As fellow con goers and fandom lovers ourselves, we were excited to explore the relationship between artists and fans. We were particularly interested in understanding how artists and fans interact in regards to conventions and on-line platforms.
Delving into the participatory memory of fandoms through the broad medium of fan art, we used the fandom of the Hobbit to explain our work.
Starting with fan art as our center, we identified the key pieces that must exist for fan art to be created: Fans, Artists, Platforms, and Fandoms.
Key Terms Defined
Convention (Con): A gathering where fandoms of all kind are celebrated in a 4 day festival-like atmosphere. Usually at a hotel or convention center, artists and fans can interact with each other over their shared interests through the buying, selling, and creation of fan art.
Fan Art: Any type of art that highlights a fandom, made by fellow fans. It can be any type of medium.
Fandom: The state or condition of being a fan of someone or something.
Participatory Memory: An examination of ways in which everyday people memorialize events or fandoms outside of the original and legitimate space of the fandom.
Page through the carousel below to link to detailed analysis of fan art, fans and artists, platforms, and our about us page.