Visual culture

Image Science (also visual media science, picture research or visualistics ) is a science that has emerged from different scientific disciplines and increasingly interdisciplinary concerned with the phenomenon of image in any medium and in any form.

In Anglo-Saxon countries it is approximately equivalent to subjects such as the visual ( culture ) studies.

Subject areas, theories and methodology

Image Science attempts to clarify in an interdisciplinary collaboration, which Bildsein and image use mean in a general sense. She stands ( hermeneutical, historical- critical and creative role in media technology, etc.) for different issues and approaches it. Rather than a problem area for an institutionally anchored, narrowly defined or basal discipline study of site

For the purposes of mutual understanding of the scientific disciplines they tried to determine what the different image-related and visual sciences use the term " image " understand ( Klaus Sachs - Hombach ).

A definition of the concept proves to be due to the transitions to other Symbolisierungsformen (font, number ), due to the historical transformation and differentiation of the image in technical and medial aspect and the consequent shifts in meaning ( image as a sculptural cult image, two-dimensional image panel, electronic TV picture ) problematic one at that with regard to the difficulty of transmission of the term in other languages ​​( Schulz 2005, Bruhn 2008). After all, it turns out that with the view of images beyond the autonomous work of art (in the sense of the 19th century ) may be accompanied by a shift of reviews, which raised awareness of less noticed forms of images (Elkins 1999).

The focus of interest of an interdisciplinary visual studies are not individual images or works of art; it depends rather on the human ability to create images specifically and use as a communications medium and they perceive ( rezipieren ) and can be used. Image science involves doing the effects with a, having the production and use of images of different style to the people, his behavior and culture. The image science lies an extended image - term basis, which all kinds of images and their various contexts of use with includes ( eg advertising, artwork, propaganda film). The research subject " image " goes beyond tangible works of art (eg sculpture and painting ) and expressly excludes and analog and virtual images used (eg, film, internet), as well as intangible images and ideas (eg, stereotypes and prejudices ) with a.

Image science as a discipline is frequently as a supplement, but also partly as a "competition" to older approaches within the represented in the construction of a universal image science disciplines (including art history, archeology, philosophy, psychology, ethnology / European Ethnology, Sociology, Media Studies, Communication Studies, film studies, etc.) perceived. Role, legitimacy and practical and theoretical approaches of the individual involved in the construction of a interdisciplinary visual studies disciplines are currently being intense and controversial discussion.

Within the process of the emergence of a picture science meet different research approaches and theoretical traditions to each other as methodical nature of humanities and social - communication and media studies, but also natural sciences. These are in particular the disciplines Folklore / European Ethnology, media studies, communication studies, film studies, philosophy, semiotics, political science, history, as well as computer science (in particular, computational ), cognitive science, psychology, biology, physics and medicine mentioned. The opening of the scientific horizon aims thereby to a more interdisciplinary exchange and networking of the different problems and methods for systematic image science.

As examples of the often within the disciplines considered to be controversial developments should here the subjects Art History, European Ethnology and computer science are presented:

Image Science and Art History

The classic image - art history, whose research interest have traditionally focused on the artistic products of the so-called high culture and images from the so-called mass or popular culture excluded even temporarily, is in a critical relation to certain currents of image science, particularly those which universal to a or historically absolute image term working towards. For the same reason the history of art schools such as the iconology or art history demanded in the first half of the 20th century, the analysis of any visual material and methods used in psychology or sociology. While popular art theorist and critic of subsequent generations as Clement Greenberg the concept of the image in turn negotiated in terms of a radical autonomy of art, the ideas of Aby Warburg and Erwin Panofsky came later than in the 90s with the so-called iconic turn again this week. Art history pursued at least since that time, the goal of the political or religious conflicts images ("Images dispute" ) derive their specific functions and significantly above a magisterial organized or socially excellent high art to go ( Warnke 1973/88; Bredenkamp 1975).

