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Decorating Dissidence is currently open for submissions on the following themes:

ALL THAT GLITTERS

In her book Glitterworld: The Future Politics of a Ubiquitous Thing (2020), Rebecca Coleman considers the material and social capacities of glitter. She writes that “glitter is ubiquitous. In the first decades of the twenty-first century, glitter is everywhere, from crafting to make-up, vagazzling to glitter bombing, fashion to fish” (Coleman, 1). She continues that glitter gets everywhere. “It sticks to what it is and isn’t intended to, and travels beyond its original uses, eliciting affects and emotions from delight to irritation” (Coleman, 1). Glitter’s nature is, as summarized by the artist Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt, “so sweet, so simple and yet we fear its strength so much….” (Tangents: Art in Fiber, 1987). 

Inspired by these descriptions, this issue of Decorating Dissidence asks for submissions that broaden on the various historical uses and contemporary applications and use of glitter. Glitter is typically seen as small pieces of reflective plastic that gets everywhere, as noted by Coleman. This issue of Decorating Dissidence will expand on this idea to consider other objects that create a similar shimmer visual effect such as, but not limited to: sequins, tinsel, costume jewelry, precious stones, metals, glass, confetti, and more. Glitter, in its various forms and effects that this issue is emphasizing, can be found in different contexts and practices. From the nineteenth century practice of tinsel painting, the “Rhinestone Cowboy” Loy Allen Bowlin’s bejeweled home and clothing, the spectacle of Black beauty in Mickalene Thomas’ works, to the small flecks of glitter one discovers on the bar floor after a night of dancing or the fake pearls one dons to feel glamorous. We invite reflections and critiques on all topics related to glitter, and are open to ideas that consider glitter as, but not limited to: a material, an effect, a description, and a process of making. In what ways can glitter–or the act of embellishment–address experiences of race, gender, sexuality, and class? What is the relationship between craft and glitter? How has craft incorporated glitter and related materials, both historically and at present?

Submission proposals may include reviews, articles, interviews, poetry, and responses. 

Please email submissions (proposals or finished work) to decoratingdissidence@gmail.com by May 12, 2023. 

About the Guest Editor

Graham Feyl is an art historian, curator, and writer. He is currently a PhD student in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research examines the relationship of craft and queerness through considering their material cultures, the history of craft and the legacies and practices of queer and transgender artists. 

What we’re looking for…

We accept: reviews of contemporary exhibitions or performances; interviews with contemporary practitioners; articles on aspects of craft and making in art, from the early twentieth century to the present day; images of art and craft work from practitioners; artist statements; interviews with contemporary artists, makers, and curators; and creative responses to art and craft.

We’re always open to new ideas, so if you want to submit something that’s not covered in the above, please get in touch!

Advice When Submitting Work

Word count will vary depending on the type of submission, but generally we suggest roughly 600-1000 words for reviews, articles, and interviews. 

For written creative responses, we are looking for work that directly responds to a piece of visual art or craft, or a craft technique. 

When submitting, you should include: 

• A short 150-250 word bio of yourself, including website and social media links.
• Relevant images

The best guide to the kind of submissions we might like to receive is what we usually publish, so please take the time to familiarise yourself with previous issues before contacting us. You can reach us at: decoratingdissidence@gmail.com

We generally advise submitting a proposal of around 200-300 words first, so that we can discuss your ideas before you write the piece, so that we can discuss how this will fit in to the issue as a whole. However, do feel free to submit a full piece for review.

Please note that unfortunately we are not currently in the position to pay for submissions, as the Decorating Dissidence blog generates no revenue and everyone involved with editing and managing it is donating their time for free. We are working hard to change this in the future!