Sounded The Image

W. J. T. Mitchell's visual culture theories, especially pictorial turn, are well known in China. However, he also encountered many misunderstanding. Actually, pictorial turn never means that contemporary world is an age of image or a predominantly visual era. Visual culture study is neither visual front of the cultural studies movement nor should be restricted to research contemporary world.This thesis tries to correct these misunderstanding and to restore Mitchell's original meaning. More than that, a new way of visual culture would be unveiled by focused on his visual culture theories. Centering on the pictorial turn, Mitchell's whole researches could divide into two parts:pre-visual culture period and visual culture period. By investigating his academic micro-context, this thesis attempt to explore direct drives and intentions of Mitchell's theories. Simultaneously, the close reading of texts would expose transformation of some his concepts, such as image and picture, and his misreading to predecessor theorists.Chapter1 concentrates on the issue of "Word and Image" which Mitchell engaged in early age and argues that William Blake's composite art is the prototype of this study. Chapter2 discusses what Mitchell called Iconology which is different from the Panofsky's, in fact, is linguistics of image. Chapter3 analyzes the theoretical significance and intention of pictorial turn in the context of the rise of visual culture study and reveals its contravention and potential. Chapter4 traces Mitchell's theoretical construction of visual culture through a series of texts and debates he joined in. Chapter5 comments on some his case studies of "what do pictures want? "and "the life of image/picture". The conclusion part comes to argues that after pictorial turn Mitchell's theories have a rupture which is order to develop the new way of visual culture study. Finally the thesis would summarize and value the new way.