Seeing-As, Seeing-In, Seeing-With: Looking Through Images

Abstract

In the constitution of contemporary image theory, Ludwig Wittgenstein’s philosophy
has become a key reference. This paper would like to critically assess some of the
advantages as well as some of the quandaries in using Wittgenstein’s concept of
“seeing-as” for addressing the plural realities of images. Three modalities of iconic
vision will subsequently be analyzed in the paper: the propositional seeing-as, the projective seeing-in and
the medial seeing-with.