Image Pole and Object Pole. Cognitive Grammar Applied to Mediated Visual Experience
Image Pole and Object Pole. Cognitive Grammar Applied to Mediated Visual Experience

Summary/Abstract: The present paper argues for the application of a series of notions from the Cognitive Grammar, and Dynamic systems theory to film analysis. Seeing a perceptual object, attending a visual target and constructing an image are dynamic conceptualizations. Between the expressive channel and the content channel of the conceptualization a circular loop is engaged. Expressive perceptual cues are causes and effects of content conceptualizations. Cinematic viewer can attend to the object depicted by an image or can focus on the features of the image as artifact. The viewer applies the attentional schema (similar to the body schema) in order to apprehend the viewing action underlying image conception. This distinction is further enriched by the type of constituent construal: modifier or complement construction (or “process internal modifier”). The viewer can focus his attention to the objective properties of the conceptual target attended – how things are - (the referent of the image or the image) or the appearance of the target – how things look like -, i.e. qualia as appearances consciously experienced. Four main types of image understanding construals are described.

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