W.T.J Mitchell's "Image" by The Visually Impaired. Percy Dragon, Sabrina Larouche, Amani Malti, Maggie Papadima and Tran Pham (Emma)

W.T.J. Mitchell's essay "Image" discusses the power of the image, as well as image semiotics. The text jumps back and forth a few times between these topics, but continues to convey a few core notions. Images are illusionary, images are influences,  images can evoke emotions and our relationship with new image technology.

A few important points are consistently brought up within "Image". The most important point, that I believe was under discussed, was the notion of image manipulation. It briefly mentions photoshop, and with these new image manipulation softwares, it becomes difficult to verify images as real, and not real. However, even before digital imaging, and image manipulation softwares such as Photoshop, image manipulation was practiced. A notable example of this would be Stalin's pictures, where, when an individual betrayed him, they were completely removed from his pictures as though they had never existed. Another example is during the Canadian election, where, for Prime Minister King's re-election images, he painted out King George to make it seem as though he had power of Queen Elizabeth, and by extension, England.

More than just image manipulation is discussed in Mitchell's essay. Within "Image", the practice of mass-media is often pointed out, where the news constantly depicts acts of violence to elicit sadness from us, while commercial attempt to pray in said sadness and give us hope with their new products. In essence, it's sort of the circular nature that is discusses later on within the essay. We consume we produce images, when than consume said images, and finally we recreate said images to begin the process anew.

While the essence of image practices have changed over time (from ancient murals painted on walls, to free circulating digital images), the power of the image has not changed in the slightest. Despite the idea that, with each technological improvement, the pictorial turn has begun, it is simply not the case. An image will continue to remain semiotic in nature, in the abstract or literal forms. An image can be purely simplified geometric shapes, or a crystal cut of reality, and the nature of the image shall not change, because the power of the image is within the eye of the beholder.