Visual Studies and the Iconic Turn

Abstract

What are the challenges and opportunities posed to the dominant interpretive paradigms of visual studies by the rise of a new fascination with the object? How can the study of visual culture respond to what has been variously termed a `pictorial' or an `iconic' turn? Can this phenomenological concern for the power of the image to determine its own reception be incorporated into approaches that emphasize its political implications? Is it possible to conceive of the image as both a representation and a presentation at the same time?

A “Virtual Cosmopolis”: Partha Mitter in Conversation with Keith Moxey

“…Both approaches, I argue, add power and complexity to our current understanding of the visual. 66 So in many ways I find the iconic turn's probing of the formal qualities of a work of art attractive. Its strength lies in reminding us of the importance of emotional response, without which art history becomes an arid exercise.…”

“…You have presented succinctly the current debate on the two dominant approaches to art history that veer between the text and the image. 51 There have always been tensions, sometimes to bursting point, between image and text, art historians often being torn in their dual loyalty. (I am also thinking of ancient India here, where the linkage between image and text is particularly close.)…”

Knowledge work and practices of seeing: Epistemologies of the eye, gaze, and professional vision

“…as being a practicing dentist, an experienced management consultant, or a member of faculty at a prestigious business school. In addition to discussions about the role of knowledge in contemporary society, in the economic *Email: alexander.styhre@handels.gu.se 362 A. Styhre regime, or in organizations, there has also been an emphasis in the social science and humanities literature on what has been referred to as the visual turn (Jay 2002) - Moxey (2008) uses the term 'iconic turn' to denote the same tendency -in social theory. Böhme (2003) talks about the present economic regime as an 'aesthetic economy' and similar arguments are put forth by Postrel (2003).…”

Art makes society: an introductory visual essay

“…Looking beyond the disciplinary boundaries of archaeology and anthropology, we also recognise important theoretical developments in fields such as art history and visual culture studies. The movement towards regarding the art object as influential through its presence and material qualities (Moxey 2008) is parallel to the material turn happening across the humanities and social sciences more broadly, an art-theory cognate to 'thing theory' in literature (Brown 2001) and approaches to materiality in anthropology (Miller 2005). Indeed, since these themes are already commonly explored in the archaeological literature, we see great potential for studies of art to open up a rich dialogue across disciplines.…”

“…In art studies, a material turn has foregrounded the presence of objects more than their interpretation (Moxey 2008). Anthropologists argue that concepts of the uniqueness of artworks, for example, may be emphasised more in the West than elsewhere.…”