The humanities are so full of orthodoxies these days, which police accepted ways of talking about aesthetics, language, philosophy, contemporary art, and many other fields. Theory here is serious, but playful and unpredictable. From Van Gogh's brushstrokes Brandl retrieves the foundational metaphor 'LIFE IS FIRE'; from an abstract painting he deduces the metaphor 'LIFE IS A JOURNEY.' It's so refreshing to see these ecstatic-looking italicized phrases in a book of analytic philosophy! If you're an artist, and you're wondering how to think about the meaning you're creating, this book is a great choice.

James Elkins, Department of Art History, Theory, and Criticism, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA

Combining astute insights from cognitive linguistics, analytical philosophy and cultural history, Brandl sets out his own compelling theory of central visual metaphor, bringing it to bear on contemporary art, but taking it far beyond art history, laying the ground for further multimodal and cross-disciplinary explorations.

Daniel Ammann, Lecturer in Media Education, Zurich University of Teacher Education, Switzerland

Mark Staff Brandl, artist, educator, theorist, takes us by the hand and leads us to an inspiring journey through the realm of art. This book is not about art theory – it is art theory in the making. It opens our eyes and our minds.

Philip Ursprung, Professor of the History of Art and Architecture, ETH Zurich, Switzerland