The Tension Between Language And Image In Literature And Graphic Art

From "The linguistic turn" in the field of philosophy in twenty century to the "Pictorial turn" of the contemporary culture, Language has lost the hegemonic condition because of image culture. Traditional literature is confronting with great challenge from graphic arts in contemporary society. We can use the concept of "tension" to explore the complex relationship between language and image, and try to analyze it in the perspective of semiology, narratology and reception theory.As the most widely used two kinds of culture symbol, language and image constantly compete for the voice in history. According to the theory of Saussure, the language and the image are divided into linear symbol and nonlinear symbol. Based on the heterogeneity they differ from each other, but they have communication in the artistic performance. Writers and artists use their symbolic features for the artistic creation. Besides, in the process of the pursuit of innovation, language and image show the mutual penetration in the function of symbol. In these works, language and image show the tension between two kinds of symbolic.As a carrier of time-art and space-art, the language and image has its own advantages. From the point of the senses, linking to hearing, language is more suitable for narrative. Relatively, basing on lines and colors, image connects to the vision that has more advantages on presenting space. In the field of the traditional poetry and painting, language and image merging perfectly presented aesthetic time sand space of art. In the intertextuality of each other, language and image show a strong tension in time and space. In the mutual imitation of image and language, the narration of time and the presentation of space transform into each other in literature and graphic art. In the creating and recreating of the theme of literature and graphic art, language and image perform on complicated tension in time and space.In the way of acceptance, there is a difference between language and image in rational reading and perceptual watching. Abstract language is connected to the rational thinking. The acceptance of language needs rational thinking and can be achieved through the conversion of information. Graphic image have an innate advantage on arousing the public visual perception, it makes that the image easier to be widely spread and accepted compared with language. In the acceptance of the complementary language- image text, reading of is no longer an abstract and tedious process in the joining of image. Readers need to invoke both the perceptual thinking and rational thinking to perception, understanding and deep thinking. The paradox in the content of language and image enhance the effect of the tension in the text acceptance.The discussion of "language-image" tension in literature and graphic art, not only helps clarify the relationship between literature and image from the theoretical origin, but also gives some suggestions to the creation of current literature and graphic art. Using and maintaining the tension between language and image, which are heterogeneous and balanced of each other, will alleviate the current crisis of literature-image relationship, and gives a new thought of the common prosperity and development of them.