Conversational Implicature In the Light of Reception Theories (A Study in the Visual Realm)

Abstract

    Conversational implicature is presented as a broad conceptual framework that intersects with reception theories, particularly within the visual field. The reading process begins with the visual text as a multilayered, interpretable structure, where meaning is not fixed but produced through interaction. The recipient plays a central role, engaging with the text through the “horizon of expectation,” a cognitive reservoir that shapes interpretation. This interaction generates a form of conversational implicature between the reader and the artwork, emphasizing subjective experience and aligning with Grice’s Cooperative Principle to construct meaning                                                                                                                 .   The research is organized into four chapters. The first outlines the methodological framework, focusing on the central question of how conversational implicature operates within reception theories in visual art, along with the study’s aims, significance, and boundaries. The second chapter develops the theoretical framework, addressing the origins of conversational implicature, its relationship to reception theories, and the role of the recipient. The third chapter presents the research procedures, including methodology, tools, and sample analysis. The fourth chapter discusses the results, conclusions, and recommendations                                                                                                                      .

   The study concludes that integrating conversational implicature with reception theories  reveals a dynamic communicative system in contemporary art, where absence functions as meaning, the recipient becomes a co-producer, and the artwork remains open to infinite interpretation. This perspective transforms the artwork from a closed structure into an open text, allowing multiple readings and shifting meaning beyond the artist’s sole authority.