On Visual Rhetoric
On Visual Rhetoric
by Christa J. Olson and Brandee Easter
University of Michigan Press, 2026
ISBNs
eISBN: 978-0-472-90576-8 (OA)
About the Book
How do the things we see shape values, beliefs, and actions? Why do viewers come to different conclusions when looking at the same thing? Why do people assume that “seeing is believing” in the age of AI-generated imagery? On Visual Rhetoric responds to these questions, helping readers and viewers consider how the visual intervenes in the world in ordinary and extraordinary ways. Looking at a wide array of pictures, habits, processes, and contexts, Christa J. Olson and Brandee Easter make the case for defining “the visual” broadly so that it includes not only visual objects, but also intangible images, visual technologies, and the cognitive-physical act of seeing. On Visual Rhetoric provides a robust, flexible heuristic for studying visual rhetoricity that not only draws together the vast array of existing case studies and concepts but also raises new questions and concerns for scholars.
About the Author
Christa J. Olson is Marjorie and Lorin Tiefenthaler Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Brandee Easter is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Tennessee.
Brandee Easter is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Tennessee.
Reviews
“On Visual Rhetoric sheds light on new and unsung approaches to the study of visual rhetoric. With writing both poetic and easy to read, Christa Olson and Brandee Easter's project makes valuable contributions to how we think about visual rhetoric.”
— Cara A. Finnegan, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign“On Visual Rhetoric is a beautifully designed project that is engaging, digestible, and accessible online. Olson and Easter provide a short, snappy overview and update to visual rhetoric—a perfect jumping off point for any scholar interested in the area.”
— Annette Vee, University of Pittsburgh
Tags
Sweetland Digital Rhetoric Collaborative, Rhetoric, Language Arts & Disciplines
Open Access Information
Label: Sweetland Digital Rhetoric Collaborative
License: CC BY-NC
Loading...