Jae Emerling

Jae Emerling is Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art History in the Department of Art & Art History at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and serves as the Associate Dean for Research for the College of Arts + Architecture. He received his Ph.D. in Art History from the University of California, Los Angeles after attending Wesleyan University. Emerling is Editor-at-Large and Reviews Editor for the London-based Journal of Visual Culture, demonstrating his significant influence in the field of visual studies.

Emerling's research interests center on aesthetic history, Deleuze and Guattari studies, contemporary art theory, and the development of the transmissibility concept. His scholarly approach bridges philosophy, art history, and critical theory, with particular focus on figures like Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari, Cy Twombly, Marina Abramović, Paul Celan, and Italo Calvino. His work explores the anachronistic and futural nature of artistic creation and historiographic labor.

His major publications include Theory for Art History (2005, second edition 2019), Photography: History and Theory (2012), and his latest work Transmissibility: Writing Aesthetic History (2024), which develops a transdisciplinary philosophy of aesthetic history. He is currently co-editing Reinventing Theory: Art History and Criticism (forthcoming 2025) with Kamini Vellodi. His articles appear in prestigious journals including Critical Inquiry, History of Photography, Radical Philosophy, and the Journal of Art Historiography.

Among his notable contributions is the JVC Palestine Portfolio (2021), which he co-edited as part of his editorial work for the Journal of Visual Culture. His scholarship demonstrates a consistent engagement with theoretical frameworks while maintaining deep connections to specific artistic practices and historical contexts.

Emerling previously served as a visiting professor of contemporary art at the VU Amsterdam in 2011, reflecting his international scholarly reach. His work consistently explores the philosophical dimensions of art history while developing innovative methodological approaches to understanding artistic creation and reception across time.