Material Matters: The Role of Stop-Motion Animation in Video Games

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1"

IT#University#of#Copenhagen#

Rued#Langgaardsvej#7#

DK#2300#Copenhagen#S#

Denmark#

"

Material"matters:"the"role"of"stop1motion"animation"in"video"games"

#

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MSc#Game#Design#

Autumn#2014#

#

Student:#

Federica#Orlati#

[email protected]#

#

Main#Supervisor:#

Anders#Antoft#

#

CoNSupervisor:#

Daniel#Vella#

2"

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"

"

Keywords:*haptic"visuality,"matter,"synesthesia,"mimesis,"touch,"stop1motion,"computer"graphic,"

embodiment,"Jan"Švankmajer,"Laura"Marks#

#

!

"

3"

Abstract(

"

"

When"I"started"producing"art"for"video"games"I"noticed"a"certain"frustration"and"disembodiment"

from"my"works."While"searching"for"the"reasons"behind"this"issue,"I"observed"that"in"the"field"of"

video"games"the"most"common"way"to"produce"content"is"to"use"Computer"Graphic."

The"lack"of"tactile"stimulation"in"Computer"Graphic"leads"to"an"absence"of"embodiment"with"the"

image."My"research"attempts"to"answer"these"questions:"

1"Why"–as"an"artist–"do"I"continue"to"feel"so"attracted"to"materials?"Why"can"I"not"find"the"same"

attachment"to"my"art"while"I"work"with"Computer"Graphic?"

1"How"can"the"embodiment"triggered"by"the"sense"of"touch"be"communicated"in"audiovisual"media?"

1"How"can"the"sense"of"touch"(haptic"visuality)"be"used"in"videogames"in"order"to"develop"an"

emotional"connection"between"artist,"product"of"art"and"players?"

Through"techniques"that"involve"the"sense"of"touch,"the"artist"has"the"opportunity"to"charge"his"art"

of"emotions."This"results"in"an"increased"engagement"with"his"work"and"in"the"possibility"to"

transfer"these"emotions"to"the"viewer."

This"research,"followed"by"my"practical"project"consisting"of"a"video"game"in"stop1motion"

animation,"moves"around"the"topic"of"embodiment"through"the"sense"of"sight"and"explores"the"

concept"of"haptic"visuality.""

"

4"

Acknowledgments(

#

#

I#would#like#to#thank#my#supervisors#–not#only#for#their#time#and#their#patience,#but#also#for#having#

given#me#the#instruments,#the#suggestions#and#good#stimuli#to#arrive#here.#Without#them#I#would#have#

been#totally#lost.#

Talking#with#them#has#been#very#inspiring#and#it#directed#me#toward#the#right#path.#They#never#

discouraged#me#or#forced#me#to#follow#another#way,#even#when#my#idea#did#not#seem#of#easy#

development.#To#Anders#Aantoft,#I#thank#for#the#support#to#my#initial#art#concept#and#for#having#

reassured#me#when#I#was#discomforted#and#afraid#to#do#not#be#able#to#make#it.#To#Daniel#Vella,#I#thank#

for#sharing#his#knowledge#and#for#his#precious#advices,#which#helped#me#to#have#a#clear#picture#of#

what#I#wanted#to#communicate.#

I#would#like#to#thank#who#has#given#support#to#me#during#these#months.#First#of#all,#to#Marlon#Lettow,#

for#offering#his#living#room#as#a#studio#for#my#stopNmotion#animation.#More#than#for#that,#I#have#to#

thank#him#for#having#listened#to#my#worries,#for#his#opinions#and#for#the#long#conversations#that#

always#gave#me#a#boost#to#continue#my#work.#

My#sincere#thanks#to#Giulia#Trincardi,#the#companion#of#many#adventures#during#all#these#years#of#

University,#in#Italy#and#in#Denmark.#Without#her#help,#many#questions#would#still#be#unanswered,#and#

I#would#have#not#been#able#to#deliver#this#thesis#as#it#is#today.#

I#am#indebted#to#Marco#Zagni,#who#believed#in#this#project#and#volunteered#to#help#me#with#the#

programming#part#of#my#video#game.#He#probably#does#not#know#how#much#this#meant#to#me#and#

that#he#contributed#to#save#my#thesis#and#to#realize#a#part#of#the#game#I#imagined#for#so#long.#Thanks#

to#all#the#friends#who#listened#to#my#troubles#and#have#been#there#when#I#needed#them.#

Finally,#but#not#least,#I#would#like#to#thank#my#parents#for#having#been#so#amazing#and#for#having#

never#tried#to#stop#my#artistic#temper.#My#family#always#encouraged#me#to#think#with#my#brain#and#to#

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do#something#that#could#me#make#me#happy.#I#want#to#thank#my#mom#for#making#me#play#with#

materials#and#ask#me#to#imagine#stories#when#I#was#a#little#kid,#instilling#in#me#the#attitude#to#create#

and#the#love#for#narrations.#I#recall#those#moments#with#incredible#clarity#and#they#still#provoke#a#

sense#of#warmth#and#joy#in#me.##

Thanks#for#everything#to#everyone#who#helped#me#to#arrive#here.#

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6"

Material(matters:(the(role(of(stop8motion(animation(in(video(games( 1"

Abstract# 3"

Acknowledgments# 4"

Introduction# 8"

Structure"of"this"study" 15"

Toward#a#New#Visuality# 17"

Visuality"and"Vision" 18"

Consequences"of"a"visual"culture"in"the"process"of"Art1making" 19"

The"recapture"of"embodiment" 21"

On#Synesthesia#and#Haptic#Visuality# 28"

The"artist’s"hand" 29"

About"tactility"and"the"sense"of"touch" 30"

Synesthesia" 32"

Haptic"Visuality" 36"

The#qualities#of#Haptic#Images:#Mimesis,#Materials,#and#the#Sparkle#of#Life# 38"

Mimesis" 45"

Texture" 48"

Sparkle"of"life" 53"

A#Short#Discussion#About#Embodiment#in#Videogames# 59"

Project:#Ever#Yours,#Vincent# 65"

Concept" 66"

Aesthetic" 69"

Process" 71"

Outcome" 76"

Conclusion# 78"

Bibliography# 82"

7"

Filmography# 87"

List#of#Works# 88"

Ludography# 89"

APPEDICES( 90"

APPENDIX#A# 91"

APPENDIX#B# 92"

APPENDIX#C# 93"

APPENDIX#D# 94"

APPENDIX#E# 96"

APPENDIX#F# 97"

APPENDIX#G# 98"

APPENDIX#H# 100"

APPENDIX#I# 101"

8"

Introduction(

"

“I*am*not*interested*in*animated*film*in*its*totality.*I*am*only*interested**

in*the*technical*aspect*of*the*craft*in*relation*to*what*I*want*to*express,**

and*technique*is*the*crucial*medium*through*which*I*can*endow*real**

objects*with*a*magical*power*of*their*own.*This*is*how*magic*becomes**

part*of*daily*life,*invading*daily*life,*magic*enters*into*quite*ordinary*

*contact*with**mundane*things.*The*normal*contact*that*people*are**

accustomed*to*suddenly*acquires*a*different*dimension,*one*that*makes**

reality*appear*doubtful.”*

Jan*Švankmajer*

"

"

When"I"started"studying"and"working"with"video"games"I"was"not"really"confident"about"the"path"I"

wanted"to"trace"during"the"upcoming"years"and"this"thesis"is"the"result"of"a"troubled"journey."The"

background"I"come"from"was"very"crucial"in"the"process"that"led"me"to"this"paper’s"topic"and"to"the"

project"connected"to"it."The"experiences"I"made"before"landing"on"the"study"of"games"have"shaped"

my"approach"toward"games"themselves."They"are"very"relevant"to"completely"understand"of"the"

direction"I"tried"to"take"in"my"thesis"to"have"a"clear"idea"of"my"curriculum."This"is"why"I"consider"it"

fundamental"to"make"a"small"digression"before"I"start"with"my"research"questions"and"statements.""

"

One"of"the"first"memories"I"have"of"my"childhood"is"my"mother"and"I"sitting"on"the"floor,"playing"

some"sort"of"game."In"this"game"I"had"to"cut"images"from"newspapers"and"magazines,"glue"them"on"

a"copybook"and"1"through"the"sequence"of"pictures"created"1"try"to"invent"a"story."I"was"unable"to"

write"at"that"time,"so"she"was"writing"for"me"all"the"stories"I"was"coming"up"with."If"the"idea"that"

childhood"forges"your"behaviors"and"interests"as"an"adult"is"true,"I"can"certainly"affirm"that"the"

9"

particular"moments"described"above"took"me"to"where"I"am"now."During"my"whole"study"career,"

indeed,"I"continued"to"develop"this"particular"aptitude"to"make,"cut,"work"with"raw"materials"and"

turn"them"into"something"else,"into"something"with"a"different"shape"and"meaning."

When"the"time"came,"it"was"natural"for"me"to"pursue"the"“artistic"path”"and"to"choose"that"direction"

without"any"doubt."I"went"to"an"art"high"school"and"there"I"did"what"was"most"natural"for"me"to"do:"

painting"and"sculpting."After"that"experience,"though,"I"started"being"persuaded"to"try"and"go"out"of"

what"we"usually"define"our"‘comfort"zone’"and"start"studying"new"media1."In"some"way,"both"the"

artistic"side"and"the"analogue"side"of"my"work"were"partially"maintained.""

While"exploring"the"sphere"of"cinema"and"animation"I"discovered"that"analogue"1"even"if"replaced"

by"digital"1"was"still"a"significant"part"of"that"field,"or"in"some"cases"it"was"even"considered"an"added"

value."For"example,"working"with"analogue"film"in"cinema"is"believed"to"be"a"hazardous"choice,"like"

a"hazardous"choice"could"be"to"work"with"traditional"animation"or"stop1motion."These"outdated"

techniques"require"much"more"effort"than"contemporary"digital"techniques."They"require"manual"

dexterity"and"practice,"besides"the"technical"and"physical"limits"and"resource"management."This"is"

why"analogue"in"audiovisual"products"is"considered"a"risky"choice,"although"fascinating"and"carrier"

of"an"artistic"and"meaningful"specific"poetic.2"

After"my"Bachelor’s"degree,"I"decided"to"move"out"again"from"my"comfort"zone"and"apply"my"

knowledge"to"a"relatively"new"field"of"study:"video"games."Video"games"caught"my"interest"because,"

when"compared"to"cinema,"television"or"radio,"they"are"still"largely"unexplored"in"terms"of"

communication"possibilities."Moreover,"it"is"a"form"of"transmission"that"is"really"accessible"to"

everyone:"in"order"to"make"a"good"game"and"spread"it"worldwide"you"just"need"a"computer"and"an"

internet"connection.""

######################################## #####################

1 According to Lev Manovich the bound for new media are set by five “principles of new media”, which 2 John Bailey has said that “One thing that is terrifying but also very magic about [analogue] film is that it’s an inexact science. It’s analogue, it’s unpredictable. You don’t always know what you’re going to see and things sometimes turn out differently than what you think” (in Roman, 2001, p. 114-115). He compared it to digital video that “is no more risky than analogue, which has traditionally required a leap of faith and delayed gratification”. (Nicholas Rombes, Cinema in the Digital Age, 2009, p. 18)

10"

Even"if"the"main"field"of"work"was"changed,"I"wanted"to"continue"with"the"artistic"approach"toward"

the"subject."As"an"artist3"in"the"video"game"industry,"I"obviously"found"myself"working"with"CG."In"

the"beginning"I"did"not"feel"the"weight"of"this"asset:"I"have"always"used"computers"and"digital"

media,"so"the"passage"was"not"radical"or"unexpected."However,"the"more"I"tried"to"achieve"better"

results,"the"more"I"felt"unsatisfied"and"distant"from"my"work,"as"if"getting"better"skills"and"achieving"

more"detailed"artistry"was"at"the"same"time"making"my"work"more"impersonal,"completely"

detached"from"my"feelings."

I"tried"then"to"experiment"and"acquire"a"different"style,"integrating"“real"world”"textures"in"my"

digital"drawings:"the"result"was"still"not"emotional"or"gratifying"enough."It"felt"distant,"detached,"

and"artificial;"an"issue"I"never"had"while"working"with"analogue"techniques."I"began"thinking"about"

my"thesis"project"with"this"problem"in"my"mind:"I"wanted"to"find"a"way"to"feel"attached"to"my"work"

again."It"could"seem"a"controversy"with"easy"solutions,"but"video"games"were"born"digital"and"doing"

a"step"back"to"something"that"has"never"been"part"of"them"(like"analogue)"was"not"easy.4"

If"it"is"true,"as"I"said"before,"that"non1interactive"audiovisual"media"conserve"the"analogue"aspect"

even"today,"when"analogue"has"been"overtaken"by"digital,"I"should"have"been"able"to"transfer"what"I"

learnt"in"that"field"to"the"field"of"video"games"counting"on"my"previous"experience."I"chose"to"use"in"

######################################## #####################

#3 Since “art” is a very deep and articulated topic with many and troublesome definitions, the definition of artist I want to refer here is “...art is the expression of the artist's creative will" (Agamben, The Man Without Content, p.70). Obviously in this thesis I cannot -nor it is my intention- go deeper into this definition. I am aware of the complexity or the topic and I want to limit my research to some aspects of it. Further studies can be done to clarify this aspect, but considering it is not strictly functional to the progression of this paper I decided to leave it out without investigating it more thoroughly. 4 Considering here video games as a new media and not taking into consideration their ancestors, that is games in general. This distinction is funtional to the scope of this thesis that takes into consideration mostly the concept of visuality in video games. #

11"

my"project"what"I"consider"the"most"emotional"and"imperfect5"of"the"techniques"adopted"in"cinema,"

stop1motion"animation."Later"in"this"paper,"I"will"discuss"and"argue"for"my"position"about"

characteristics"like"“emotional”"and"“imperfect”,"which"I"could"not"find"in"CG"and"that"led"me"to"go"

back"to"analogue."From"an"artistic"point"of"view,"stop1motion"has"everything"that"CG"does"not"have"

(and"vice"versa)."It"is"a"technique"that"allows"you"to"build,"craft"with"your"hands,"touch"raw"

materials,"and"dimple"your"thumbprints"on"the"surface."At"the"same"time,"the"body"presence"of"the"

artist"in"the"objects"forming"the"image"gives"to"the"audience"a"feeling"of"closeness"to"what"is"being"

viewed."

These"are"the"reasons"of"my"decision:"stop1motion’s"divergence"from"CG"would"support"my"attempt"

to"find"differences"between"these"two"artistic"modalities.""

When"this"point"was"settled,"I"had"to"think"about"a"vehicle"to"give"value"to"such"unusual"1"in"the"

context"of"video"game"1"visual"approach.""

