kuvanus
Kuvanus is a term used in contemporary aesthetics and media studies to describe the perceived ability of an object, scene, or interface to function as an image. It concerns how the visual form—through composition, color, texture, and symbols—invites recognition as a representation, regardless of the underlying content. In this sense, kuvanus focuses on the image's status rather than its subject matter, the viewer's interpretive expectations, and the cultural conventions that govern image reading.
Origin and usage: The word derives from Finnish kuva, meaning image, with the suffix -nus denoting a
The theoretical framework links kuvanus to discussions of mimesis, representation, and the pictorial turn. It is
Critics argue that kuvanus can be vague or overlapping with existing terms such as representation, realism,