Horst Bredekamp has called in the context of this research tradition to conceive the history of art as a paradigmatic image science and operate in accordance with, for art history as a central ( and professionally and objectively legitimated ) interpreted image science. In contrast, advocates Hans Belting for a radical expansion of scientific research object and a unique interdisciplinary research image; to this, the history of art should both methodologically and theoretically open for exchange with other disciplines, as has become customary, for example, in practical museum work of art historians and curators; there are in the exploration and evaluation of a work of art in addition to stylistic and art-historical point scientific analysis and, increasingly, cultural history and media analytical methods standard. In this context, the hope was expressed that these methodological and theoretical approaches can be found in the future even more into the university teaching input, otherwise would run the history of art in danger of losing their leading role in the field of image science to other disciplines.

Image Science and Anthropology

The basic for image science research subject " image" is limited within this " intermediary times " Ethnology not only to " external ", ie material tangible and physically perceptible images ( objectification ), such as works of art, sculptures, advertising posters, virtual images. Following approaches from the fields of sociology, media and communication studies, psychology, physics, medicine, biology, theology, philosophy and history also " internal images " or " pictures in the mind " as pictorial memories, ideas, prejudices and stereotypes ( Subjektivationen ) involved in the research and ethnological image related to each other. Other important research areas form production methods, distribution ( distribution and marketing ), reception (perception ) and communication (passing, handing down ) of " images " images. The research object image will be both historically (eg Hinterglasbild research ) as contemporary issues (eg, violence videos, Virtual Worlds on the Internet) in its different aspects (eg, crafts, industry, mass art, stereotype research, media analysis, advertising, etc. ) examined. The methods used for this purpose range from the study of historical sources about different interview techniques to online analysis. Not least, the handling and use of images is investigated and critically as didactic resources and as a research object within its own scientific discipline within the ethnological image research.

Image Science and computer science

The computer scientist Peter Schreiber sees picture science as "part of computer science, is involved in the pictorial information in any way ." Interfaces it provides, among other things, mathematics, logic, computer science, physics, physiology, psychology, print, film and video technology, philosophy, history, art history, art history, folklore, law and sociology. In addition to computer graphics images play in computer science in the field of digital image processing an important role. In addition, this discipline to the task of information visualization ( graphical representation of data, especially large amounts of it) to devote also begins increasing. As informatics matic counterpart of image science all of these areas are summarized more recently under the name of " computational ". As such, the computer science tries to bring formalizing the conceptual requirements of their areas of application in a special (namely, algorithmic ) that makes it possible to leave the argumentative contexts used in the field of application to example cases automatically by play of a computer system, the computational reflects many essential aspects of general image science on the contrary their own way and may also contribute in this way for conceptual clarification within the image science.

Disciplinarity

Expansion and application areas of possible academic discipline under the title " image science" - the first chair in the German language was established at the University of Continuing Education Krems 2005 - are far more excited and could theoretically from the analysis of imaging techniques in medicine to the design of promotional materials rich; by definition, they could include all subjects and theoretically merge dealing with pictures or generate on the basis of visual media knowledge. In addition, they could include all everyday, artistic or medial aspect of the composition, usage, and perception and thus deal with issues that are have long been the subject of art history and archeology, anthropology, psychology, aesthetics, cultural studies, visual communication and design.

Therefore, a " visual studies " beyond a narrower or broader definition of their tasks to make ( see also " programmatic "). This could for example consist of

• Development of design lessons for new media,
• Development of database and archive strategies for visual media products,
• Analysis of imaging techniques,
• Deepening of interdisciplinary research in the field of visual (especially visual ) thinking, learning and understanding processes,
• Exploring historical and contemporary contexts of production, reception, adaptation, manipulation and distribution of images,
• Theoretical clarification of the relationship between art and image.

Programmatic

A contemporary interdisciplinary visual studies must conceptually define broadly as possible the research subject " image ". A comprehensive interdisciplinary exchange of theories and methods is necessary in this case.

