The hermeneutical circle of the image

Trying to read Smith's essay on "Image and Imagery" in Joyce's Portrait I realized today that there is lovely circularity to Smith and Joyce:

  • Smith finds in Joyce an esthetic theory that is based on the affective image; and in turn he is fascinated by the effect of visualization images in interpretation
  • Smith plots the intensity of imagery in the Portrait; and presents an image (the graph) at the moment of demonstrative intensity in his essay.
  • Smith is interested in imagery and using computer generated imagery - see "Computer Criticism"
  • Stephen Daedalus sees himself, by the end of the Portrait as an "artificer" or smith of experience. I wonder if John B. Smith does too?

Now I need to look closely at the esthetical theory of Stephen Daedalus - I think that is, for Smith, a proto hermeneutic that shows the place of computational interpretation.

I need to float this by Stéfan - I wonder if we can recreate his algorithm.