What Do Pictures Want?: The Lives And Loves Of ... May 2026

: Mitchell explores images as "pseudopersons" that can speak, seduce, and even demand things from the beholder.

Mitchell posits that contemporary culture has undergone a where visual images have become as significant as language in shaping human experience. He challenges the traditional critical approach—which often treats images as "signs" to be decoded—suggesting instead that images possess a form of "vitality" that exerts power over the living. Key Themes & Concepts What Do Pictures Want?: The Lives and Loves of ...

: Mitchell uses the figure of the dinosaur as a "totem animal of modernity," representing both the fascination with and the fear of species extinction in a post-human world. : Mitchell explores images as "pseudopersons" that can

: He introduces the idea of images that reflect on their own nature, effectively "self-theorizing" through their own visual language. What Do Pictures Want?: The Lives and Loves of ...