| Popis: |
A keen reader of books by W.J.T. Mitchell may have noticed that there is a sustained and conspicuous presence of three animal species throughout his work. These animals are: dinosaur, calf and sheep. In the paper I argue that their presence should be explained as a way in which visual studies as a discipline can be translated into a coherent visual theory composed of different sets of working methodologies. In other words, the three animal species are neither just subjects of analysis nor just pre- conceptualized theoretical terms ; rather, they are an example of how living images get transformed into a new kind of living theory. In Mitchell's books, three animal species are systematically deployed as recurring objects of representation eventually in order to become disciplinary instruments in a more strict sense. Consequently, their evolution from simple non-humans to theoretical objects and finally to iconological tools was due to their paradigmatic character across different eras of visual culture. |
