be considered.
The preferred language of the journal is English, but contributions in other languages will be considered. If it is important for your contribution to appear in another language, please provide a brief explanation and an English translation.
Publication includes online and print versions. Illustrative material can be more fully presented in the online version. There is also greater scope for colour images and multi-media content in the online version (selections subject to approval by Editors and Advisory Board).
Categories of Content
Content is broadly themed according to a number of generic categories, however, not every category will necessarily appear in each issue of the journal and others may be added:
Studies
We look for original and creative contributions to world art studies. We are keen to see work that examines issues in production, reception and interpretation of art; looks at contexts, localities and methods for study; or which reviews existing viewpoints and values and histories, but takes a fresh start from new perspectives. We favour comparative studies, the questioning of values from one culture to another, or from one period to another. We are looking for short contributions or longer considered essays in which opinions can be freely aired on issues of critical importance concerning cultural politics, migrations, colonialism, museology, archaeology discourses of display, religion, values, funding, power, heritage and patrimony, identity.
Interventions
Exploratory projects where critical interventions have been made across and between cultures, art-forms or media. Projects may feature archaeological, historical, anthropological, linguistic or geographical studies; they may be political, discursive, experimental, aiming for exchanges or appropriations of methodology or media between subject areas. Issues of cultural or linguistic translation will be pertinent and performances or performative situations may be described. This category of content will also feature artistic or creative interventions by any arts practitioner in relation to different places or institutions. Interventions may be practical, theoretical or academic.
Dialogues
Dialogues are about exchange, reflection, the balancing and sharing of alternative viewpoints. They may take the form of discussions between two or more people which have been worked up into a considered form. We expect dialogues to be crafted into a coherent set of arguments, interweaving points of view and we are interested in creative variations of this format. Sometimes when several contributions to the journal are offering to tackle related subjects, the editors will set up a dialogue. Also, the editors will be pleased to facilitate dialogues in subjects critical to world art, which can inform content for future issues.
Formats for submitted work
Studies (research articles and visual essays)
In-depth, original and creative contributions to world art studies. Research articles submissions should be 5,000 to 8,000 words in length, with up to eight images. Visual essays may consist of no more than 15 images and are to be accompanied with a critical text of no more than 3,000 words. The text should discuss the illustrated material critically to show its relevance/contribution for the journal and audience.
All studies must include a Title Page, Abstract (max. 250 words) and Keywords (up to 8), Bibliography, and, if applicable, a List of Figures with suitable captions. Begin each of these on a new page.
Interventions and dialogues
Shorter individual works (position pieces, opinion/commentary on previous content) or multi-person works (collaborations, debates). Short text contributions, such as position or opinion pieces, can be up to 2,000 words maximum, with up to two images. Multi-contributor dialogues can be longer and comprised of multiple, linked works, sometimes across separate print issues (such works should be discussed with editors before submission). Short videos and recorded contributions, audio and visual, can be considered for transcription and/or online content.
Artistic contributions
Artistic contributions can be represented by up to 5 photographs (grayscale or colour) of an artwork (or artworks). The Editors may select from this group a cover image or to reproduce in colour. A caption needs to accompany each image or individual artwork, consisting of no more than 150 words.
Contact Information:
For inquiries: worldart@uea.ac.uk
For submissions: submit online here
Website: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/RWOR