Call for Articles: The European Legacy’s Special Issue on the Legacy of Adorno’s Criticism in Aesthetics and Performance
Regarded as one of the foremost thinkers of the twentieth-century, Theodor Adorno’s work ranges from cultural criticism, Marxism, and aesthetic theory to philosophy and sociology. A trained musician, his work demonstrates an unusual balance between theory and praxis, a combination that distinguishes him from many other critical theorists. Whether addressing the “culture industry’s” commodified degradation of art or defending Modernism, Adorno can be seen as a pioneer in the reciprocal critique of art and society, thereby making a case for his intellectual legacy.
Many respected theorists such as Stuart Hall and his colleagues from the Birmingham School have criticized Adorno as an elitist whose attacks on popular culture are based on superficial arguments against cultural consumerism. A smaller chorus of supporters, such as J.M. Bernstein and Martin Jay, has defended his work as an insightful critique of aesthetic degradation under capitalism. What is Adorno’s legacy to cultural studies? Moreover, is his theory relevant to understanding art and society today?
The editors of The European Legacy (a peer-reviewed journal in its 19th year) have expressed their interest in publishing a Special Issue on Adorno’s cultural criticism relative to aesthetics, especially performance. Original articles of 8,000-10,000 words should use Adorno’s critical theory in the context of aesthetics and performance towards addressing matters that may include the relationship between art and society, global capitalism’s impact on cultural production, the artist’s role in the culture industry, and the distinctions between modernism and postmodernism.
As the Guest Editor of this Special Issue, please send your article to Peter Zazzali at: [email protected] by 15 January 2015. Please note if your submission is part of a dissertation, previously published work, or a former conference presentation.
For more on The European Legacy’s guidelines to authors, please see the journal’s website athttp://issei2014.com/The_European_Legacy.html.
Dr. Peter Zazzali
Assistant Professor
Department of Theatre
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS 44045
