RHETORIC of the VISUAL. Metaphor in a Still Image
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JYVÄSKYLÄ STUDIES IN HUMANITIES 166 Kimmo E. Lehtonen RHETORIC OF THE VISUAL Metaphor in a Still Image JYVÄSKYLÄ STUDIES IN HUMANITIES 166 Kimmo E. Lehtonen RHETORIC OF THE VISUAL Metaphor in a Still Image Esitetään Jyväskylän yliopiston humanistisen tiedekunnan suostumuksella julkisesti tarkastettavaksi yliopiston vanhassa juhlasalissa S212 marraskuun 21. päivänä 2011 kello 12. Academic dissertation to be publicly discussed, by permission of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Jyväskylä, in building Seminarium, Auditorium S212, on November 21, 2011 at 12 o'clock noon. UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ JYVÄSKYLÄ 2011 RHETORIC OF THE VISUAL Metaphor in a Still Image JYVÄSKYLÄ STUDIES IN HUMANITIES 166 Kimmo E. Lehtonen RHETORIC OF THE VISUAL Metaphor in a Still Image UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ JYVÄSKYLÄ 2011 Editors Urpo Kovala Department of Art and Culture Studies, University of Jyväskylä Pekka Olsbo, Ville Korkiakangas Publishing Unit, University Library of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Studies in Humanities Editorial Board Editor in Chief Heikki Hanka, Department of Art and Culture Studies, University of Jyväskylä Petri Karonen, Department of History and Ethnology, University of Jyväskylä Paula Kalaja, Department of Languages, University of Jyväskylä Petri Toiviainen, Department of Music, University of Jyväskylä Tarja Nikula, Centre for Applied Language Studies, University of Jyväskylä Raimo Salokangas, Department of Communication, University of Jyväskylä Copyright of the images published in this work are solely in the possession of the photographers. The images are published here in a limited edition and under the academic citation right in relation to this study. Reprinting, reproduction or publishing the images in any form is strictly forbidden without permission by the photographer. Cover picture: Kapa, from a series After Ski (1996 – 2002) URN:ISBN:978-951-39-4547-3 ISBN 978-951-39-4547-3 (PDF) ISSN 1459-4331 ISBN 978-951-39-4546-6 (nid.) ISSN 1459-4323 Copyright © 2011 , by University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä University Printing House, Jyväskylä 2011 ABSTRACT Lehtonen, Kimmo E. RHETORIC OF THE VISUAL – Metaphor in a Still Image Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2011, 174 p. (Jyväskylä Studies in Humanities ISSN 1459-4331; 166) ISBN 978-951-39-4546-6 (nid.) ISBN 978-951-39-4547-3 (PDF) Diss. This study includes an introduction and six articles. The articles return to the problem of visual meaning as a content-intensive quality of an image. The elementary questions are in which ways does an image represent itself when it is published, and how much does the genre in a single visual presentation metaphorise itself before presenting its message, narrative or argument through the visual means? The goal of this study is to make new openings for the analysis of the content in visual presentations in the field of humanities. It considers media studies and cultural studies in terms of semiotics and genre studies. The texts look at a variety of theoretical disciplines, especially semiotics, rhetoric and to some extent, hermeneutics and various theories of art. The work comprises several approaches to the research topic. It studies the premises of the audience approaches to visual culture in terms of semiotics and rhetoric. It shows how rhetoric functions in photographic practice, in the ethos of technology and as a trope in artistic expression. It studies the signification processes between the image and the product, labels, and logos in relation to an individual, the society, and the different notions of a product. The ideologies in landscape photography and the transitions to idiosyncratic expression in contemporary photographic art are reviewed from the standpoint of the diversity and the expanding significance of the aesthetic. The focus is on the aesthetic qualities of multimodal images and their affiliation with different traditions in visual representation. The visual is understood as a basic element that constitutes social bonding and the sense of community in contemporary culture. The study discusses various concepts of metaphor in visual rhetoric through trope and predication. It also offers nine distinctive close-readings of images and their use of rhetorical operations representing three major genres in contemporary media. Keywords: visual culture, photography, information graphics, semiotic, rhetoric, art theory, aesthetics. Author’s address Kimmo E. Lehtonen Department of Art and Culture Studies University of Jyväskylä, Finland Supervisors Professor emeritus Erkki Vainikkala Department of Art and Culture Studies University of Jyväskylä, Finland Professor Urpo Kovala