Concept
Technical Image
Technology & AI
Philosophy & EthicsWhat is a technical image?
A technical image is a visual representation produced through scientific or mechanical apparatuses such as photography, cinema, and digital screens. It reorganizes human culture by replacing linear historical consciousness with two-dimensional magical surfaces.
In short
The concept of the technical image, articulated by philosopher Vilém Flusser, examines how mechanical and electronic media alter human cognition. Unlike traditional hand-crafted paintings, technical images are generated by automated apparatuses that encode information into visual forms. They absorb public attention and shift modern communication toward surface-level decoding.
Key facts
- What distinguishes technical images from traditional images?
- Technical images are produced indirectly through mechanical or electronic devices rather than directly by the human hand.
- How do technical images impact reading habits?
- They encourage open-ended surface scanning and dot reading, diminishing the dominance of sequential written texts.
- Why are technical images central to modern interfaces?
- Digital screens present pixels and encoded graphics, presenting users with synthetic surfaces that simulate reality.
Overview
Media philosophy identifies technical images as a decisive watershed in human culture. While traditional images reflected human imagination onto canvas, technical images result from apparatuses programmed to capture or synthesize optical data. Consequently, viewers frequently mistake technical images for objective truth, forgetting the computational models underlying them. In an era dominated by screens, understanding how these images encode meaning is essential for digital literacy.
In the Agency editorial
In Design.0, Thiago Patriota writes that the rise of technical images, brought forward by inventions like photography, made the consumption of information start putting aside the interpretation of written lines and replacing it with images and videos on screens. According to the article, this created a context in which our way of thinking split into two: surface thinking, or dot reading, and line thinking, or line reading.
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
- Design.0 - Beyond the Surface of FormsRead the edition
- Design.1 - Pixels, Colors and ScreensRead the edition
- Creative.8 - Keith RomanowskiRead the edition
- Design.3 - The Disciplines of DesignRead the edition
- Writing.1 - The Titanic TheoryRead the edition
Also from these editions: concepts
Also from these editions: terms
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Sources
- Design.0 - Beyond the Surface of Forms (opens in a new tab), Agency Brasil
- Design.1 - Pixels, Colors and Screens (opens in a new tab), Agency Brasil
- Creative.8 - Keith Romanowski (opens in a new tab), Agency Brasil