Place and Position Taking in a Decentering Global Field

• In Event: 545 - Section on Sociology of Culture Roundtable Session.
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 12. Space and Place

Abstract

This paper identifies artistic efforts to represent place-specific concerns and professional belonging in a global, contemporary art world simultaneously. Based on over two years of ethnographic observation (2010-13) and 76 interviews with arts professionals in two “off-center” U.S. cities – Portland, Oregon and Nashville, Tennessee – this paper describes place related themes in some artists’ works, by way of describing some contentious positions taken around those themes. Extant sociological models characterize the art world’s geography as consisting of a center and periphery, which explains 20th century conceptions of regionalism, but 21st century conditions have supposedly opened new opportunities for contemporary artists to live everywhere. Still, place-related artistic themes are evident, and ‘regionalism’ and ‘place’ are again significant concerns of recent art-historical discourse. I argue that artists’ careers are dually embedded in local scenes and a global field. Places are represented and contested in this field in part because place reputations affect professional visibility and career chances. As such, places can be understood as dynamic positions and as moving targets in the global field.

Author

• Samuel Shaw, Vanderbilt University