The"process"to"find"a"concept"that"would"enhance"the"meaning"of"the"aesthetic,"and"vice1versa,"i.e."

an"aesthetic"that"is"strictly"connected"to"the"concept,"was"very"intense."My"idea"was"to"find"

something"already"existing"in"the"real"world"and"already"characterized"by"high"materiality"and"

richness"of"the"surface,"in"order"to"easily"transpose"it"into"stop1motion"animation."My"artistic"

background"emerged"on"the"surface"once"again"and"I"focused"my"attention"on"painters."Not"only"on"

painters,"but"on"painters"attracted"by"the"surface,"colors"and"emotions"more"than"by"the"yield"of"

reality:"impressionists.""

The"term"“impressionism”"derived"in"part"from"the"title"of"a"painting,"Impression,#Sunrise"(1872,"

Musée"Marmottan1Claude"Monet,"Paris),"by"Claude"Monet."The"impressionists"usually"worked"

rapidly"in"open"air"rather"than"in"a"studio."Their"characteristic"broken"or"flickering"brushwork"was"

particularly"effective"in"capturing"the"fleeting"quality"of"light."Among"the"most"famous"######################################## #####################

5 "It's the imperfections (in stop-motion animation) that I think make it attractive, that bring the audience in. So we keep trying for perfection, but we'll never get it -- and it would be a mistake if we did, because then there would be no point. We would be doing CG". Interview to Selick, extrapolated from here: http://www.awn.com/animationworld/set-coraline-where-motion-doesnt-stop #

12"

impressionists,"my"attention"shifted"naturally"on"Vincent"Van"Gogh"for"a"matter"of"personal"interest"

and"correlation"to"the"technique"I"wanted"to"adopt."

As"stated"before,"my"purpose"for"the"development"of"this"video"game"was"to"apply"and"convey"the"

use"of"raw"materials"and"visible"textures;"Van"Gogh’s"art"at"achieving"thick"colors,"and"a"consistence"

rather"than"perfectly"applying"tonalities"on"a"canvas."If"we"look"at"Van"Gogh’s"paintings,"especially"

those"after"his"first"approaches"to"drawing"and"painting,"we"can"clearly"identify"a"style"composed"

by"visible,"vibrant"and"bold"brushstrokes,"with"an"excessive"use"of"pigment."As"the"critic"Albert"

Aurier"noted"in"1890:"“His"whole"work"is"excessive:"excess"of"strength,"nervousness,"expressive"

violence”"(quoted"in"Enrica"Crispino,"Van#Gogh,"p.60)."

This"highly"tactile"method"instills"in"his"paintings"great"expressiveness"and"a"strong"ability"to"draw"

the"attention"of"the"audience"to"specific"emotions."John"Berger"(p."71)"gives"a"poetic"description"of"

this"embodied"act,"internalization"and"projection"that"he"envisions"taking"place"in"Van"Gogh’s"

drawing"process:""

"

“The"gestures"come"from"his"hand,"his"wrist,"his"arm,"shoulder,"perhaps"even"the"muscles"in"

his"neck,"yet"the"strokes"he"makes"on"paper"are"following"currents"of"energies"which"are"not"

physically"his"and"which"only"become"visible"when"he"draws"them."Currents"of"energies?"The"

energy"of"a"tree’s"growth,"of"a"plant’s"search"for"life,"of"a"branch’s"need"for"accommodation"

with"its"neighbouring"branches,"of"the"roots"of"thistles"and"shrubs,"of"the"weight"of"rock"

lodged"on"a"slope,"of"the"sunlight,"of"the"attraction"of"the"shade"for"whatever"is"alive"and"

suffers"from"the"heat,"of"the"Mistral"from"the"north"which"has"fashioned"the"rock"strata.”"

(Juhani"Pallasmaa,#p."93)"

"

It"is"evident"from"what"Berger"writes"that"in"the"case"of"Van"Gogh,"the"common"understanding"of"

drawing"and"painting"as"purely"visual"endeavours"is"erroneous."Van"Gogh"is"one"of"those"artists"

who"could"be"defined"as"a"“haptic"artist”:"he"painted"more"from"his"mind,"instinct"and"emotions"

13"

than"from"what"he"could"actually"see."In"one"of"his"letters"to"his"brother"Theo"he"writes:"“[...]"

instead"of"trying"to"render"exactly"what"I"have"before"my"eyes,"I"use"colour"more"arbitrarily"in"

order"to"express"myself"forcefully”"(Br."1990:"663"|"CL:"520,"From:"Vincent"van"Gogh,"To:"Theo"van"

Gogh,"Date:"Arles,"Saturday,"18"August"1888)."

He"was"visually"motivated,"but"at"the"same"time"he"wanted"to"paint"less"with"his"eyes"and"more"

with"his"viscera,"with"his"guts."Federico"Garcìa"Lorca,"years"later,"coined"a"word"that"describes"

exactly"this"kind"of"artistic"approach,"the"Duende.6"""

"

“All"through"Andalusia,"from"the"rock"of"Jaén"to"the"snail’s1shell"of"Cadiz,"people"constantly"

talk"about"the"duende"and"recognise"it"wherever"it"appears"with"a"fine"instinct."That"

wonderful"singer"El"Lebrijano,"creator"of"the"Debla,"said:"‘On"days"when"I"sing"with"duende"no"

one"can"touch"me.’:"the"old"Gypsy"dancer"La"Malena"once"heard"Brailowsky"play"a"fragment"

of"Bach,"and"exclaimed:"‘Olé!"That"has"duende!’"but"was"bored"by"Gluck,"Brahms"and"Milhaud."

And"Manuel"Torre,"a"man"who"had"more"culture"in"his"veins"than"anyone"I’ve"known,"on"

hearing"Falla"play"his"own"Nocturno#del#Generalife"spoke"this"splendid"sentence:"‘All"that"has"

dark"sounds"has"duende.’"And"there’s"no"deeper"truth"than"that."‘Dark"sounds’,"said"the"man"

of"the"Spanish"people,"agreeing"with"Goethe,"who"in"speaking"of"Paganini"hit"on"a"definition"

of"the"duende:"‘A"mysterious"force"that"everyone"feels"and"no"philosopher"has"explained.’"So,"

then,"the"duende"is"a"force"not"a"labour,"a"struggle"not"a"thought."I"heard"an"old"maestro"of"the"

guitar"say:"‘The"duende"is"not"in"the"throat:"the"duende"surges"up,"inside,"from"the"soles"of"the"

feet.’"Meaning,"it’s"not"a"question"of"skill,"but"of"a"style"that’s"truly"alive:"meaning,"it’s"in"the"

veins:"meaning,"it’s"of"the"most"ancient"culture"of"immediate"creation.”"(Federico"Garcìa"

Lorca,"1933)"

"######################################## #####################

6 Even if the real origin of the world Duende remains unknown and obscure (the Oxford dictionary refers the first known use to 1920s, from the Spanish, contraction of duen de casa, from dueño de casa 'owner of the house'), the most known definition of Duende is the one given by Garçia Lorca in his essay (1933).

14"

The"duende"is"a"quality"not"derived"by"skills,"but"by"something"more"related"to"emotions:"Van"

Gogh’s"brushstrokes"on"his"paintings"have"a"hypnotic"effect"on"the"beholder."The"deep"connection"

between"his"art"and"the"notion"of"surface"and"tactile,"which"will"be"very"relevant"in"this"paper,"

convinced"me"to"use"his"figure"and"his"art"as"topic"of"my"practical"project."Therefore,"I"decided"to"

make"a"point1and1click"video"game"inspired"by"the"figure"of"Van"Gogh."In"the"game"the"user"plays"

the"role"of"the"artist"and"is"able"to"enter"his"paintings,"making"significant"changes"in"order"to"

“restore”"them."The"story"behind"the"video"game"is"set"during"Van"Gogh’s"return"to"his"house"after"

being"kept"in"an"Asylum."The"changes"the"player"makes"in"the"pictures"constitute"a"sort"of"catharsis"

for"the"character"of"Van"Gogh,"who"will"find"again"his"vital"force"through"his"painted"landscapes"and"

environments."The"video"is"composed"of"handcrafted"environments"and"animated"with"the"

technique"of"stop1motion,"in"order"to"give"me"the"possibility"to"work"with"raw"materials.""

"

Surprisingly,"I"found"out"that"the"use"of"analogue"material"is"a"topic"pretty"much"explored"and"

discussed"in"the"field"of"cinema"and"classic"animation,"but"I"found"rather"few"comments"about"it"in"

the"field"of"game"design"and"video"game"theory."

The"idea"of"working"with"materials"in"order"to"achieve"a"completely"different"kind"of"aesthetic"and"

added"value"(both"for"the"artist"and"for"the"audience)"is"very"present"in"those"media"that"were"born"

analogue"and"then"became"digital,"but"not"as"much"in"video"games,"a"medium"born"digital."

The"lack"of"interest"could"probably"be"due"to"the"fact"that"it"is"difficult"to"make"video"games"using"

analogue"techniques"because"of"their"interactive"nature."When"there"is"something"interactive,"it"is"

fundamental"to"give"the"player"the"illusion"he"has"many"possibilities"and"choices;"in"that"sense"not"

using"CG"increases"the"amount"of"work"by"the"double,"triple,"or"even"more.""

It"is"at"this"point"that"another"question"arose:"if"using"analogue"techniques"makes"the"development"

of"a"video"game"heavier,"why"have"many"game"companies"chosen"it?"

I"have"in"mind"examples"like"The#Neverhood"(1996),"a"successful"adventure"game"from"1996"

published"by"DreamWorks"Interactive."I"also"have"in"mind"more"recent"games"like"The#Dream#

15"

Machine"(20131ongoing,"Cockroach"Inc.)"or"Lume"(2012,"State"of"Play),"both"developed"by"

independent"small"companies."But"there"are"also"bigger"projects"like"Tearaway#(2013,"Sony"

Computer"Entertainment),"developed"by"the"studio"Media"Molecule,"famous"for"the"release"of"the"

game"LittleBigPlanet"(2008,"Sony"Computer"Entertainment),"in"which"they"put"a"considerable"effort"

in"trying"to"recreate"real"world"textures"with"CG."After"that"experience,"the"studio"decided"to"

change"in"favor"of"filmed"real"objects,"a"practice"that"makes"the"production"slower"and"arduous."

Can"a"purely"aesthetic"trend"justify"the"amount"of"work"these"companies"faced?"Is"there"something"

that"the"work"gains"and"that"overcomes"the"production’s"difficulties?"

"

"

Structure of this study

"

I"embraced"this"topic"because"I"am"convinced"there"is"something"else,"something"different"from"

pure"aesthetic"mode,"which"led"those"companies"try"the"analogue"approach."At"the"same"time,"I"

continue"to"feel"fascinated"and"attracted"to"that"way"of"doing"art,"even"if"it"requires"more"time"and"

effort."In"this"thesis"I"want"to"dig"into"the"questions"presented"in"the"Abstract"and"relate"my"

findings"to"the"realization"of"my"project,"a"video"game"built"in"the"physical"world.""

In"the"first"chapter,#Toward#a#New#Visuality,"I"will"linger"on"some"important"terms"that"will"be"

necessary"to"understand"theories"presented"further"in"this"paper."In"particular,"I"will"focus"on"

visuality"and"its"contemporary"meaning."

In"our"Western"culture,"visual"stimuli"are"all"around"us"and"conspicuous"part"of"our"everyday"life,"

but"not"all"the"images"have"the"same"qualities."An"image"that"can"trigger"the"sense"of"touch"

provokes"a"physical"response"in"the"viewer.""

This"process,"which"will"be"discussed"in"the"chapter"On#Synesthesia#and#Haptic#Visuality,"is"precisely"

called"Haptic"Visuality:"it"allows"conveying"the"sense"of"touch"through"sight."Conveying"a"sense"

16"

through"another"sense"triggers"some"special"mechanisms"in"the"human"brain"that"are"not"usually"

triggered"when"only"one"of"our"senses"is"interpellated7.""

In"the"chapter"The#Qualities#of#Haptic#Images:#Mimesis,#Materials,#and#the#Sparkle#of#Life,"we"will"see"

how"the"sense"of"touch"can"be"activated"through"images"working"on"some"aspects"of"the"image"

itself,"like"for"example"textures,"rhythm,"movement,"etc."The"technique"I"chose"to"analyze"–"and"to"

use"in"my"project"–"is"stop1motion"animation."Stop1motion"animation"is"directly"related"to"the"sense"

of"touch,"since"it"is"related"to"crafting"and"imprinting"the"artist’s"own"tactility"directly"into"the"

materials."This"physical"embodiment"of"the"artist"in"his"own"work"has"an"impact"not"only"in"the"

artist’s"feelings"toward"the"work"but"also"on"the"embodiment"and"perception"of"the"viewer.""

Moreover,"stop1motion"animation"is"able"to"arouse"some"kind"of"empathy"in"the"spectators"due"to"

its"peculiarity"of"giving"life"to"inanimate"objects.""In"the"chapter"A#Short#Discussion#About#

Embodiment#in#Videogames#I"will"focus"on"the"relation"of"my"findings"with"specific"video"game"

theory."The"characteristic"of"interactivity"of"video"games,"paired"with"the"characteristics"of"haptic"

visuality,"could"take"us"to"a"new#haptic#that"would"make"the"relationship"between"artists,"player"

and"video"games"more"embodied.""

In"the"end"I"will"talk"about"my"project"Ever#Yours,#Vincent,#and"explain"how"it"relates"to"my"

research."

"

"

"

"

######################################## #####################

7 This mechanism is also called synesthesia.

17"

Toward(a(New(Visuality(

*

“Why*all*these*signs*which*make*me*doubt*language*by**

drowning*reality*rather*than*detaching*it*from*the*imaginary?*

In*images,*anything*goes:*the*best*and*the*worst.**

Before*my*eyes,*common*sense*repairs*the*break*in*my*reasoning.”*

JeanHLuc*Godard,*1967*

"

"

As"I"wrote"in"the"introduction"of"this"paper,"in"order"to"understand"the"territory"we"are"about"to"

explore,"we"have"to"define"and"grab"the"meaning"of"what"is"meant"when"we"talk"about"visuality"and"

sight."There"is"a"lack"of"embodiment"in"the"process"of"seeing,"a"lack"that"is"possible"to"overcome"

through"the"inclusion"of"a"tactile"dimension"in"images.""

What"I"will"try"to"support"with"the"development"of"my"project"is"the"exigency,"or"at"least"more"

attention,"toward"a"new"way"to"intend"visuality.""

In"our"Western"contemporary"society,"sight"is"the"most"valuable"and"the"most"explored"of"our"five"

senses."I"opened"this"chapter"with"a"quote"from"a"movie8"by"Jean1Luc"Godard:"while"the"author"

reflects"and"pronounces"those"words,"images"of"commercial"advertisements,"traffic"signs,"color"

codes,"logos,"etc."follow"each"other"on"the"screen."He"clearly"attempts"to"address"a"conflict"and"how"

our"culture"is"literally"dominated"by"a"visual"supremacy.""

