Research On The Methods Of W.J.T.Mitchell’s Picturing Theory

Throughout the history of Western iconology,Western iconology has gone through the four stages of early iconology,traditional iconology,modern iconology,and postmodern iconology.W.J.T.Mitchell,as a representative of postmodern iconology,subverts the tradition of iconology and has a profound impact on the development of iconology and the construction of art theory.Mitchell’s most ambitious and innovative theoretical idea is to try to picture the theory of iconology.Research on Mitchell’s methods to picture iconology theory demonstrates three paths to iconology research:a deconstructionist approach to postmodern iconology,a phenomenological hermeneutical approach that looks directly at the image itself,and a cultural approach of iconology to post art history.First the philosophy studies,film studies,media studies,comparative studies and art history studies we already have on images all imply a grasp of visual reproduction in terms of discourse and reflection,and therefore are not really satisfactory theories of iconology.Images need to reclaim the power to describe and reflect upon themselves from language.The so-called postmodern iconology is the deconstruction of the iconographic tradition and the established hermeneutic pattern,deconstruction of the absolute authority of the "linguistic turn" through the "pictorial turn" and the post-linguistic and post-symbolic rediscovery of the image.Specifically,Mitchell invents the concept of image interpretation represented by "meta-pictures" to illustrate the self-reflective function of images and the possibility of self-interpretation.He also cites The Spiral,the classic "Duck-Rabbit",Las Meninas,The Maids of Honor and Magritte’s pipe to show the complex interaction between discourses,vision,machines,bodies,system,metaphor and so on.Finally,Mitchell believes that all art is the product of the mixing of images and text,because only in this way can the round expression of ideas and forms be completed.Second,the sometimes flattened and stereotyped understanding of images in modern society has its roots in our difficulty in overcoming the obscurity imposed by the familiarity and inertia of experience.To visualize the image itself,Mitchell employs a phenomenological hermeneutic approach,which comes from Husserl and is transformed by Heidegger and Gadamer.Mitchell continues the phenomenological thinking,always emphasizing the return to the image and the viewing itself,and to this end he defines the methods and mechanisms of interpretation of the image.Mitchell reinterprets the theory of reproduction.He believes that the image is not a mechanical reproduction of the real world,nor a figurative expression of abstract concepts,spirit,ideas or simple presentation of style,but a more flexible,fuller,more moving way of reproduction.The image works with the presence of body,visual intuition,and the sense of shock in visual experience.It expands the boundaries when other artistic disciplines try to express something.In order to maximize the retention of the original meaning of the image in the hermeneutic process,Mitchell takes inspiration from Gadamer and adopts the hermeneutic mechanism of "dialogue" with the image.The meaning of images is ambiguous,mysterious,rich and multi-sensical,and through "dialogue",the interpreter can activate the meaning system of images with "life","emotion" and the ability to regenerate.Third,Mitchell,influenced by the "Artistic Conclusion",expands the scope of the object of iconology research by adopting a multi-perspective,interdisciplinary,and wide-ranging interpretive model,so as to comprehensively understand the many different levels of content and expressions of contemporary visual culture,as well as the multiple permeations of visual experience on modern life.This theoretical approach of his can be summarized as a cultural approach of iconology to post art history.Mitchell argues that images have a tendency to be theoretical and practical.Combined with Mitchell’s discourse,the theoretical tendency of images can be summed up in terms of their constructivism,thus describing their profound impact on history,culture,and thought.Mitchell’s focus on the visual arts in the age of biocontrolled reproduction is the most appropriate example of "living" images.They are no longer imitations of what already exist but can influence one’s perception of self and the world.The practical significance of the image is then reflected in its active involvement in the social public sphere and the realization of its social function through the ideological nature of the image.In this arena where everyone can see and be seen,images,as the most intuitive vehicle for the dissemination of information,can quickly change the viewer’s mind by virtue of authenticity,representation,symbolism and narrative,thus attracting the attention and resonance of more people.Fourth,we are in the age of visual culture,and in the face of all-embracing images in various forms,how to interpret them has become a central issue in the study of visual culture.The methodological significance of studying the Mitchell’s picture theory is to establish new cognitive modalities,interpretive models,visual mechanisms,and research paradigms that open up ideas for pictorial studies,visual culture studies,art history studies,film studies,and cultural industry studies.The difficulty of Mitchell’s approach to picture theory is that it blurs the boundaries between art and daily life and promotes a generalized understanding of art.Academic research and art appreciation have been replaced by popular entertainment and emotional appeals,so it is necessary for researchers in iconology studies to continuously improve,establish fair artistic judgment standards and serious theoretical system,cultivate an inclusive aesthetic mentality of the appreciators,and move towards the mode of appreciation of visual culture of beauty and harmony.All of this requires both a constant push from researchers and the need for creators and appreciators of contemporary visual culture to improve their own artistic literacy and active participation.