Theoretical Construction And Representation Praxis Of Political Visual Rhetoric

In a visualized world,visual rhetoric is a strategic tool of political communication.As an interdisciplinary research,this study,aiming at the ’visual vacancy’ in the research of visual rhetoric and ’political blind spot’ in the research of political rhetoric,focuses on ’political visual rhetoric’,and comprehensively adopts a variety of research methods such as historical analysis,literature analysis,critical discourse analysis,fantasy theme method and reception aesthetics to carry out construction of the theoretical framework and analysis of respresentation practice.This study first reveals the original relationship between image and politics.Then,by sorting out the classical literature of rhetoric,political rhetoric and visual rhetoric,the concept of political visual rhetoric are grasped in the context and evolution of theoretical development.The concept of political visual rhetoricis the fusion of political rhetoric and visual rhetoric,is the specific rhetoric response generated by political subject who uses images to stimulate the audience and is the communication activity realizing specific political litigation.This study points out that political visual rhetoric has two facets: static theoretical dimension and dynamic representation mechanism.In the theoretical dimension,the connotation of political visual rhetoric is the ideological concept implied from the text;the denotation refers to the form of the text,which transmits the connotation through five ways,with the basic characteristics of clear political intention,symbolic image and communication with the audience.Based on Fairclough’s three-dimensional analysis from the perspective of producer and the reception aesthetics from the perspective of communication and reception,this study constructs a theoretical analysis framework of political visual rhetoric.Text analysis is the core in the framework,in order to explore ’what to say’ and ’how to say’ in the text;discourse practice to explore the ’how to produce meaning’ in the text;social practice to study the ’deep reasons behind the production of meaning’ in the text.In terms of dynamic representation mechanism,political visual rhetoric creates political significance—text representation is the narrative stitching of mixed graphics and text;process representation is the synthesis of anchoring and concreting;social representation is the coordination of purposeful value and instrumental value,through combing the text,process and social representation.Text representation based on producer’s perspective is the basis of rhetoric production,process representation based on audience’s psychology is the basis of rhetoric communication,and social representation based on political value is the root of rhetoric function.The analysis of political visual rhetoric in the theoretical dimension needs to be tested by practice.This study takes the international communication practice of the ’belt and road’ as the object,and uses critical discourse analysis,fantasy theme method and reception aesthetics to analyze and compare the political visual rhetorical representation at home and abroad.It is found that Chinese political visual rhetoric uses the graphic logic of contrast,causality and progression,which arouses the attention and affirmation of the concept of truth,while the west uses metaphor,dualism,intertextuality and coherence to lay the foundation of the irony structure of fantasy theme,which reflecting ideological prejudice.There are three significant differences between China and foreign countries: aesthetic perception versus scientific rationality;emotional political identity versus alienated political identity;simple attribution versus complicated attribution.This study believes that research of political visual rhetoric need philosophical reflection.In the ontological dimension,there are some hidden worries that should be paid attention to,including symbols submerge reality,emotions influence cognition and games overcome meaning.In the epistemological dimension,coordinated development of spiritual representation and material representation should be concerned,the two-way rhetoric interpretation should be launched as well,rhetorical situation of inquiry should be considered again,and rhetorical tone of trust should established through multi-level linkage.In the axiological dimension,it is advocated that the value of political visual rhetoric should evaluated under a prudent way when returning to essence of political visual rhetoric.In the methodology dimension,it is suggested to explore multiple methods that conform to the rhetoric characteristics of political vision and return to human concern of humanity sciences.This study,sorting out and explaining the concept of political visual rhetoric,responds to the urgent need of the visual turn of political communication,and integrates the originally isolated political and visual nature by rhetoric,and starts the theoreticalstudy of political visual rhetoric.The theoretical analysis framework of political visual rhetoric is constructed in this study,which establishes basic theoretical orientation of political visual rhetoric and provides a specific research path for the representation practice of political visual rhetoric.