######################################## #####################

8 Two Or Three Things I know About Her, 1967

18"

Visuality and Vision

"

Visuality"does"not"have"to"be"confused"with"our"sense"of"vision."Indeed,"when"we"talk"about"

visuality,"we"do"not"mean"our"ability"to"see,"but"we"underly"an"experience"mediated"by"social"

constructs."Art"historian"Norman"Bryson"describes"visuality"as"the"sum"of"discourses"that"inform"

how"we"see."He"explains:"

"

“For"human"beings"collectively"to"orchestrate"their"visual"experience"together"it"is"required"

that"each"submit"his"or"her"retinal"experience"to"the"socially"agreed"description(s)"of"an"

intelligible"world…"Between"the"subject"and"the"world"is"inserted"the"entire"sum"of"

discourses"which"make"up"visuality,"the"cultural"construct;"and"makes"visuality"different"

from"vision,"the"notion"of"unmediated"visual"experience."Between"retina"and"world"is"

inserted"a"screen"of"signs,"a"screen"consisting"of"all"the"multiple"discourses"on"vision"built"

into"the"social"arena…"when"I"learn"to"see"socially,"that"is,"when"I"begin"to"articulate"my"

retinal"experience"with"the"codes"of"recognition"that"come"to"me"from"my"social"milieu(s),"I"

am"inserted"into"systems"of"visual"discourse"that"saw"the"world"before"I"did,"and"will"go"on"

seeing"after"I"see"no"longer.""(Bryson,"1988)"

"

Visuality"qualifies"here"as"the"translation"of"a"code"from"our"eyes"to"our"social"experiences"and"

learnings:"experiences"that"are"not"only"personal"or"limited"to"a"close"group,"but"also"and"above"all"

related"to"a"big"portion"of"society"as"it"could"be"the"whole"Western"culture."Walker"and"Chaplin"

equivalently"define"visuality"as"a"social"process."They"“refer"to"vision"as"a"physical/psychological"

process"while"visuality"refers"to"the"socialization"of"vision."This"socialization"is"a"network"of"

19"

cultural"meanings"generated"from"various"discourses"that"shape"the"social"practices"of"vision”"

(Walker"and"Chaplin,"1997,"p."22).9""

If"we"now"take"into"consideration"this"definition"of"visuality,"we"can"certainly"agree"that"we"live"in"a"

society"in"which"we"bump"into"an"overloading"of"visual"imagery."Gabriel"Josipovici"writes:"“Sight"is"

free"and"sight"is"irresponsible…"To"look"costs"me"nothing"but"to"go"involves"both"a"choice"and"a"

cost.”"(1996,"p."24)""

Choice"and"cost"are"two"elements"that"can"be"seen"as"“uncomfortable”"for"those"who"work"in"

marketing"and"advertising,"because"they"require"an"active"response"from"the"public,"a"response"

that"implies"effort"and"time."In"order"to"avoid"asking"for"customer"participation,"all"commercials"

rely"on"our"sense"of"sight:""

"

“Looking"appeals"to"the"modern"consumer"and"the"world"of"advertising"exactly"because"of"its"

ability"to"offer"instant"gratification"for"what"at"first"appears"to"be"no"cost."For"the"very"same"

reason"sight"has"been"overtly"abused"by"the"media,"so"that"the"modern"consumer"is"saturated"

with"images.”"(Stehlíková,"2012)"

"

Consequences of a visual culture in the process of Art-making

"

The"main"consequence"of"this"“image"overloading”"is"a"decreased"quality"of"seeing"and"a"minor"

attention"to"what"we"are"seeing,"and"the"lack"of"an"adequate"aesthetic"culture,"which"would"allow"

us"to"distinguish"and"separate"immediately"what"is"of"our"interest"and"what"is"not."Susan"Sontag"

noted"in"her"essay"The#ImageNWorld,"originally"published"under"the"title"of"Photography#Unlimited,"

that"“a"society"becomes"modern"when"one"of"its"chief"activities"is"producing"and"consuming"images,"

when"images"that"have"extraordinary"powers"to"determine"our"demands"upon"reality,"and"are"

######################################## #####################

9"as quoted in Sydney Walker, Artmaking in an age of visual culture vision and visuality, 2004."

20"

themselves"coveted"substitutes"for"first"hand"experience,"become"indispensable"to"the"health"of"the"

economy,"the"stability"of"the"polity,"and"the"pursuit"of"private"happiness.”"(Sontag,"1977,"p."153)"

Can"this"power"of"images,"pushed"at"its"extreme"level,"become"a"weakness?"Sydney"Walker"in"his"

essay"Artmaking#in#an#age#of#visual#culture,#vision,#and#visuality#proposes"an"interesting"point"of"

view:""

"

“On"one"hand,"artists"today"have"an"embarrassment"of"riches"in"regard"to"images"and"

technologies"as"resources"for"art"making"while"on"the"other,"artists"must"compete"for"viewer"

attention"and"comparison"with"the"never1ending"stream"of"commercial,"entertainment,"and"

informational"media"that"bombard"Western"culture."Media"theorist"Todd"Gitlin"(2002)"

declares,""Unless"we"click"an"off"button"or"smash"the"screen,"the"images"stream"on…”"(as"

quoted"in"Walker,"2004)"

"

In"the"field"of"art,"the"obsession"with"visuality"brought"a"consistent"vocabulary"to"draw"from,"but"at"

the"same"time"made"it"more"difficult"to"create"something"able"to"emerge"from"the"multitude"of"

images."This"condition"requires"the"artist"to"have"“an"understanding"of"the"implications"of"

producing"artworks"in"media1saturated"culture."In"a"word,"artists"need"to"understand"vision"and"

visuality"as"it"has"emerged"in"contemporary"visual"culture,"and,"along"with"it,"the"new"

consciousness"that"has"unfolded"with"the"exponential"explosion"of"images.”"(Walker,"2004)"

"

We"have"elected"sight"as"first"of"our"senses"and"the"direct"effect,"no"matter"how"absurd"it"could"

seem,"is"depriving"images"of"their"meaning"and"importance."It"could"be"a"problem"of"marginal"

interest"for"the"majority"of"people,"but"it"becomes"overpowering"for"an"artist"who"is"used"to"work"

with"the"efficacy"and"the"visionary"capacity"of"images."

As"Rosalyn"Driscoll"suggests"in"the"book"By#the#Light#of#the#Body,#the"problem"lies"not"in"sight"itself,"

but"in"the"way"we"see,"since"we"have"neglected"the"body"as"a"source"of"knowledge,"relying"only"on"

21"

our"sight."“The"disembodied"observer"has"become"the"ideal"paradigm,"upheld"by"science,"academia,"

medicine"and"law”"(Driscoll,"(forthcoming))."

"As"we"noticed"some"lines"above"in"the"words"of"Todd"Gitlin"(2002),"the"preeminence"of"visuality"

has"largely"affected"artists"and"the"way"art"is"created."It"is"not"only"because"the"use"of"images"offers"

an"immediate"understanding"and"with"it"a"fast"communication,"often"necessary"to"artists"to"expose"

their"ideas;"it"is"also"because"in"a"world"where"visuality"is"so"important,"technologies"are"developed"

more"in"that"sense,"namely"to"increase"the"effectiveness"and"the"ease"of"use"by"those"in"the"field."CG"

is"a"clear"example"of"the"points"made:"the"performances"increase"with"a"disconcerting"rapidity,"its"

versatility"and"easy"access"make"it"suitable"for"every"person"of"every"age,"gender,"nationality."Many"

artists"use"it"because"it"gets"every"year"more"detailed,"more"accessible"and"allows"them"to"express"

their"concepts"efficiently"and"with"less"effort."Not"only"that:"people"are"nowadays"used"to"CG"so"

they"have"the"coordinates"and"the"mind"framing"needed"to"decipher"them"quickly."CG"is"one"of"the"

greatest"examples"of"a"culture"that"makes"visuality"its"key"to"translate"the"world.""

"

"

The recapture of embodiment

"

Why,"then,"am"I"following"a"totally"opposite"path"in"this"thesis?"

In"my"introduction"I"started"pointing"out"the"reasons"for"this"decision:"while"working"with"CG"I"felt"

very"distant"from"my"work"and"it"has"been"impossible"for"me"to"have"the"same"emotional"

connection"I"had"with"analogue"works."Tereza"Stehlíková"(2012)"in"her"paper"Tangible#Territories#

affirms"that"CG"involves"a"“further"distancing"of"the"maker"from"their"subject"matter"through"the"

lack"of"tactile"interaction"with"their"work”.""

Up"till"here"the"problem"concerning"the"predominance"of"CG"and"visual"disembodiment"seems"to"

touch"marginally"only"artists"and"their"attempt"to"engage"emotionally"the"audience.""

22"

But"while"until"some"time"ago"the"idea"of"having"everything"digital"and"pressing"a"button"to"access"

a"multitude"of"data"seemed"appealing"to"the"majority"of"people,"today"there"is"a"countertrend."

Designers"are"struggling"to"achieve"again"a"physical"interface"to"be"implemented"in"the"digital"

world"under"the"popular"demand"for"more"concrete"and"corporeal"objects10."As"regards"animation"

and"video"games,"the"popularity"of"3D"software"is"undeniable"but"at"the"same"time"a"new"interest"in"

the"exploration"of"physical"and"material"aspects"of"moving"images"is"rising.11"

The"reason"behind"this"demand"could"be"originated"by"the"same"impression"I"had"while"working"

with"CG."I"felt"disembodied"and"really"distant"from"my"work."Jan"Švankmajer"1a"Czech"surrealist"

filmmaker"and"artist"whose"work"is"constituted"mainly"by"stop1motion"animations1"explains"why"

this"may"happen:""

"

“Virtual"reality"has"no"tactile"dimension...It"is"therefore"not"charged"by"strenuous"human"

emotions."It"is"a"stillborn"child.”"(Švankmajer,"interview"with"author,"as"quoted"in"Stehlíková,"

2011)"

"

While"this"assertion"could"sound"temerarious"to"many,"it"is"true"that"CG"is"disembodied"and"

weakens"the"body’s"involvement"with"the"surrounding"world,"lacking"a"tactile"connection"with"the"

artist."The"lack"of"embodiment"comes"indeed"from"a"lack"of"physical"contact,"absence"of"touch"and"

body"interaction."Juhani"Pallasmaa,"in"his"essay"The#Thinking#Hand"gives"us"a"really"accurate"point."

He"writes:""

"

######################################## #####################

10 For further reading about this topic: Physical Interaction in a Dematerialized World, Lukas Van Campenhout, Joep Frens , Kees Overbeeke , Achiel Standaert , and Herbert Peremans. Article extrapolated from: http://www.ijdesign.org/ojs/index.php/IJDesign/article/view/1124/55

11 See for example the video game Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, part of the Kirby series. The game is currently under development and it features characters and props built in clay (scheduled to be published by Nintendo in 2015).

23"

“I"am"[...]"arguing"that"the"computer"is"a"fundamentally"different"tool"from"the"traditional"

instruments"of"drawing"and"methods"of"making"physical"models."The"line"of"charcoal,"pencil"

and"pen"is"an"expressive"and"emotional"line"and"so"is"a"model"crafted"by"human"hand."They"

can"express"hesitation"and"assurance,"judgement"and"passion,"boredom"and"excitement,"

affection"and"repulsion."Every"move,"weight,"shade,"thickness"and"velocity"of"the"hand1drawn"

line"carries"a"particular"meaning."The"line"traced"by"the"hand"is"a"spatial"one:"it"is"placed"in"a"

distinct"perceptual"or"imagined"space."In"comparison"to"the"expressive"richness"and"emotive"

life"of"the"hand1drawn"line,"the"computer"line"is"a"laconic"and"uniform"connection"of"two"

points.”"(Pallasmaa,"2009,"p."100)"

"

He"also"argues"that,"of"course,"computer"lines"can"be"articulated"to"simulate"hand1drawn"lines"

(there"are"for"example"specific"digital"brushes"made"for"this"purpose,"or"the"graphic"tablet),"but"

that"their"essence"remains"the"emotionless"factuality"of"a"mathematized"space."No"matter"how"

much"we"try"to"reproduce"the"organic"feel"in"a"digital"space,"we"are"still"not"able"to"imitate"the"

human"imperfections"and"emotions."

In"order"to"“overcome"the"modern"alienation"of"sense""(Cohen,#2008),"as"artists"we"have"to"re1

integrate"the"body"in"the"production"of"our"art."To"do"that,"we"do"not"necessarily"have"to"exclude"

sight"1"which"has"become"an"inattentive"because"it"was"bombed"by"too"many"stimuli"1"from"the"

works"of"art."The"solution"comes"rather"from"the"addition"of"senses"to"images,"and"in"particular"

through"the"addition"of"the"sense"of"touch.""

Why"is"the"sense"of"touch"so"important"compared"to"other"senses?""

To"find"an"answer"to"this"question"we"have"to"understand"properly"what"is"the"sense"of"touch"and"

what"characterizes"it."It"could"appear"obvious"to"most"of"us"and"even"superfluous"to"define"touch"

since"in"our"daily"life"we"all"experience"touch"constantly,"but"this"point"is"extremely"important"in"

the"development"of"this"research."

24"

Touch"is"directly"related"to"our"body"much"more"than"sight:"the"whole"body"is"studded"with"

receptors,"which"are"active"even"when"we"do"not"touch"something."Touch"is"the"sense"that"shapes"

our"entire"existence"and"relationship"with"the"world:"losing"the"sense"of"touch"would"mean"losing"

our"connection"with"the"physical"world"and"with"our"own"body."To"redeem"the"sense"of"touch"from"

the"limbo"of"senses,"as"a"sense"that"has"been"set"aside"in"favor"of"vision,"means"also"to"bring"back"

our"embodied"connection"with"the"world"not"only"from"the"artist’s"point"of"view,"but"also"from"the"

point"of"view"of"the"audience."In"his"thesis,"Edoardo"Fugali"writes:""

"

“For"its"essential"connection"with"the"living"organism,"touch"is"among"all"sensory"modalities"

the"one"that"ensures"at"the"highest"degree"our"anchorage"to"the"world."Touch"deserves"an"

epistemological"supremacy"because"its"cognitive"performances"are"indispensable"for"the"

development"of"our"sense"of"reality.”"(Fugali,#2013)"

"

Touch"constitutes"the"actual"foundation"of"every"experience"because"we"exist"in"this"world"as"

embodied"beings"and"we"cannot"detach"from"our"own"body."While"we"can"decide"not"to"see"

something"and"to"exclude"our"sense"of"sight"for"all"the"time"we"want"to,"we"cannot"decide"to"stop"

touching,"or"to"feel"the"environment"around"us"by"virtue"of"our"physicality."For"Edmund"Husserl"

(1996),"it"is"primarily"touch"that"anchors"us"in"the"body."He"writes:"

"

“Everything"that"we"see"is"touchable"and,"as"such,"points"to"an"immediate"relation"to"the"

body,"though"it"does"not"do"so"in"virtue"of"its"visibility."A"subject"whose"only"sense"was"the"

sense"of"vision"could"not"at"all"have"an"appearing"body.".".""The"body"as"such"can"be"

constituted"originally"only"in"tactuality.”"(As"quoted"in"Boulé"and"O’Donohoe,"2011)."

