krs325

Currently in my second year of a top MA program in Art History, came in wanting to concentrate on Mod/Contemporary and especially interested in Middle East/diaspora art, post-colonial issues, identity, globalization, feminism, etc. etc. Have been soundly discouraged from pursuing this route due to lack of much of an academic field at this point, (African diaspora scholars, you are SO lucky) ...and so I'm doing my MA thesis on an 18th century European topic that deals with issues of cultural identity/exchange, issues of representation between Europe and the Middle East/S.Asia, sort of a pre-Orientalism situation, and chance to test out a different "period." I do want to get a PhD, but am feeling very conflicted about how to choose a field, as my interests are obviously quite thematic. I don't even know if there's anybody at any institutions even open to supervising dissertations on any of these topics, so it's quite frustrating. I'm open to going as far back as 1750 and then somehow looking forward, but also need whomever I work with to be open to my being interested in writing about and curating contemporary art along with work in a more art historical field.Basically, I'm looking for a program/professor who is rigorous, but not necessarily conservative, and open to a more globally-minded and multidisciplinary approach to art history. Any thoughts/suggestions from those more experienced than I, or interested in similar things? Any faculty that seem to be open to these types of topics? Thanks for any ideas!