The still -to-find qualitative separation of art images and images of everyday life, as is common, for example, with regard to images in the mass media or the Internet, generally repealed. The " dividing lines between images of the art and the images of consumerism " are here to discard " image " in the exploration of the phenomenon.

Goal of contemporary visual studies is to determine the pictorial as a specific form of communication. After Schirra 2005 the focus not on analysis of certain images or pictorial phenomena in the foreground, but the broader research interest that is based on these analyzes.

No subject is, however, out of itself and in itself a picture, but is used within a specific per colloquial and functional context as such. For image science, which means on the one hand that they must address fundamental questions of ability to image use; the concrete application of this ability in a particular situation, which constitutes the specific meanings of images in the respective functional context and determines plays an important role. On the other hand, it follows to consider the historical transformations of the image and its concept, as they are derived from specific artistic practices, economic and legal discourse or theological and political conflicts about images and image Highnesses, is also defined, which individual or social status, the has image, which functions does it and how important it down at his research ever plays ( Bruhn 2003).

System

The folklorist and ethnologist Nils Arvid Bringeus has " Folk customer images " following outline of the subject areas of a ( ethnological ) proposed image research in his book 1982:

• "Picture Message" ( Religious embassies, embassies Moral, social messages )
• " Image structure " ( image sequences, still images, image pairs, contrast images )
• " Image change " ( sharing of images, reconstruction of images, local and social adjustment of images, function sharing images )
• "Image Manipulation" ( archaic, embellishment, plagiarism, compilations, Fabulate, quotes )
• " Image stability and image variation " ( screen variants, picture messages, screen structure )
• "Picture and search for knowledge " (Historical context, form, technical analysis, design analysis, functional analysis )
• " Image viewer and picture messages" (different interpretations and uses of the same image with different image viewer, eg the student - An album image; The teacher - An identification image, the art critic - a propaganda image; Ethnologist - A reflection of human culture).

Bringeus ' approaches in a classification of ethnological research image differ only slightly from the description of the subject area of general science image of the philosopher Klaus Sachs - Hombach. Klaus Sachs - Hombach describes this subject matter as " a discipline described in the pictures and uses in all relevant areas and issues and, where possible, are explained by appropriate fundamental principles." He proposes for this purpose - modeled after the linguistics and semiotics - a Grobaufgliederung image studies in the areas of image syntax, semantics image and image pragmatics.

On fundamental issues of visual studies could be programmatically at the present time: " What is an image? ", "How and why images are used? ", " How define images of the daily lives of people? " And "What characterizes the ability to ever use images? ".

Visual studies

The so-called visual studies, synonym often called visual culture, are a relatively new humanities discipline that is devoted to the phenomena of the visual in modern cultures. The visual studies are from the late 20th century in the Anglo -Saxon incurred, based on the analysis of popular culture, cultural studies emerged. They have first established in the 1990s in the U.S. room that can now also in Germany ever more attention.

Given the ambivalent translation of the term " image " into English ( picture / image) as well as due to the specific discussion situation is the English-language literature currently in return on to summarize the German contributions in turn under the German term "image science".

Media and art, but also more generally the cultural aspects of vision are the versatile field of work of this research. The visual studies include a large time frame and go on modernity and postmodernity addition. Some representatives (including James Elkins ) emphasize the importance of scientific aspects.

Lectures on the subject of Visual Studies, among others offered in the fields of art history, English, cultural studies, ethnology and anthropology, sociology, history, philosophy, semiotics, visual communication, film and media studies.

Study offers

• Danube University Krems, Krems, Lower Austria, Austria: Image Science (MA ), University of depression Photography / Exhibition Design / Digital Collection Management ( part-time); Media Art History MA (part-time. Language in engl )

• Otto -von- Guericke- University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Sachsen- Anhalt, Germany: Media Literacy: Visual Culture and Communication (BA, MA)

• Georg -August- University, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany: Image expertise as a key qualification (BA )