"

This"is"a"crucial"point:"touch"hooks"us"in"our"own"body,"which"is"the"only"intermediate"substance"

between"us"and"the"world"around"us,"the"only"way"we"have"to"experience"the"surroundings."If"we"

25"

linger"a"moment"to"analyze"the"origin"of"the"word"“touch”"we"can"grab"this"connection"precisely;"in"

her"paper"“Touching"technologies,"touching"visions."The"reclaiming"of"sensorial"experience"and"the"

politics"of"speculative"thinking”,"Maria"Puig"de"la"Bellacasa"writes:""

"

“Well"before"thinking"about"such"epistemological"and"political"matters,"my"seduction"into"the"

worlds"of"touch"was"provoked"and"compelled"by"the"very"word,"by"the"mingling"of"literal"and"

metaphorical"meanings"that"make"of"touch"a"figure"of"feeling,"relating"and"knowing."Its"

power,"its"attractiveness"for"thinking,"is"not"only"that"of"evoking"a"specific"and"forceful"

sensorial"experience,"but"also"its"affective"charge."Starting"with"being"touched"–"to"be"

attained,"moved"–"touch"exacerbates"a"sense"of"concern,"it"points"to"an"engagement"that"

relinquishes"the"distance"of"detachment.”"(de"la"Bellacasa,"2009)."

"

She"continues"analyzing"the"etymology"of"the"word"touch,"explaining"that""

"

“Touché"is"a"metaphorical"substitute"for"wounded."The"way"in"which"touch"opens"us"to"hurt,"

to"the"(potential)"violence"of"contact,"is"emphasized"by"Thomas"Dumm"who"reminds"that"

touch"comes"from"the"Italian"word"‘toccare’"to"strike,"to"hit."His"meditations"on"touch"are"

particularly"illuminating"regarding"its"ambiguity."Touching,"he"says,"‘makes"us"confront"the"

fact"of"our"mortality,"our"need"for"each"other,"and,"as"[Judith]"Butler"puts"it,"the"fact"that"we"

are"undone"by"each"other’"(Dumm,"2008,"p."158)."In"contrast,"Dumm"explores"two"meanings"

of"becoming"untouchable."First,"the"loss"of"somebody"we"cared"for"that"makes"this"person"

untouchable:"‘that"which"we"imagine"as"part"of"us"is"separate"now’."Second,"to"become"

oneself"untouchable:"‘a"figure"of"isolation,"of"absolute"loneliness’”"(de"la"Bellacasa,"2009)"

"

The"word"itself"implies"a"certain"degree"of"physical"connection"with"the"environment"through"the"

mediation"of"the"body."Touch,"affirms"Jean"Louis"Chrétien,"is"“inseparable"from"life"itself”,"

26"

(Chrétien,"2004)"indeed"even"when"we"are"not"intentionally"touching"something,"the"absence"of"

physical"contact"can"be"felt"as"absence"of"touch"and"when"someone"or"something"touches"us"we"

indirectly"use"our"tactility."Touch"“annihilates"distance"and"physically"unites"the"toucher"and"the"

touched.”"(Classen,"2005)""

As"living"beings,"we"are"continuously"touched"by"something"for"the"simple"fact"that"we"live"in"a"

physical"world."Laura"U."Marks"explains"that"understanding"contact"as"touch"intensifies"a"sense"of"

the"co1transformative"effects"of"connections"between"beings"in"the"flesh."“Significantly,"in"its"quasi1

inescapable"evocation"of"close"relationality,"touching"is"also"called"upon"as"the"experience"par"

excellence"in"which"boundaries"between"self"and"other"are"blurred.”"(Marks"as"quoted"in"de"la"

Bellacasa)"

"

The"total"presence"of"touch"contributes"to"create"a"sense"of"immersion,"and"it"is"incarnated"in"an"

atypical"organ,"the"whole"skin.""

The"difference"between"touch"and"sight"resides"in"this:"we"know"about"the"existence"of"our"body"

because"we"feel"it,"and"through"it"we"can"experience"the"environment;"touch"constitutes"the"very"

foundation"of"our"experience,"because"we"exist"as"embodied"beings."Stehlíková"puts"it"into"these"

words:"“To"experience"through"touch"is"to"participate"in"a"form"of"dialogue"with"the"world.”"

(Stehlíková,"2012)"

Since"my"aim"with"my"project"is"to"recuperate"an"empathic"relation"with"my"work,"I"tried"to"regain"

this"dialogue"with"the"world"through"the"use"of"stop1motion"in"a"video"game."Švankmajer"wrote:"

"

“I"became"increasingly"conscious"that"to"revive"the"general"impoverishment"of"sensibilities"in"

our"civilization"the"sense"of"touch"can"play"an"important"part,"as"so"far"it"has"not"been"

discredited"in"‘artistic"endeavours’."After"all,"we"have"all"been"seeking"the"sense"of"tactile"

security"since"our"birth,"through"physical"contact"with"our"mothers’"bodies."That"was"our"

27"

first"tactile"contact"with"the"world,"before"we"could"see,"smell,"hear"or"taste.”"(Švankmajer,"

2014,"p."xxii)"

"

It"is"easy"to"see"how"making"a"stop1motion"animation"is"connected"to"the"sense"of"touch"from"the"

artist’s"point"of"view:"as"a"creator"you"have"to"craft"a"miniature"world,"experience"materials"and"

work"with"your"hands."The"physical"contact"with"the"work"leads"the"artist"to"feel"more"embodied"

with"the"art"produced."On"the"other"side,"though,"there"is"the"audience."Since"video"games"are"by"

definition"experienced"through"the"aid"of"a"screen,"is"there"a"possibility"to"convey"the"sense"of"

tactility"and"embodiment"without"using"the"sense"of"touch?"

"

"

"

28"

On(Synesthesia(and(Haptic(Visuality(

"

“Thus(the(pressure(of(your(gentle(fingers(upon(my(eyelids,((

at(first(only(recognized(through(vision,(long(after(their(removal((

filled(my(whole(being(with(an(immesurable(sensual(delight.”(

Edgar(Allan(Poe,(1841(

"

"

We"have"seen"the"characteristics"of"touch"and"the"importance"of"reintegrating"it"in"contemporary"

technologies"in"order"to"feel"again"an"emotional"connection"with"what"we"experience."It"is"possible"

to"do"so"by"making"use"of"processes"like"synesthesia"and"haptic"visuality."As"mentioned"before,"for"

an"artist,"even"when"dealing"with"video"games,"there"is"the"possibility"to"adopt"techniques"like"

stop1motion"or"live1action"shootings"that"integrate"touch"without"getting"rid"of"sight."Both"

techniques"require"physical"work"and"can"help"to"find"a"body"contact"and"more"engagement"with"

the"product"of"art.""

A"good"example"of"a"game"that"integrates"live1action"photography"is"Lume.12"The"introductory"

sequences"of"the"game"are"shot"with"real"handcrafted"objects"made"out"of"cardboard,"because"like"

the"creator"says"in"an"interview:"“It's"able"to"communicate"affection."We"loved"making"this,"and"I"

would"hope"that's"something"which"radiates"from"the"game.”"He"also"points"out"his"personal"

opinion"about"CG:"“Personally"I'm"bored"with"the"impersonal"cleanliness"of"so"many"3D"games."I"

want"more"of"a"connection"to"what"I'm"supposedly"connecting"with.”13"

His"position"agrees"and"reinforces"what"has"been"said"in"the"previous"chapter"about"embodiment"

and"sense"of"touch.""

######################################## #####################

12 State of Play, 2012. 13 http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/129740/road_to_the_igf_state_of_plays_.php"

29"

!

The artist’s hand

"

From"the"point"of"view"of"the"users,"how"do"we"integrate"tactility"in"a"video"game?""

If"it"is"true"that"a"strong"sensation"of"embodiment"emerges"when"the"artist"has"the"possibility"to"

craft"his"art,"this"feeling"could"be"carried"to"the"audience"only"through"the"direct"perception"of"the"

craft:"the"consequence"of"this"method"is"an"audience"more"engaged"in"what"is"being"viewed."

One"of"the"most"explored"areas"in"video"games"is"the"use"of"haptic"devices,"i.e."controllers"or"tools"

that"are"able"to"give"tactile"feedback"acting"on"the"body"of"the"player."There"are"many"studies"and"

ongoing"tests"about"haptic"devices14,"but"none"of"those"really"fulfill"my"intentions"of"conveying"

participation"between"the"artist"and"his"work"and"at"the"same"time"between"the"work"and"the"

player."If"an"artist"chooses"the"way"of"tactility,"he"should"have"a"way"to"transmit"it"through"his"art"

and"not"through"the"use"of"something"external"to"it."The"consequence"of"a"haptic"device"that"is"

situated"on"a"different"sense,"compared"to"what"is"passing"on"the"screen,"could"be"an"increased"

disruption"rather"than"connection."

In"the"field"of"video"games,"the"artist"is"the"person"in"charge"for"the"visual"aesthetic"of"a"game."This"

means"that,"as"an"artist,"you"have"the"possibility"to"create"something"perceivable"by"the"user"with"

the"sense"of"sight."When"an"image"is"associated"to"a"tactile"vibration"or"stimulation,"the"result"is"

that"the"player"receives"two"types"of"stimuli"completely"disconnected"between"each"other."The"final"

perception"is"not"a"reinforcement"of"the"sensation"but"an"alienation"from"what"is"being"

experienced.""

######################################## #####################

14 See for reference: Recent Developments and Applications of Haptic Devices, S.D. Laycock and A.M. Day, 2003, or An experimental study on the role of touch in shared virtual environments,C. Basdogan, C. Ho, M.A. Srinivasan, M. Slater, 2000, or Haptic Feedback in Pervasive Games, M. Faust, Y. Yoo, 2006. #

30"

More"than"that,"when"two"different"sensorial"perceptions"are"experienced,"the"issue"of"latency"

arises."If"the"cross1modal"information"is"not"perfectly"synchronized,"the"stimulus"may"be"corrupted."

When"a"“conflict"between"sensory"cues”"arise,"the"brain"“splits"the"difference"to"produce"a"single"

mental"image,"and"the"overall"perception"experienced"by"the"subject"will"be"a"compromise"between"

the"two"senses."[…]"It"would"be"easier"to"extract"shape"information"through"visual"means"than"to"

collect"this"information"haptically.”"(El"Saddick,"Orozco,"Eid,"Cha,"2011)"

#

#

About tactility and the sense of touch

#

If"we"think"about"the"necessity"of"rediscovering"tactility"in"terms"of"increased"emotions,"we"cannot"

pretend"to"complete"the"task"with"the"help"of"a"technology"completely"separated"from"the"work"of"

art."In"order"to"communicate"emotions"over"the"crafted"art"we"have"to"let"the"art"itself"

communicate"them."Is"it"possible,"then,"to"transfer"the"sense"of"touch"via"images,"that"is"the"

expressive"transition"of"the"video"game’s"artists?"

The"French"phenomenologist"Maurice"Merleau1Ponty"argued"that"vision"is"analogous"to"touch"in"

how"it"discerns"the"world,"describing"it"as"being"like"“palpation"with"the"eyes.”"(Merleau1Ponty,"

1945/2003)"

"Alva"Noë,"a"professor"of"Philosophy,"is"sympathetic"to"this"line"of"thought"and"affirms:""

"

“Through"skilful"visual"probing"–"what"Merleau1Ponty"called""palpation"with"the"eyes""–"you"

bring"yourself"into"contact"[…]."Vision"is"touch1like."Like"touch,"vision"is"active"[…]."We"gain"

content"by"looking"around"just"as"we"gain"tactile"content"by"moving"our"hands."You"enact"

your"perceptual"content,"through"the"activity"of"skilful"looking.”"("Noë,"2004)"

"

31"

In"a"certain"sense,"we"can"say"vision"is"a"sort"of"extension"of"our"tactile"sense,"a"specialization"of"our"

skin"tissue"and"a"touching"mode."Kent"C."Bloomer"and"Charles"W."Moore"stated:"“The"body"image"

[...]"is"informed"fundamentally"from"haptic"and"orienting"experiences"early"in"life."Our"visual"images"

are"developed"later"on,"and"depend"for"their"meaning"on"primal"experiences"that"were"acquired"

haptically.”"(Bloomer"and"Moore,"1977)"

Moreover"the"anthropologist"Ashley"Montagu,"basing"her"assumptions"on"medical"evidence,"

confirms"that"touch"“is"the"sense"which"became"differentiated"into"the"others,"a"fact"that"seems"to"

recognize"[...]"touch"as"‘the"mother"of"the"senses.’”"(Montagu,"1971,"p."3)"

Švankmajer15"had"the"possibility"to"read"the"impressions"and"reflections"of"phenomenologist"

Merleau1Ponty."In"the"early"1980s,"Švankmajer"was"struggling"and"thinking"about"how"to"utilize"his"

tactile"experiences"in"animated"films:"it"seemed"paradoxical"to"him"because"“after"all,"film"is,"

foremost,"an"audiovisual"medium.”"(Švankmajer,"2014,"p."xxi)"The"readings"convinced"him"that"

sight"is"capable,"to"a"greater"or"smaller"extent,"depending"on"individuals,"to"transfer"tactile"

sensations"in"a"mediated"way."(Noheden,"2013)"

The"filmmaker,"persuaded"by"Merleau1Ponty’s"writings,"decided"to"start"a"series"of"experiments,"

which"lasted"a"few"years,"involving"tactility"and"sight."The"idea"of"perceiving"tactile"feedbacks"from"

sight"has"its"foundations"in"the"theory"that"sees"our"senses"not"as"independent"and"disconnected"

from"each"other,"but"as"independent"senses"in"relationship"with"each"other,"a"process"also"called"

synesthesia."Like"Švankmajer,"Vivian"Sobchack"largely"builds"on"Merleau1Ponty's"discovery"that"the"

senses"are"not"discrete,"but"interrelated."She"writes"that"the"sensorial"impressions"of"the"

multisensory"film"experience"are"not"identical"to"actual"ones,"but"nonetheless"constitute"“a"real"

sensual"experience”"(Sobchack,"2004,"p."76)."

What"she"means"with"this"expression"is"that,"of"course,"we"do"not"touch"images"(or"cinema),"nor"

images"touch"us"the"same"way"“in"which"I"touch"or"am"touched"by"others"and"things”."(p."72)"

######################################## #####################

15 To see his filmography: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0840905/

32"

Cinema"and"moving"images"use"“lived"modes”"of"sensory"experience"such"as"seeing,"hearing"and"

movement,"as"vehicles"of"representation:"with"the"use"of"these"lived"modes,"moving"images"exist"as"

“ambiguous"sensual"and"perceptual"structure.”"(p."74)""

Even"if"we"cannot"fully"grasp"objects"we"see"in"audiovisual"media,"we"can"nonetheless"have"a"

sensual"experience"that"is"reduced"if"compared"with"a"real"one"but"also"enhanced"because"we"can"

only"grab"the"sensation"partially"and"then"complete"it"with"our"own"bodily"associations."

