9 May 2013, 12 - 12am

Convened by Dr Grace Lees-Maffei, University of Hertfordshire and Dr Kjetil Fallan, University of Oslo

Postmodern theory might have finally killed off the utopian ideal of history as an objective science, but it has arguably left a vacuum, with no comprehensive debate on the role of subjectivity and its potential challenges and benefits. As scholars we are trained to put aside subjective responses in our analyses, and yet personal interests, values and experiences continue to inform the work of design historians, from our choice of subject matter and theoretical frameworks to our methodological approaches and conclusions. Our aim is to contribute an examination of this under-developed topic relevant to the field of design history and beyond.


PROGRAMME
12.30 pm Lunch, Lindop foyer
1.10 pm Introduction, convenors, Dr Grace Lees-Maffei (University of Hertfordshire) & Dr Kjetil Fallan (University of Oslo)
1.20 pm Dr Jo Turney (Bath Spa University) 'It's all about me: little voices, big stories (or vice versa)'
2.00 pm Kerry William Purcell (University of Hertfordshire) ''The knots on the underside of the carpet': Design history, the historian, and the shadow of the object'
2.40 pm Professor Regina L. Blaszczyk (University of Leeds) 'Adventures of an Archives Hound: Learning How Colour Became a Tool for American Designers'
3.20 pm Tea, Lindop foyer
3.50 pm Paul Hazell (University of Worcester) 'The enthusiast's eye: the dilettante of design history?'
4.20 pm Nicholas Oddy (Glasgow School of Art, Scotland) 'An Uneasy Alliance: Collectors' items and history'
5.00 pm Dr Pauline Garvey (National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Ireland) 'Are you the person who has the lamp on in the middle of the night?!' The sensuous quality of domestic things'
5.40 pm Professor Jonathan Morris (University of Hertfordshire), response, followed by group discussion
6.00 pm Wine, Lindop Foyer
6.30 Close.


For more information, please contact: g.lees-maffei@herts.ac.uk


School of Creative Arts, University of Hertfordshire

AA191/A161 Lindop Building, College Lane Campus, Hatfield, Herts AL10 9AB, UK.