Iconotexts: thinking with images
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24310/umatica.2025.v8i8.21334Keywords:
Thinking, thinking in images, thinking with images, iconotext, Dalí, FoucaultAbstract
The question of what thinking means has been central to philosophy since its origins and remains so today, evolving from the primacy of conceptual thought to the growing relevance of visual thinking in the present. The author proposes a reflection on the need to expand our conception of thinking, incorporating non-discursive forms. Contemporary crises highlight the need to think in other ways. Among these, we must vindicate the importance of aesthetic modes of thinking, recognizing that thought manifests itself beyond concepts and words. The author explores the differences between “thinking on,” “thinking in,” and “thinking with” images. The author defines “thinking with images” as the creation of an inseparable unity between image and concept, an “iconotext.” As a precursor, the work of Salvador Dalí is analyzed, especially his book “The Tragic Myth of Millet’s Angelus,” as a paradigmatic prototype of this form of thinking. Through his work, Dalí demonstrates his ability to think about, think in, and think with images, weaving a complex visual and textual discourse. The possibility is raised that Dalí is a precursor to new forms of philosophical expression, in keeping with contemporary visual culture. Finally, the author reflects on the potential of philosophy to incorporate “thinking with images” into its practice, following the example of authors such as Bataille and Foucault.
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