#

#

Synesthesia

"

If"we"consider"that"our"senses"are"intertwined,"then"any"visual"media"could"theoretically"give"us"the"

feeling"of"touching"an"object,"smelling"a"flower,"hearing"a"sound."Sobchack"writes"(referring"to"

cinematic"experience):"“we"are"able"to"touch"and"be"touched"by"the"substance"and"texture"of"

images.”"(p."65)"

Sobchak’s"studies"focused"on"cinema"but"we"can"arguably"apply"her"theories"to"video"games"too,"

and"to"every"visual"medium"more"in"general."Sobchack"notes"that"also"Sergei"Eisenstein16"himself"

spent"the"last"part"of"his"career"investigating"the"‘synchronisation"of"the"senses’"and"continually"

reminded"people"that"cinema"has"sensory"thought"and"emotional"intelligence."The"media"that"talk"

to"us"through"images"generate"a"meaningful"experience"“not"to"the"side"of"our"bodies"but"because"

of"our"bodies”"(p."60)"and"with"our"bodies,"“which"is"to"say"that"they"provoke"in"us"the"‘carnal"

thoughts’"that"ground"and"inform"more"conscious"analysis.”"(p."60)"

Švankmajer"based"a"big"portion"of"his"work"and"career"on"this"assumption,"convinced"1"also"thanks"

to"his"experiments"1"that"there"is"a"conjunction"of"‘touch1vision’"senses,"and"that"“sight"[is]"capable,"

######################################## #####################

16 A Soviet Russian film director, especially known for his masterpiece Battleship Potemkin.

33"

to"a"greater"or"smaller"extent"depending"on"individuals,"[of"transferring]"tactile"sensations"in"a"

mediated"way.”"(Stehlíková,"2012)"

Although"those"theories"are"all"related"to"cinema"and"moving"images,"the"idea"of"conveying"a"sense"

through"the"use"of"another"does"not"have"to"be"necessarily"related"to"cinema"or"video"games,"and"is"

a"concept"not"new"in"the"neurological"field."This"particular"thought"about"the"interconnection"of"

senses"and"“brain"areas"that"correspond"to"one"sense"affected"by"the"other"senses”"(Guterman,"

2001)"has"been"a"topic"explored"for"decades."

"

The"term"we"can"use"to"describe"this"process"is"called"synesthesia.""

Synesthesia"is,"as"said"above,"a"neurological"experience"that"involves"more"than"one"sense."The"

word"synesthesia"comes"from"the"Greek"syn,"syn"/"sun,"union"+"aesthesis"αἴσθησις."“It"denotes"the"

capacity"to"hear"colors,"taste"shapes,"or"experience"other"equally"strange"sensory"fusions.”"

(Cytowic,"2002)"

Synesthesia"is"a"neurological"condition"of"involuntary"cross1modal"association,"where"a"stimulation"

causes"a"perception"in"one"or"more"different"senses."It"denotes"the"rare"capacity"to"hear"colours,"

taste"shapes,"or"see"music."It"is"an"additive"experience,"where"two"or"more"senses"are"combined"

into"a"more"complex"sensation"without"losing"their"own"identities"(Zimm,"2000)."

"

Although"it"was"used"as"a"clinical"term,"to"describe"this"rare"condition"that"makes"someone,"for"

example,"able"to"perceive"the"scent"of"“red”,"synesthesia"became"a"common"term"used"to"identify"

this"crosstalk"among"senses.""

Synesthesia"is"a"statistically"rare"condition."It"is"indeed"estimated"that"1"out"of"25,000"people"is"able"

to"experience"synesthesia."Neurological"research17"offers"many"theories"of"synesthetic"mediation"

but"aspects"of"this"condition"remain"unknown:"it"seems"to"be"a"normal"brain"process"that"is"

######################################## #####################

17#as wrote in The Synesthetic Mediator, Malin Zimm, 2000.#

34"

prematurely"displayed"to"consciousness."Recent"findings"show"that"synesthesia"could"be"a"phase"of"

the"cognitive"development,"but"its"workings"reach"awareness"only"in"few"people."Malin"Zimm"

hypothesizes"that"“in"the"dawn"of"humanity"we"could"have"perceived"the"world"synesthetically”,"

but"that"the"“ability"disappeared"as"the"evolutionary"trend"was"an"increasing"anatomical"separation"

of"function.”"(Zimm,"2000)"In"this"sense"synesthesia"is"a"violation"of"conventional"perception"in"a"

world"that"has"accentuated"objectivity"and"rational"behaviour."

Someone"who"has"the"clinical"condition"of"synesthesia"can"transform"a"sensation"into"another"one"

without"having"this"connection"in"his"memory"or"in"his"experience:"the"commutation"is"completely"

deliberate."

It"is"impossible"to"replicate"artificially"this"kind"of"condition.""

In"our"case,"synesthesia"can"be"summarized"as"the"ability"to"transpose"a"visual"experience"into"a"

tactile"one."Baron1Cohen"and"Harrison"write"that"synesthesia"is"a"perceptual"phenomenon"where"

“stimulation"of"one"sensory"modality"automatically"triggers"a"perception"in"a"second"modality,"in"

the"absence"of"any"direct"stimulation"to"this"second"modality.”"(Baron1Cohen"&"Harrison,"1997,"p."

3)"

"

The"process"of"converting"a"sensation"into"another"happens"on"a"level"that"we"cannot"consciously"

control."Like"Richard"E."Cytowic"says"in"his"book"Synesthesia:#A#Union#of#the#Senses:##

"

“A"particular"visual"input"can"make"you"feel"on"your"skin"a"tactile"sensation"delivered"to"a"

glove."Walking"direction,"body"image,"sound"localization,"and"tactile"perception"are"just"some"

of"the"multisensory"interactions"we"perceive."All"reflect"the"need"to"build"up"the"most"

comprehensive"view"of"the"world"and"of"our"internal"and"external"space."Though"different"

sensory"modalities"may"appear"pure,"they"interact"at"a"level"before"consciousness"in"a"variety"

of"ways"in"normal"circumstances.”"(Cytowic,"2002)"

"

35"

Even"if"we"cannot"control"the"process"of"synesthesia"in"our"body,"we"can"however"master"how"to"

trigger"it"in"the"human"perception,"especially"in"the"field"of"moving"images."Synesthesia"can"indeed"

be"induced"“artificially”"in"various"ways."

Sobchack"used"the"term"‘cinesthesia’"to"describe"how"audio1visual"information"contained"in"a"

cinematic"material"can"evoke"other"senses"in"the"viewer,"drawing"on"a"vast"repertory"or"database,"

as"it"were,"of"sense"memories."(Sobchack,"2004)"

It"is"important"to"remember"that"whatever"sense"association"is"induced"by"synesthesia"is"not"

actually"that"sensation,"for"example"synesthetic"touch"is"not"equal"to"actual"physical"contact."The"

viewer"does"not"press"his"body"against"the"screen"or"image,"but,"through"haptic"vision,"achieves"

proximity"at"a"distance."Haptic"cinema"enables"the"viewer"to"share"bodily"contact"with"the"screen"

“through"synesthesia’s"combinatory"logic,"which"here"imbues"the"eye"with"the"visual"with"sensory"

information"usually"associated"with"touch”."(Bench,"2007)"

Haptic"visuality"can"give"the"viewer"the"possibility"to"experience"synesthesia"(which"can"usually"be"

experienced"only"from"those"who"have"this"medical"condition"or"are"predisposed"to"it):"through"

images"the"audience"can"have"a"feeling"of"tactility."There"is"no"real"touch"involved"in"this"

mechanism,"but"while"seeing,"for"example,"a"close"detail"of"a"wooden"surface,"the"audience"is"able"

to"remember"how"it"feels"under"the"skin"to"touch"a"wooden"surface"or"even"reconnect"the"smell"of"

it"and"consequently"be"able"to"involve"different"senses."It"is"important"to"highlight"how"the"sense"of"

touch"is"not"directly"stimulated"but"only"evoked."In"the"history"of"cinema"there"have"been"many"

attempts"to"convey"other"senses"by"literally"integrating"those"senses"in"the"projection."A"great"

example"is"Odorama18,"developed"in"1981"to"incorporate"the"sense"of"smell"in"movies."The"idea"was"

to"have"a"card"with"numbers,"to"scratch"and"sniff"when"those"numbers"appeared"on"the"screen."The"######################################## #####################

18 Odorama was used for the first time in 1981 in the movie “Polyester”, an American black comedy film. Odorama was designed from the director of the movie himself who was inspired by the Smell-O-Vision, a similar system from 1960 that released odor during the project of a movie. In Odorama, special cards with numbered spots were distributed to the audience before the show ad when a number flashed on the screen, viewers had to scratch and sniff the correspondent spot.

36"

concept"did"not"work"and"was"soon"abandoned:"it"was"breaking"one"of"the"most"important"qualities"

of"films"that"are"the"sense"of"immersion.19""

The"same"kind"of"idea"is"pervading"the"game"industry"that"is"looking"into"development"of"haptic"

devices."

What"the"concept"of"synesthesia"suggests"is"that"there"is"no"need"to"search"for"strategies"able"to"

stimulate"smell"and"touch,"but"that"audiovisual"media"can"evoke"“these"other"senses"within"their"

own"constraints”."(Marks,"2000,"p."131)"Built"on"the"physiological"model"of"synesthesia,"haptic"

vision"is"a"sensuous"or"sense1filled"sight."(Bench,"2007)"

"

"

Haptic Visuality

"

The"idea"behind"the"use"of"haptic"visuality"is"to"convey"tactile"sensation"through"vision"in"order"to"

give"the"feeling"of"touch,"but"also"to"stimulate"the"correlations"between"senses"and"give"our"body"

the"possibility"to"participate"much"more"in"what"we"are"seeing."Haptic"vision"“deflects"the"

spectator’s"visual"mastery"and"changes"the"terms"of"visual"encounters”"by"asking"for"a"different"

way"of"watching,"a"way"that"involves"the"body"in"a"changed"way"of"seeing"images.""

Brian"Massumi"writes"that"[Vision]"has"arrogated"to"itself"the"function"of"touch."This"purely"visual"

touch"is"a"synesthesia#proper#to#vision:"a"touch"as"only"the"eyes"can"touch"(Massumi"p."158,"ital"in"

original.),"and"adds:"“Whereas"optical"images"invest"in"sensory"dis1integration—to"each"sense"its"

own"function—haptic"images"address"a"re1integrated"sight"and"touch—an"intersense"fusion.”"

(Massumi,"2002,"p."158)"

"

######################################## #####################

19 According to Ingmar Bergman film is “mainly rhythm; it is inhalation and exhalation in continuous experience” (As quoted in Yvette Biro, Turbolence and Flow in Film, 2008, p. xi. #

37"

Re1establishing"touch"in"the"sense"of"vision"can"help"to"make"the"audience"more"embodied"with"the"

images"and"give"to"those"a"meaning"without"letting"them"just"pass"by.""

Moreover,"through"the"use"of"synesthesia"and"haptic"visuality"it"is"possible"to"take"advantage"of"the"

peculiarities"of"a"sense"without"the"need"to"actually"stimulate"it,"and"to"benefit"from"the"

associations"our"interconnected"senses"are"able"to"create."In"the"next"chapter"I"will"focus"on"haptic"

visuality"and"I"will"add"more"arguments"in"its"favor."

"

"

"

"

38"

The(qualities(of(Haptic(Images:(Mimesis,(Materials,(and(the(Sparkle(of(Life(

"

“Now(that(I(have(felt(it(I(can(see(it.”(

Oliver(Sacks((

"

"

The"idea"behind"my"project"was"to"renovate"the"relationship"between"the"artist"and"his"own"work,"

finding"a"way"to"re1incorporate"feelings"in"the"art"of"video"games"while"obtaining"more"

embodiment"for"the"users"as"well."To"achieve"that,"as"we"have"seen,"I"had"to"step"away"from"CG"and"

return"to"analogue."I"found"out"that"the"use"of"the"sense"of"touch"is"recommended"and"encouraged"

when"the"aim"is"to"obtain"physical"participation."Although"it"was"easy"for"me"to"integrate"it"by"

simply"touching"and"crafting"the"objects"in"the"game,"it"was"more"difficult"to"give"the"player"the"

possibility"to"directly"touch"these"objects;"the"solution"came"from"haptic"visuality,"a"process"able"to"

unify"these"two"needs."

"

Haptic20"visuality"takes"advantage"of"the"qualities"of"synesthesia"1"a"process"that"makes"it"possible"

to"translate"a"stimuli"perceived"with"one"sense"into"another"sense"1"to"convey"the"sense"of"touch"

through"vision."Haptic"perception"is"usually"defined"by"psychologists"as"the"combination"of"tactile,"

kinesthetic"and"proprioceptive"functions,"the"way"we"experience"touch"both"on"the"surface"of"and"

inside"our"bodies."“In"haptic"visuality,"the"eyes"themselves"function"like"organs"of"touch”."(Marks,"

2000,"p."162)"

######################################## #####################

20 The term ‘haptic’ comes from the Greek haptikos, meaning to come into contact with, to touch. "

39"

The"term"“haptic"visuality”"was"used"for"the"first"time"in"the"nineteenth"century"by"the"historian"

Alois"Riegl"who"wanted"to"make"a"distinction"between"optical"and"haptic"images21."Riegl"took"the"

word"“haptic”"from"the"field"of"physiology"because"the"term"tactile"would"have"been"too"strictly"

connected"to"the"term"“touch”"(Iversen,"1993,"p."170,"as"quoted"by"Marks,"2000),"and"also"because"

he"was"aware"of"the"experiments"in"the"field"of"subjectivity"and"physiology"of"vision.""

"

“Haptic"perception"is"usually"defined"by"psychologists"as"the"combination"of"tactile,"kinesthetic,"and"

proprioceptive"functions,"the"way"we"experience"touch"both"on"the"surface"of"and"inside"our"bodies"

(see,"for"example,"Heller"and"Schiff,"1991)."In"haptic"visuality,"the"‘eyes"themselves"function"like"

organs"of"touch.’”"(Marks,"2000,"p."162)"

"

The"eye"has"the"power"of"carrying"the"hand"to"bigger"distances,"distances"we"cannot"reach"with"our"

body."We"can"imagine"touch"as"the"unconsciousness"of"vision,"as"a"hidden"tactility"that"can"emerge"

in"certain"conditions."Haptic"visuality,"that"can"also"be"called"remote"tactility,"is"deeply"connected"to"

the"experiential"knowledge"of"the"environment:"the"haptic"look"draws"on"phenomenology,"in"which"

the"analysis"of"the"process"is"more"experimental"and"immersed,"focused"on"the"dynamics"of"the"self,"

instead"of"the"semiotic"approach,"in"which"the"analysis"is"objective"and"distant."(Buchan,"2011)"

Haptic"visuality"is"not"something"that"occurs"constantly,"in"fact"it"requires"certain"conditions"in"

order"to"be"unleashed"since"not"every"image"can"give"the"feeling"to"touch"a"surface"or"object."Even"if"

Joanna"Bouldin"wrote"that"semiotics"and"psychoanalysis"“fail"to"acknowledge"the"fact"that"viewing"

is"not"simply"an"ocular"phenomenon,"but"rather"it"is"a"fully"embodied"experience”"(Bouldin,#2000,"

p."56),"I"do"not"completely"bond"with"this"point"of"view"and"I"consider"it"plausible"only"partially.""