Department of Art and Culture Studies University of Jyväskylä, Finland Reviewers Docent Hannu Vanhanen Faculty of Arts and Design University of Lapland Professor Mike Shapiro Department of Political Sciences University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA Opponent Professor Mike Shapiro Department of Political Sciences University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost I would like to express my gratitude to professor Erkki Vainikkala and professor Urpo Kovala who have been there to support me ever since my licentiate work in 2004. With a great enthusiasm and commitment Erkki has always been encouraging me to follow my way, even when it has been ambiguous and my self-expression has been cryptic. Urpo’s strategy in his Apollonian way of instruction has been the best guarantee for me to trust that someday the work will be completed. Docent Hannu Vanhanen, as an old colleague and friend, has given me important advice in our discussions on photography, electronic media, and research. I’m also grateful to him for his dedication as reviewer of my work. Nordic and European networks that I have participated in for more than a decade play a key role in my learning process based on collaboration between colleagues. I have been privileged to develop my thinking on research and teaching collaboration with several specialists. Especially professor Annika Waenerberg and assistant professor Æsa Sigurjonsdottir have challenged me to ‘think more’. To the University of Jyväskylä I express my gratitude for giving me a learning platform where I have been able to create innovative programmes during these 18 years. I want to thank The Department of Art and Culture Stud- ies for giving me space to give my full attention to finishing this work, maybe even more than I had expected. The Helsingin Sanomat Foundation as well as Regina and Leo Weistein Foundation have supported this project in the begin- ning. The loving consultation and help that I have received from Taru and Ma- rika, has been priceless. I’m much obliged to my family because of their patient support and end- less trust in me. And finally, I’m honoured to have such an internationally re- spected scholar Mike Shapiro as my opponent, literally from the other end of the world. Lillgård, November 8th, 2011 CONTENTS ABSTRACT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FIGURES AND TABLES CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 9 1.1 Background .................................................................................................. 9 1.2 Short Introduction to the Articles ........................................................... 11 1.3 Research Questions ................................................................................... 12 2 PRE-CONDITIONS OF ILLUSTRATION ...................................................... 16 2.1 FUNCTIONS - Relating Semiotics to Rhetoric and Genre Theory .... 16 2.2 CONDITIONS AND CONTEXTS - What there is to be Seen in Cultural Representations ......................................................................... 22 2.3 BROAD TENDENCIES – Repetition and Other Tricks ....................... 27 2.4 COMPETENCE - Signs That Are Passing By ...................................... 33 2.5 Conventional Percepts ............................................................................. 39 2.6 Slow Process Amongst Genres ............................................................... 46 2.7 The Order of the Photograph .................................................................. 59 2.8 From Living Metaphor … ........................................................................ 66 2.9 … To Conclusion ....................................................................................... 71 2.10 Afterword .................................................................................................. 85 3 ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VISUALITY AND RHETORIC .... 90 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 90 3.2 Technical Ethos ......................................................................................... 91 3.3 Towards Rhetoric of Visuality ................................................................ 92 3.4 Rhetoric of Photography .......................................................................... 95 4 FROM THE GENIE IN A BOTTLE TO NEW DIMENSION ...................... 102 4.1 Industrial Philately ................................................................................. 102 4.2 The Extended Product ............................................................................ 103 4.3 Not Just a Product ................................................................................... 105 4.4 The Cynical Consumer ........................................................................... 106 4.5 Absolutely Vodka Mister