The article is devoted to the problem of imagery in visual studies. The heterogeneous nature of visual studies, due to their interdisciplinary focus, suggests that there is no clarity, both in the development of general methodology and a conceptual framework. The purpose of the article is to specify the concept of “image”, to identify its structural components, and ways of functioning in the space of interactions. The activity approach is effective for the analysis of the image, since its capabilities allow us to investigate the traces of the image in the social sphere, rather than the history of the development of the term itself. Within the framework of this article, the author establishes the dynamic duality of the image, which is expressed on two levels – the first is the material level inherent in all iconic objects (visual images, ranging from paintings, and ending with advertising and media content), this level is necessary for the primary perception of visual artifacts. Secondly, the image has a sense-forming level, closely related to the communicative properties of the image, that organizes the process of interpretation and transmission of the information. The property that supports the cohesion of the two levels – mediality, also provides a link of the image to the social space. The author concludes that visual images form a special iconic surface, which points to the complex organization of images due to the medial component.