The"dimension"of"touch"in"vision"is"today"often"neglected"in"the"dominance"of"CG"and"poorly"

constructed"images,"made"to"appeal"at"first"sight"and"not"suited"to"provide"a"domicile"for"our"sense"

######################################## #####################

21 In his seminal work “Late Roman Art Industry”: Riegl, Aloïs, Late Roman Art Industry (Rome: G. Bretschneider, 1985).

40"

of"touch"and"for"our"bodies."Not"every"visual"experience"carries"with"itself"the"same"perceivable"

amount"of"information"directed"to"other"senses,"and"not"every"image"can"trigger"the"indirect"use"of"

another"sense."According"to"Marks,"“haptic"visuality"requires"the"viewer"to"work"to"constitute"the"

image,"to"bring"it"forth"from"latency”."(Marks,"2000,"p."183)"

When"the"effort"1"which"means"a"participative"dialogue"between"the"image"and"the"viewer"1"is"

lacking,"viewing"remains"a"pure"ocular"phenomenon,"being"the"eye"not"urged"to"go"beyond"the"act"

of"seeing."An"artist"who"wants"to"build"an"image"capable"to"activate"the"interrelations"between"

senses"has"to"reflect"about"the"senses"he"wants"to"awaken"and"construct"the"image"according"to"

certain"parameters"(such"as"texture,"spatial"orientation,"rhythm,"etc.,"which"will"be"explained"later"

in"this"chapter)."Furthermore,"according"to"Marks,"haptic"visuality"involves"mutual"engagement"

between"the"viewer"and"the"image,"rather"than"an"attempt"to"represent"or"dominate"the"image"by"

the"perceiver"(as"quoted"in"Stehlíková,"2012)."

Using"haptic"images"instead"of"optical"images"is"a"way"to"make"the"audience"more"embodied"and"

involved"in"what"is"being"viewed:"the"image"and"the"observer"are"correlated,"unified"in"a"process"of"

engagement"and"codification."Massumi"writes:""

"

“Haptic"imagery"deflects"the"spectator’s"visual"mastery"and"changes"the"terms"of"visual"

encounters"by"demanding"a"tactile"rather"than"optical"way"of"seeing."Whereas"optical"images"

invest"in"sensory"dis1integration—to"each"sense"its"own"function—haptic"images"address"a"

re1integrated"sight"and"touch—an"intersense"fusion."(Massumi,"2002,"p."158)""

"

The"difference"between"the"images"we"are"used"to"seeing"and"images"built"with"the"scope"of"

establishing"this"connection"between"the"audience"lies"in"the"ability"to"stimulate"a"mutual"

engagement."Since"my"aim"is"to"engage"the"artist"in"his"work"but"at"the"same"time"to"help"the"

audience"feel"closeness"to"the"images"they"are"seeing,"haptic"visuality"is"the"instrument"that"allows"

both"these"processes."

41"

“While"optical"perception"privileges"the"representational"power"of"the"image,"haptic"perception"

privileges"the"material"presence"of"the"image”,"writes"Marks."“Drawing"from"other"forms"of"sense"

experience,"primarily"touch"and"kinesthetics,"haptic"visuality"involves"the"body"more"than"is"the"

case"with"optical"visuality.”"(Marks,"2000,"p."163)"

Haptic"visuality"relies"on"the"sense"of"touch,"which"has"the"peculiarity"to"be"located"on"the"whole"

surface"of"our"body."For"this"reason,"touch"appeals"and"implicates"embodiment"and"physical"

engagement."The"haptic"image"brings"us"closer"to"it,"while"revealing"“the"profound"connection"

between"past"and"present.”"(Barker,"2009,"p."71)"

To"understand"a"little"more"what"the"requirements"of"a"haptic"image"are,"we"can"take"as"an"

example"the"description"of"the"first"two"shots"of"the"movie"The#Piano22"written"by"Sobchack:"

"

“Despite"my"‘almost"blindness,’"the"‘unrecognizable"blur,’"and"resistance"of"the"image"to"my"

eyes,"my"fingers"knew"what"I"was"looking"at—and"this"before"the"objective"reverse"shot"that"

followed"to"put"those"fingers"in"their"proper"place"(that"is,"to"put"them"where"they"could"be"

seen"objectively"rather"than"subjectively"‘looked"through’)."What"I"was"seeing"was,"in"fact,"

from"the"beginning,"not"an"unrecognizable"image,"however"blurred"and"indeterminate"in"my"

vision,"however"much"my"eyes"could"not"‘make"it"out.’"From"the"first"(although"I"didn’t"

consciously"know"it"until"the"second"shot),"my"fingers"comprehended"that"image,"grasped"it"

with"a"nearly"imperceptible"tingle"of"attention"and"anticipation"and,"off1screen,"‘felt"

themselves’"as"a"potentiality"in"the"subjective"and"fleshy"situation"figured"onscreen."[…]"The"

second"and"objective"reverse"shot"of"a"woman"peering"at"the"world"through"her"outspread"

fingers"really"came"as"no"surprise"at"all."Instead,"it"seemed"a"pleasurable"culmination"and"

confirmation"of"what"my"fingers—and"I,"reflexively"if"not"yet"reflectively—already"knew."“"

(Sobchak,"2004,"p."63)"

######################################## #####################

22 Jane Campion, 1993.

42"

"

Haptic"visuality"provokes"a"physical"reaction,"it"touches"the"viewer"carnally"and"emotionally"and"

while"doing"so"brings"the"viewer"to"experience"a"real"connection"with"the"image."

Since"it"is"based"on"bodily"involvement,"we"can"say"that"haptic"visuality"has"the"quality"of"creating"

intimacy"and"a"corporal"dialogue"with"the"observer."“By"shifting"from"one"form"of"sense1perception"

to"another,"the"image"points"to"its"own"asymptotic"caressing"relation"to"the"real,"and"to"the"same"

relation"between"perception"and"the"image”"(Marks,"2000,"p."192)."What"is"interesting"about"haptic"

visuality,"then,"may"be"described"as"recognition"of"difference"from"the"reality"and"concomitant"

integration"of"self"in"the"presence"of"the"image."""

"

At"this"point,"a"question"naturally"comes"up:"why"should"we"not"use"directly"the"sense"of"touch"

instead"of"suggesting"it"with"haptic"visuality?"

Haptic"visuality"can"integrate"in"vision"some"peculiarities"of"the"sense"of"touch"but"at"the"same"time"

tactile"visuality"is"still"not"touch."The"point"of"tactile"visuality"is"not"to"supply"a"profusion"of"tactile"

sensations"in"order"to"fill"the"lack"of"those"sensations"in"optical"images.""

In"the"same"way"haptic"visuality"is"not"a"method"to"substitute"tactile"devices,"because"the"way"the"

sense"of"touch"is"triggered"is"completely"different"and"does"not"imply"the"same"effects."Haptic"

visuality"carries"the"sense"of"touch"indirectly"and"this"means"it"stimulates"the"correspondences"and"

the"imagination"of"the"viewer."When"Švankmajer"started"being"fascinated"by"touch"and"its"relation"

to"visuality,"he"carried"out"a"long"series"of"experiments,"lasted"several"years,"that"we"can"now"find"

described"in"his"book"Touching#and#Imagining"(2014)."Through"some"of"these"tests,"Švankmajer"

found"that"touch"has"some"capacity"to"afford"objective"knowledge,"but"also"that"haptic"vision"can"

activate"the"imagination"thanks"to"analogical"associations."The"same"process"does"not"happen"when"

the"audience"receives"the"stimulus"of"a"purely"visual"sensation."The"tactility"of"some"images"

“enhances"the"potential"for"further"analogical"imaginings”"(Noheden,"2013)."

43"

In"other"words,"when"we"experience"touch"technologies"we"are"just"remarking"what"touching"

means,"benefiting"from"a"direct"approach"that"does"not"make"us"more"embodied"with"the"visual"

scene"we"are"perceiving"but"more"physically"stimulated"by"the"whole"experience."Inversely,"“haptic"

technology"works"with"the"powerful"imaginary"of"touch"and"its"compelling"affective"power"to"

produce"a"touching"technology.”"(de"la"Bellacasa,"2009)"

“Touching"technology”"in"this"case"is"not"referred"to"tactile"devices"but"to"a"technology"that"is"able"

to"emotionally"move"the"user."

In"my"intention"to"produce"art"in"video"games"which"is"able"to"unify"the"viewer"and"the"image"while"

building"an"embodied"connection"with"both"the"artist"and"the"public,"we"can"see"how"haptic"

visuality,"with"its"characteristics"of"intimacy"and"closeness,"could"potentially"be"a"better"solution"

than"touch"devices.""

But"what"are"the"characteristics"of"haptic"images?"

Marks,"in"an"analysis"of"close1up"images,"taken"at"an"almost"touching"closeness,"describes"how"

these"figures"blur"and"produce"intimate"detailed"images"of"tiny"things,"inviting"the"viewer"into"‘a"

small"caressing"gaze’"on"pores"and"textures"at"the"surface"(Marks,"2002,"p."xi)."In"her"view"the"

efficacy"of"a"haptic"image"is"not"in"the"identification"with"a"distinct"subject"but"in"the"engagement"

between"the"viewer"and"the"image"in"an"immersed"“bodily"relationship”."Marks"in"one"of"her"

definitions"of"how"an"haptic"image"is"capable"to"trigger"the"sense"of"touch,"suggests"that"it"succeeds"

by"discouraging"“the"viewer"from"distinguishing"objects"and"encouraging"a"relationship"to"the"

screen"as"whole”"(Marks,"2000,"p."172),"by"making"the"image"illegible"through"a"close1up,"with"a"

defocus,"or"by"partially"obscuring"the"view."#

But"it"can"be"possibly"argued"that"a"close1up"is"not"necessarily"a"haptic"image"and"that"a"haptic"

image"cannot"be"identified"only"with"close1ups"of"objects."What"makes"an"image"able"to"trigger"

synesthesia"and"haptic"sensations"is"not"the"representation"of"a"surface"itself"but"how"the"surface"is"

44"

treated.""Barker"talks"about"the"short"movie"Street#of#Crocodile"(1986)"by"the"Quay"Brothers23"

specifying:""

"

“The"textures"in"this"sequence,"for"example"1the"cold"hardness"of"the"pins"against"the"warm"

and"slimy"surface"of"the"meat,"the"thick"textures"of"the"tweed"coat"and"woolen"hat,"the"

fragility"of"dry,"crackling"tissue"paper"1"speak"to"the"viewer’s"fingertips,"awakening"the"senses"

and"an"awareness"of"the"viewer’s"own"tactility."The"world"described"in"Street#of#Crocodiles"is"

in"every"sense"a"tactile"one:"a"world"of"dirt,"dust,"flesh,"fabric,"and"textures"that"are"familiar"to"

us"but"which"the"film"invites"us"to"see"for"the"first"time.”"(Barker,"2009,"p."139)"

"

If"we"take"always"as"example"the"works"of"Švankmajer"we"can"clearly"see"that"it"is"relying"on"

something"different"if"compared"to"what"Marks"wrote."Švankmajer"demonstrated"to"have"a"very"

opposite"approach"to"promote"tactility:"“his"style"of"film1making"contradicts"the"primary"definition"

of"haptic"visuality"offered"by"Marks"and"Barker,"who"tend"to"focus"more"on"haptic"images"that"

discourage"the"viewer"from"distinguishing"objects"and"encourage"a"relationship"to"the"screen"as"

whole.”"(Stehlíková,"2012)"

If"we"look"at"Dimensions#of#Dialogue24,"one"of"his"most"celebrated"short"movies,"we"do"not"see"close1

ups"in"which"it"is"impossible"to"recognize"the"object,"we"do"not"see"defocuses:"on"the"contrary,"the"

images"are"sharp,"vivid,"the"objects"are"represented"in"their"globality.25"There"is"no"attempt"to"

“hide”"the"integrity"of"the"image"in"Švankmajer."Even"though"the"characteristics"mentioned"by"

Marks"are"not"present"in"this"film,"haptic"visuality"is"very"present"in"it.""Švankmajer"indeed"

promotes"tactility:"

"

######################################## #####################

23 Stephen and Timothy Quay, American twin brothers and stop-motion animators. 24 Original title Možnosti dialogu, 1982. 25 See Appendix A."

45"

“Through"heightened"clarity"and"sharpness"of"the"image,"which"renders"the"object"vividly"real,"

virtually"tangible."Even"from"a"purely"practical"point"of"view"it"became"apparent"that"there"are"

multiple"approaches"to"the"involvement"of"the"body"in"the"cinematic"experience.”"(Stehlíková,"

2012)"

"

One"of"these"approaches"is"the"one"Marks"suggests:"to"evoke"a"state"of"frustration"of"sight,"through"

interfering"with"the"view"in"some"way,"or"through"viewing"an"object"from"close"proximity."Another"

one"is"to"immerse"the"eye"in"an"abundance"of"tactile"detail"and"information."What"unites"all"the"

approaches"is"the"“attempt"to"get"away"from"representation,"by"entering"a"relationship"to"the"image"

that"is"involved"rather"than"passive”"(Stehlíková,"2012)."

In"the"case"of"Švankmajer’s"works"we"are"referring"to"a"“mimetic"relationship"between"perceiver"

and"object”,"a"relationship"that"“does"not"require"an"initial"separation"between"perceiver"and"object"

that"is"mediated"by"representation”"(Marks,"2000,"p."164)."

The"haptic"feeling"we"have"when"we"watch"Švankmajer’s"films"1"and"in"stop1motion"animation"

through"the"materials"and"the"body"of"the"puppet"1"comes"from"the"mimetic"bond"between"the"

audience"and"the"represented"objects."The"observers"experience"a"really"powerful"identification"to"

what"is"presented"on"the"screen."To"clarify"how"this"bond"happens,"we"have"1"first"of"all"1"to"spend"a"

moment"to"define"what"we"mean"with"the"word"“mimetic”.""

"

"

Mimesis

"

Tactile"epistemology"is"strictly"related"to"the"world"of"mimesis."Mimesis"comes"from"the"Greek"

word"“mimeisthai”,"which"means"“to"imitate,"to"simulate”,"and"suggests"that"one"represents"

something"by"acting"like"it."Mimesis"is"a"representation"based"on"a"determined"moment,"it"calls"up"

46"

the"presence"of"another"materiality"with"which"it"establishes"a"relation"of"similarity."What"mimesis"

attempts"to"recreate"is"a"communication,"through"the"imitation,"between"a"subject"and"an"object."

Like"de"la"Bellacasa"explains"in"her"essay,"mimetic"communication"is"a"form"of"intentional"or"

unintentional"corporeal"imitation"that"involves"empathic"inclination"and"affection."This"process"is"

not"purely"neurobiological,"but"also"cultural,"since"we"perceive"a"sensory"information"but"we"also"

give"it"a"meaning.""

