TY - CHAP

T1 - The Creative Dimension of Visuality

T2 - On Merleau-Ponty and Castoriadis

AU - Michelsen, Anders Ib

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - This essay reflects critically on the notion of visuality, a centrepiece of current theory on visual culture and its underlying idea of a structural ‘discursive determination’ of visual phenomena. Is the visual really to be addressed through the post-war heritage of discourse and representation analysis relying on language/linguistics as a model for explaining culture? More specifically, how can the – creative – novelty of visual culture be addressed by a notion of discourse? This essay will argue that the debate on visual culture is lacking with regard to discerning the creative dimension of its own appearance. It will indicate an alternative conceptual framework based on Johann P. Arnason’s draft of tripartite culturalization which focuses on a shift from essences to dimensions of culture. This will be further developed by relating Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s idea of ‘chiasm’ of ‘the visible and the invisible’ to the notion of collective creativity and ‘the imaginary institution of society’ of Cornelius Castoriadis. In the theoretical relationship between Merleau-Ponty and Castoriadis it is possible to indicate a notion of visuality as a creative dimension.

AB - This essay reflects critically on the notion of visuality, a centrepiece of current theory on visual culture and its underlying idea of a structural ‘discursive determination’ of visual phenomena. Is the visual really to be addressed through the post-war heritage of discourse and representation analysis relying on language/linguistics as a model for explaining culture? More specifically, how can the – creative – novelty of visual culture be addressed by a notion of discourse? This essay will argue that the debate on visual culture is lacking with regard to discerning the creative dimension of its own appearance. It will indicate an alternative conceptual framework based on Johann P. Arnason’s draft of tripartite culturalization which focuses on a shift from essences to dimensions of culture. This will be further developed by relating Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s idea of ‘chiasm’ of ‘the visible and the invisible’ to the notion of collective creativity and ‘the imaginary institution of society’ of Cornelius Castoriadis. In the theoretical relationship between Merleau-Ponty and Castoriadis it is possible to indicate a notion of visuality as a creative dimension.

KW - Faculty of Humanities

KW - Merleau-Ponty, Maurice

KW - Castoriadis (Cornelius)

KW - visuality

M3 - Book chapter

SN - 9781846318917

SP - 104

EP - 113

BT - Transvisuality. The Cultural Dimension of Visuality

A2 - Kristensen, Tore

A2 - Michelsen, Anders

A2 - Wiegand, Frauke

PB - Liverpool University Press

CY - Liverpool

ER -