Containing culture, a series of three symposia. Symposium three: lacking in discipline

This series of three symposia explored ideas around the construction of the urban image, the representation of private space in the public realm, and the blurring of real and imagined boundaries in contemporary art. In
different ways each of the events questioned the varied ways in which we might locate potential meaning within shifting notions of value. Symposium Three, Friday 29th June 2007: Lacking in Discipline. Convenor, David
Brittain. One of the tropes of contemporary art is the artist or artwork that is said to break or blur boundaries between disciplines, or to depart from tradition. How realistic is it to set up an opposition between disciplinary
and interdisciplinary practice when these positions seem to be complementary? This symposium invited a group of practitioners to address such questions through discussing their individual practices. Speakers: Suzanne Lacy (keynote address) is an internationally known artist whose work includes installations, video, and large-scale performances on social themes and urban issues. Paul Elliman is a London-based designer whose work and writing explores the mutual interests of technology and language. Dr. David Sweet, a painter, is a principal lecturer in fine art at MMU and was a contributor to the recent conference, A Future for Modernism? David Sweet is interested in the theory and practice of modern painting. Kathleen Mullaniff and Jane Langley from The Pattern Lab have been curating exhibitions related to textiles since 2000, enabling artists to explore and interpret both historical and contemporary textile collections and archives.