"

According"to"Erich"Auerbach"(1953)"mimesis"requires"a"responsive"relationship"between"the"

listener/reader"and"story/text;"in"the"case"of"cinema"and"video"games"the"relationship"between"the"

viewer"and"the"media"should"be"even"more"convincingly"mimetic"since"cinema"[and"video"games]"

are"more"physical26"(Marks,"2000),"because"they"are"made"of"moving"images"of"real"and"unreal"

things,"sound,"light.""

In"a"few"words"mimesis"is"really"important"when"talking"about"haptic"visuality"because"it"

designates"an"embodied"relationship"with"the"matter"and"the"world"(Noheden,"2013)."

In"stop1motion"animation"mimesis"occurs"thanks"to"the"materials"used"to"represent"the"fictional"

world.""

CG"is"mimetic"in"the"sense"that"it"is"a"reproduction"of"reality,"but"it"cannot"make"use"of"real"

materials."The"difference"is"situated"in"the"credibility"of"the"images:"stop1motion"animation"is"

characterized"by"the"use"of"real"matter,"which"recalls"tactility."

In"stop1motion"animation"the"world"on"the"screen"is"built"using"existing"and"real"objects"or"

materials"of"common"usage;"this"aspect"produces"a"sort"of"reliability"and"honesty"in"the"image."

Wood,"paper,"cloth,"plasticine,"metal"and"so"on"are"all"materials"we"see"and"experience"in"our"daily"

lives."The"organic"presence"on"the"screen"naturally"creates"a"connection"with"the"viewers"because"

######################################## #####################

26 The question of the physicality of cinema and of the “screen’s body” is very complex and it is not my intention to explore it further since it is not fundamental in my research. More information about this topic can be found at this link: http://www.bloomsburycollections.com/book/joseph-cornell-versus-cinema/ch1-found-footage

47"

we"infer"from"our"background"the"hints"to"recognize"them"and"we"take"out"from"our"memory"

archive"the"tactile"feelings,"obtaining"a"higher"embodiment."

In"my"project"I"wanted"to"use"as"many"materials"as"possible,"in"order"to"recreate"the"combination"of"

materials"we"usually"experience"in"the"real"world."This"expedient"should"not"only"encourage"many"

different"haptic"sensations,"but"also"give"an"idea"of"a"world"that"matches"reality,"suggesting"this"

way"an"increased"identification"and"empathy."

Mimesis"has"the"great"potentiality"of"enabling"the"immersion"and"embodiment"of"the"observer"with"

the"observed"based"on"a"representation,"while"being"physically"mediated"by"the"body."Through"

mimesis"we"can"understand"the"world"and"create"a"transformed"relationship"–or"even"restore"a"

forgotten"connection"with"it.""

As"Merleau1Ponty"writes"in"his"book"Phenomenology#of#Perception:""

"

“Obsessed"with"being,"and"forgetful"of"the"perspectivism"of"my"experience,"I"henceforth"treat"

it"as"an"object"and"deduce"it"from"a"relationship"between"objects."I"regard"my"body,"which"is"

my"point"of"view"upon"the"world,"as"one"of"the"objects"of"that"world."My"recent"awareness"of"

my"gaze"as"a"means"of"knowledge"I"now"repress,"and"treat"my"eyes"as"a"bit"of"matter."They"

then"take"their"place"in"the"same"objective"space"in"which"I"am"trying"to"situate"the"external"

object"and"I"believe"that"I"am"producing"the"perceived"perspective"by"the"projection"of"the"

objects"on"my"retina."In"the"same"way"I"treat"my"own"perceptual"history"as"a"result"of"my"

relationship"with"the"objective"world.”"(Merleau1Ponty,"1945,"p."81)"

"

In"other"words,"thanks"to"mimesis,"we"are"able"to"bring"our"physical"body"closer"to"the"world"and"

the"objects;"we"can"experience"the"dissolution"of"the"“dichotomy"between"the"two,"such"that"while"

subjects"take"on"the"physical,"material"qualities"of"the"object”,"the"objects"“take"on"the"perceptive"

and"knowledgeable"qualities"of"subjects."Mimesis"is"an"immanent"way"of"being"in"the"world,"

48"

whereby"the"subject"comes"into"being"not"through"abstraction"from"the"world"but"compassionate"

involvement"in"it.”"(Marks,"2000,"p."141)"

It"is"observable"how"this"characteristic"of"mimesis"is"closely"related"to"haptic"visuality"and"how"it"

must"be"taken"into"serious"consideration"when"the"goal"is"to"recreate"a"close"relationship"with"a"

visual"work."In"my"project"I"used"stop1motion"animation"and"real"materials"in"order"to"create"an"

exact"representation"(or"imitation)"of"the"real"world,"and"to"stimulate"an"affinity"and"physical"

participation"in"the"image.""

To"this"point"we"have"seen"that"haptic"visuality"can"be"constructed"in"two"ways:"one"is"suggested"by"

Marks"and"implies"the"image"to"be"partially"obscured,"illegible"or"defocused;"another"one"is"through"

the"use"of"mimesis,"so"through"the"replication"of"real"matter."

Jennifer"Barker"in"her"book"The#Tactile#Eye"(2009)"provides"another"point"of"view"on"the"topic."She"

starts"defining"the"close"relationship"that"occurs"between"the"observer"and"the"image"in"haptic"

visuality"as"one"opposite"to"the"“distant"experience"of"observation.”"(p."2)"

With"this"affirmation"Barker"does"not"mean"the"actual"distance"between"the"body"and"the"subject,"

but"she"talks"about"the"perceived"distance."Haptic"images"should"bring"the"viewer"to"feel"closer"to"

the"image"through"the"body"involvement."The"“subject"feels"his"or"her"literal"body"as"only"one"side"

of"an"irreducible"and"dynamic"relational"structure"of"reversibility"and"reciprocity"that"has"as"its"

other"side"the"figural"objects"of"bodily"provocation"on"the"screen”"(Sobchak,"2004,"p."79)."

"

"

Texture

"

Until"here"the"idea"of"the"haptic"image"does"not"differ"much"from"Marks’"definition"and"it"

underlines"how"haptic"visuality"implies"the"participation"of"the"beholder."

49"

Barker"affirms"that"being"“touched"[by"an"image]"indicates"that"it"has"significance"for"us,"that"it"

comes"close"to"us,"and"that"it"literally"occupies"our"sphere."We"share"things"with"it:"texture,"spatial"

orientation,"comportment,"rhythm,"and"vitality.”"(Barker,"2009,"p."2)"

In"this"sentence"she"lists"a"series"of"treatments"of"the"image"that"could"affect"our"perception"of"it"

and"transform"an"optic"image"to"a"haptic"one."If"we"apply"to"my"work"what"Barker"observes,"we"can"

see"how"many"of"those"characteristic"are"present"in"stop1motion"animation:"the"perception"of"

materials"by"their"physicality,"the"texture"given"by"corporeal"elements,"the"rhythm"produced"by"a"

sequence"of"photos,"the"vitality"instilled"in"an"inanimate"object.""

I"would"like"to"start"to"talk"about"the"texture"because"it"is"the"most"evident"distinctive"trait"of"stop1

motion"animation:"Barker’s"affirmation"raises"issues"of"textural"perception"in"stop1motion"

animation,"in"particular"about"the"perception"of"materials"by"their"physicality"and"the"elicitation"of"

the"sense"of"touch."The"textures"that"evoke"materiality"in"stop1motion"animation"“beg"to"be"

touched”"(Barker,"2009,"p."137),"and"engage"the"embodied"observer’s"experience."Indeed,"stop1

motion"animation"relies"on"the"use"of"real"objects"which"are"characterized"by"their"own"and"

specific"patterns,"surfaces"and"materials."Every"kind"of"material"evokes"a"different"tactile"sensation"

and"this"is"why,"in"a"piece"of"stop1motion"animation"that"wants"to"communicate"specific"haptic"

feelings,"the"choice"of"materials"is"never"casual"but"well"reasoned.""She"also"writes:""

"

“The"animator’s"touch"sets"these"creatures,"bodies,"and"film"in"motion,"in"a"more"literal"way"

than"in"any"other"kind"of"filmmaking."One"can"even"see"the"occasional"fingerprint"on"the"clay"

figures"in"Aardman"Studios’"Wallace"and"Gromit"shorts"The#Wrong#Trousers"and"A#Close#

Shave,"“and"we’re"proud"of"them,”"says"the"man"who"left"some"of"those"traces,"creator"Nick"

park."“The"Wallace#and#Gromit"films"have"a"very"handmade"feel"to"them"and"I"think"that’s"

part"of"the"charm.”"The"tactility"of"stop1motion"animated"films"like"these"taps"into"the"

sensuality"(and"perhaps"revolutionary"potential)"of"child’s"play,"including"the"itch"some"of"us"

50"

have"to"take"our"toys"apart"and"find"out"how"and"why"they"work,"and"how"they"might"work"

differently.”"(Barker,"2009,"p."137)"

"

The"surface"of"the"material"in"a"stop1motion"animation"is"composed"not"only"of"the"material"itself"

but"also"of"the"passage"of"a"body"over"it."If"we"always"take"as"an"example"Švankmajer"1"who"made"of"

haptic"visuality"and"tactility"his"own"poetic"1"we"notice"how"this"attention"toward"materials"is"

extremely"important"and"contributes"to"the"sensations"we"perceive"while"watching"his"stop1motion"

animations."In"many"of"his"most"famous"animations"like"DarknessNLightNDarkness27,"Faust28,"

Dimensions#of#Dialogue,"etc.,"Švankmajer"makes"large"use"of"materials"such"as"plasticine,"clay"and"

mud."Those"materials"are"all"defined"by"an"extreme"malleability"that"makes"possible"their"

grotesque"deformations"and"at"the"same"time"gives"to"the"artist"the"possibility"to"imprint"his"own"

sign,"his"own"thumbprints"on"the"sculpture."This"imprinting"allows"Švankmajer"to"create"an"organic"

feeling,"a"sense"of"real"life"that"is"arising"from"the"material"itself."Švankmajer"explains:""

"

“Unlike"gestural"painting,"the"imprint"of"the"gesture"is"not"made"by"a"tool,"such"as"a"

paintbrush"or"a"palette"knife,"and"thus"emotionally"it"is"an"unalloyed"expression"of"the"

psychological"state"of"the"artist."The"gesture,"an"expression"of"our"emotions,"becomes"

fossilized,"without"losing"its"authenticity"through"some"kind"of"aesthetic"transformation."(…)"

Gestural"sculpture"is"a"pure"form"of"tactile"art,"since"the"hand"neither"combines"nor"looks"for"

analogical"structures"which"best"correspond"to"our"feelings,"but"creates"those"structures"

directly,"because"it"unloads"immediate"emotions"into"them."(…)"Gestural"sculptures"should"be"

perceived"largely"through"touch,"which"is"more"efficient"here."People"are"then"forced"to"

perceive"the"sculptures"as"something"other"than"artefacts,"and"allow"themselves"to"be"

directly"affected"by"the"artist’s"emotion."(…)"There"should"be"analogical"contact"between"the"######################################## #####################

27 Original title Tma/Svetlo/Tma, 1990. 28 Original title Leckce Faust, 1993."

51"

author"of"the"gestural"sculpture"and"its"perceiver."Through"touch"(loaded"with"a"gesture"the"

same"as"the"artist’s)"the"tension"present"at"the"birth"of"the"sculpture"should"pass"into"the"

psyche"of"the"perceiver,"and"stimulate"visual"associations.”"(as"cited"in"Dryje,"translated"by"

Valerie"Mason,"in"Peter"Hames,"2008,"p."1631164)"

"

We"can"see"how"these"affirmations"about"gestural"sculptures"fits"very"well"with"Švankmajer’s"

animations."What"Švankmajer"wants"to"point"out"is"that"there"is"an"exchange"of"emotions"through"

the"touch"of"the"artist"on"the"material"of"the"piece"of"art."In"his"idea"these"otherwise"undetectable"

feelings"can"become"perceptible"in"the"shape"of"a"sculpture"and"in"the"treatment"of"its"surface."

Connected"to"the"sign"that"a"human"leaves"on"a"body,"there"is"a"sort"of"representational"power,"“just"

as"a"fetish"(in"the"religious"sense)"obtains"its"power"by"carrying"the"trace"of"another"material"

object.”"(Marks,"2000,"p."93)"

In"this"process"lies"the"relationship"that"stop"motion"and"haptic"visuality"establish"with"the"viewer,"

an"embodied"tactile"and"kinesthetic"exchange"between"tangible"elements"and"the"animator"(or"

director);"he"touches"the"object"imprinting"his"experience"in"terms"of"movement"and"expression"

and,"at"the"same"time,"leaves"tactile"traces"of"his"presence"into"the"animated"piece."The"creators"and"

developers"of"The#Dream#Machine"argue:"“[the"pictures"of"the"game]"looked"really"rough,"but"they"

held"so"much"potential."The"paint"had"fingerprints"in"it,"which"I"loved."Everything"looked"skewed,"

unpolished"and"patched"up."But"compared"to"the"corporate"GUI"I"was"making"at"the"time,"they"were"

the"most"fascinating"things"I’d"seen"in"months."They"made"me"want"to"be"on"the"other"side"of"the"

screen.”29"

"

Techniques"such"as"hand"drawn"and"stop1motion"animation"convey"the"animator’s"sensibility"

(Leslie"Bishko,"1994,"p."79),"and"since"the"hand"is"the"main"tool"that"comes"in"contact"with"the"

######################################## #####################

29 Complete interview here: http://www.gnomeslair.com/2012/01/dream-machine-interview.html

52"

object"being"animated,"the"process"is"physical"in"its"essence,"in"that"it"privileges"the"tactile."(Rocha"

Souza,"2012)"

In"my"project"I"tried"to"give"to"the"materials"I"used"the"same"importance"Švankmajer"assigned"to"

them."The"objects"of"the"house"are"all"made"with"the"specific"material"(or"the"most"similar)"that"

constitutes"those"objects"in"the"real"world,"while"the"character’s"body"is"all"made"in"plasticine."This"

choice"was"made"to"underline"a"difference"between"the"world"outside"and"the"world"inside"Van"

Gogh’s"mind."The"player,"while"virtually"standing"in"the"room"of"the"painter,"experiences"a"tidy,"

essential"and"rational"world."Van"Gogh’s"body,"by"contrast,"is"transformed"and"deeply"marked"by"

his"thoughts"and"his"mental"condition."I"wanted"to"interpret"the"vision"he"gave"of"himself"in"his"self1

portraits30"leaving"the"plasticine’s"surface"rough,"almost"like"it"was"incomplete.31"Most"of"his"self1

portraits"are"indeed"constituted"by"a"multitude"of"brush"strokes"and"colors,"as"if"to"highlight"and"

identify"the"sparks"of"life,"and"the"conflicts"experienced"by"the"painter"during"his"whole"life.32"The"

plasticine"with"its"ductility"and"its"capacity"to"keep"trace"of"the"tools"on"its"surface"was"for"me"the"

most"appropriate"material"to"make"the"remote"sensibility"of"the"character"1"and"my"sensibility"

along"with"it"1"emerge.""

This"imperfection"of"the"matter"translates"into"what"Henry"Selick33"calls"“the"electricity"of"life”,"

when"talking"about"stop1motion:""

"

######################################## #####################

30 See Appendix B. 31 See Appendix C. 32 “My portrait, which I am sending to Gauguin in exchange, holds its own, I am sure of that. I have written to Gauguin in reply to his letter that if I might be allowed to stress my own personality in a portrait, I had done so in trying to convey in my portrait not only myself but an impressionist in general, had conceived it as the portrait of a bonze, a simple worshiper of the eternal Buddha. And when I put Gauguin's conception and my own side by side, mine is as grave, but less despairing.” Letter by Van Gogh to his brother Theo about the painting exchange with Gauguin dated October 7, 1888. 33 Director, best known for The Nighmare Before Christmas and Coraline. #

53"

“What"are"the"strengths"of"stop1motion?"What"should"we"try"to"hold"on"to?"There"are"a"lot"of"

strengths:"it's"touched"by"the"hand"of"the"artist"1"you"can"feel"that."You"can"sense"that"life"

force,"but"it's"imperfect."It"can't"be"done"perfectly"1"that's"what"CG"can"do."And"I'm"trying"to"

get"people"to"embrace"that:"if"it"pops,"if"cloth"shifts"a"little,"if"the"hair"is"buzzing."It's"like"this"

electricity"of"life.”"(as"cited"in"Desowitz,"interview"with"Henry"Selick,"2009)34""

"

This"passage"is"fundamental"to"understand"another"property"of"stop1motion"that"helps"the"haptic"

perception"of"an"image"and"makes"stop1motion"an"ideal"technique"when"the"intention"is"to"make"

the"viewer"more"embodied"with"what"is"being"seen.""

"

"

Sparkle of life

We"have"analyzed"how"the"texture"of"physical"objects"contributes"to"the"haptic"look,"but"we"left"

behind"the"other"attributes"listed"by"Barker,"that"is"“comportment,"rhythm,"and"vitality”."A"work"of"

stop1motion"animation"differs"from"traditional"animations"or"movies"because"it"has"its"very"own"

sense"of"rhythm"and"vitality."These"two"aspects"are"somehow"related:"the"limits"of"stop1motion"are"

the"limits"of"the"real"world"and"a"character"moved"by"a"puppeteer’s"hand"cannot"obviously"perform"

and"have"the"same"dynamism"of"a"real"actor"or"of"a"series"of"drawings."To"explain"the"difference"

between"stop1motion"animation"and"animated"cinema/live"action"cinema,"Barker"writes:""

"

“Stop1motion"animation"takes"the"underlying"principle"of"cinema"1the"construction"of"

movement"from"individual"still"images1"literally"as"its"own"mode"of"production"and"

######################################## #####################

34 The interview here: http://www.awn.com/animationworld/selick-talks-coraline-electricity-life

54"

presentation."It"exaggerates"the"discontinuity"according"to"which"motion"pictures"work"and"

in"the"process"renders"even"more"obvious"the"discontinuous"nature"of"movement,"both"

cinematic"and"human."Whereas"the"earliest"films"and"exhibition"technologies"allowed"

spectators"a"fleeting"glimpse"of"moments"of"stillness"and"cessation"in"the"viewer’s"body"and"

film’s"body,"stop1motion"animation"offers"a"lingering"look"at"an"extended"arrest"of"the"

movement.”"(Barker,"2009,"p."136)"

"

The"action"takes"place"in"a"different"time"framing"if"compared"to"live"action"or"animated"cinema"

because,"through"a"sequence"of"pictures,"the"animator"gives"life"to"a"real"object35"that"before"was"

deprived"of"life."Mike"Dietz36"in"an"interview"affirms"that:"“There’s"a"magic"to"going"‘I"know"that’s"

something"real."I"know"that’s"something"I"could"hold"in"my"hand,"and"it’s"coming"to"life,"and"it’s"

moving"around,"and"it’s"acting,"and"it’s"a"being.’”37"There’s"something"really"magical"about"that."

Stop1motion"has"the"ability"to"induce"life"in"objects,"to"anthropomorphize"them."How"does"this"

contribute"to"make"the"audience"more"embodied"with"what"is"happening"on"the"screen?"

"

“Like"the"actor"who"pretends"to"be"someone"other"than"he"or"she"is,"the"stop1motion"

animation"character,"or"the"puppet,"pretends"to"be"something"other"than"it"is"by"pretending"

to"have"life."Such"pretense"of"having"life"is"fundamental"and"cannot"be"overlooked.”"(Tillis,"

1992)"

"

######################################## #####################

35 Here lies the difference with traditional animation: while in traditional animation the animator gives life to a drawing, in stop-motion the animator gives life to something that -maybe in a different form - was already existing in the experiential world. 36 One of the creators of The Neverhood. 37 Interview can be found here: http://doubleplusgoodgames.com/hangin-in-the-neverhood-a-pencil-test-studios-interview/"

55"

The"electricity"of"life"Selick"was"claiming"is"connected"to"this"pretense"of"the"objects"to"be"alive:"the"

artist"instills"the"movement"in"inanimate"matter,"giving"to"the"matter"itself"the"vivacity"typical"of"

life."This"mechanism"can"be"compared"to"the"one"enacted"by"kids"while"playing"with"toys."“Puppets"

that"create"the"illusion"of"life"by"using"movements"exclusive"to"their"construction"can"more"easily"

encourage"an"audience"to"accept"the"living"existence"of"an"otherwise"inanimate"object.”"(Engler,"

1973,"p."16)"

In"an"interview,"the"creators"of"the"video"game"The#Neverhood"state:"“We"have"experience"in"a"

variety"of"animation"styles"and"mediums,"but"we"find"ourselves"continually"drawn"back"to"stop"

motion."I"think"it"has"to"do"with"the"fact"that"you’re"dealing"with"real"world"objects"and"real"world"

lighting."There"is"something"really"cool"about"seeing"a"real,"tactile"object"come"to"life"and"start"

moving"around"on"screen."That"was"the"appeal"of"stop"motion"100"years"ago,"and"it"still"has"that"

appeal"today."[...]"There’s"a"loss"of"innocence"associated"with"that"sophistication"that"mitigates"the"

sense"of"wonder"we"used"to"feel."Stop"motion,"however,"still"manages"to"deliver"on"that"wonder,"

touching"people"emotionally"rather"than"intellectually.”38"

"

The"truthfulness"of"the"gesture"is"a"mutual"agreement"between"the"spectator"and"the"creator:"the"

artist"offers"his"imagination"while"the"crowd"enters"in"the"magic"circle39,"voluntarily"suspending"the"

disbelief."A"puppet,"however"cunningly"manipulated"by"the"puppeteer,"is"never"fully"alive"until"

given"additional"stimulus"through"the"imagination"of"its"audience"(Lee,"1958,"p."8),"only"the"

imaginative"contribution"of"the"audience"allows"the"puppet"to"have"life."Barker"affirms"that:""

######################################## #####################

38"Extrapolated from here: http://gamestar.ru/english/armikrog_interview_eng.html 39 “All play moves and has its being within a play-ground marked off beforehand either materially or ideally, deliberately or as a matter of course…The arena, the card -table, the magic circle, the temple, the stage, the screen, the tennis court, the court of justice, etc., are all in form and function play-grounds, i.e., forbidden spots, isolated hedged round, hallowed within which special rules obtain. All are temporary worlds within the ordinary world, dedicated to the performance of an act apart” (Huizinga, Homo Ludens, 1955, p. 12)."

56"

“[…]"Viewers,"however,"may"be"bewitched"by"stop1motion"animation"precisely"because"it"

makes"sensible"to"the"viewing"body,"in"cinematic"form,"a"temporality"that"is"not"ordinarily"

sensible."The"stop1motion"film"as"product"and"process"serves"to"remind"us"of"our"own"

physical"basis"in"intermittent"bodily"movement."The"intense"attraction"to"these"films,"the"

experience"of"getting"caught"up"in"the"rhythm,"may"well"invoke"a"feeling"of"sensual"harmony.”"

(Barker,"2009,"p."143)"

#

"

The"singularity"and"the"anomalism"of"an"object"physically"moved"frame1by1frame,"of"an"action"

which"is"frozen"in"many"moments"1"one"of"the"prior"characteristic"of"stop1motion"1"is"an"incentive"to"

accept"the"life"of"the"object,"indeed"“Puppets"that"attempt"to"imitate"human"movements"often"

create"a"superficial"sense"of"realism.”"(Engler,"1973,"p."16)"

Of"course"I"do"not"mean"with"this"affirmation"that"a"human"puppet"must"move"in"a"way"that"is"not"

appropriate"or"similar"to"how"a"human"body"moves,"but"the"movements"of"the"object"should"not"

have"to"make"use"of"excessive"realism."Bil"Baird"states:"“when"puppeteers"try"to"copy"the"human"

animal,"they"fail."The"mechanical"copy"of"life"may"be"amazing,"curious,"or"even"frightening,"but"it"

doesn't"live,"whereas"the"suggestion"contained"in"a"puppet"may"be"full"of"life.”"(Baird,"1965,"p."15)"

The"technique"of"stop1motion"helps"very"much"in"this"case:"the"anomaly"of"having"a"series"of"photos"

taken"at"intervals"to"simulate"mobility"1instead"of"a"fluent"sequence"of"live1action"images1"adds"a"

component"of"strangeness"to"the"movement"itself"and"creates"not"a"representation,"but"a"flicker"of"

life.""

57"

Far"from"pure"imitation"or"realism,"the"awareness"that"what"we"are"seeing"is"not"alive"recedes"and"

we"get"the"feeling"of"something"inexplicable,"astounding."Ladislas"Starevich40"made"this"point"very"

clear"by"using"dead"bodies"of"insects,"frogs"and"other"animals"as"protagonists"of"his"stop1motion"

films41."Those"films"“force"a"recognition"of"our"own"basis"in"inconsistent"movement"as"well"as"the"

tenuousness"and"fragility"of"our"bodies.”"(Barker,"2009,"p."141)"

We"are"faced"with"something"utterly"unnatural"1"namely,"life"in"an"inanimate,"inorganic"material"

(quoted"in"Bogatyrev,"1983,"p."48)."

The"whole"concept"of"the"perception"of"life"is"important"for"one"reason:"the"spectators,"enacting"the"

suspension"of"disbelief,"put"themselves"in"the"position"of"creators"together"with"the"artist."Both"are"

contributing"to"the"origination"of"the"life"of"the"unanimated"objects."During"this"passage"the"

audience"establishes"a"sort"of"empathy"with"the"puppet/character"and"becomes"more"embodied"

with"what"is"happening"on"the"screen."

“When"puppets"come"alive..."one"ceases"to"think"of"wood"and"wire:"one"is"absorbed"in"the"action..."

The"audience,"accepting"the"convention"of"puppets,"projects"itself"into"them"with"the"same"empathy"

that"it"feels"for"any"other"actors.”"(McPharlin,"1949,"p."1)"

"

In"conclusion,"as"we"have"seen,"the"technique"of"stop1motion"summarizes"many"qualities"focused"

toward"a"physical"and"emotive"integration"with"the"work"displayed."Stop1motion"animation"is"able"

to"recall"very"well"surfaces"and"textures"through"its"accentuated"materiality"and"to"trigger"the"

sense"of"touch"that"makes"the"users"more"connected"and"physically"embodied"to"the"work."Stop1

motion"also"presents"some"exclusive"characteristics:"it"has"its"very"own"rhythm"thanks"to"the"use"of"

a"long"sequence"of"photos"not"taken"in"real"time."Moreover,"the"movement"of"inanimate"objects,"the"

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40#Russian and French stop-motion animator notable as the author of the first puppet-animated film. He became famous for using dead insects and animals as puppets in his films. 41 For example The Cameraman’s Revenge (Miest Kinomatograficheskovo Operatora in original), 1911, or Frogland (Les Grenouilles qui Demandent un Roi in original), 1922. #

58"

spark"of"life"instilled"into"them"by"the"animator,"creates"a"deep"feeling"of"empathy"between"the"

subjects"of"the"animation"and"the"public."

All"these"peculiarities"make"of"stop1motion"an"ideal"technique"to"use"in"the"attempt"to"regain"the"

embodiment"of"the"artist"and"of"the"viewers"with"a"work"of"art."

"

59"

A(Short(Discussion(About(Embodiment(in(Videogames(

*

“I*think*they’re*more*concerned*with*evoking*emotions**

and*creating*something*meaningful*and*enduring.*I*set*out,**

especially*today,*to*instill*emotions*in*the*people*who*interact**

with*my*games[.]*…*I*want*players*to*feel*a*range*of*emotions,**

not*just*excitement*H*that*is*my*ambition.”**

Bryan*Ochalla,*2007*

"

"

Up"to"this"point"the"main"reference"has"been"cinema"and"animation,"but"one"could"argue"that"video"

games"differ"from"those"media"because"of"their"interactivity.42"As"we"have"seen"haptic"visuality"has"

the"characteristic"of"bringing"the"viewer"closer"to"the"images,"to"establish"a"relationship"that"is"not"

of"pure"observation"but"of"participation.""

As"Torben"Grodal"(2003)"writes"in"his"article"“Stories"for"Eye,"Ear,"and"Muscles:"Video"Games,"

Media,"and"Embodied"Experiences”,"“playing"a"computer"game,"unlike"watching"films"or"reading"

books,"is"not"something"that"is"mediated"and"second1hand;"it"is"not"a"representation"of"someone"

else’s"experience."Like"real1life"experience,"computer"game"experience"is"‘embodied’."It"is"firsthand"

and"takes"place"in"‘a"progressing"present’"(2003,"p."134,"as"quoted"in"Klevjer,"2006)”."

Interaction"seems"here"to"be"an"important"characteristic"to"stimulate"embodiment.""Graeme"

Kirkpatrick"in"his"book"Aesthetic#Theory#and#The#Video#Game"puts"it"this"way:"“The"controller"is"

what"enables"us"to"play"but"it"is"the"part"of"play"that"we"are"least"likely"to"reflect"on."Gameplay"is"a"

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42 The topics of interactivity and embodiment in games are another very wide and open field. It is not my intention in this thesis to go through them. I took as main reference the work of Rune Klevjer, What is the Avatar?, because it faces the topic from a point of view very distant from mine but starting from a same reference, i.e. The Phenomenology of Perception (Merleau-Ponty).

60"

physical"activity"that"involves"our"hands"using"the"buttons"and"levers"and"triggers"on"the"

controller”"(Kirkpatrick,"2011,"p."111)."""

According"to"Rune"Klevjer,"the"idea"of"being"able"to"act"in"a"world"is"fundamental"in"order"to"

experience"embodiment"with"this"world.""Both"Kirkpatrick"and"Klevjer"think"it"is"necessary"to"

reflect"on"the"physical"involvement"of"the"body"when"playing"a"game."

Klevjer"continues"his"research"referring"to"Merleau1Ponty’s"phenomenology"of"the"body,"which"we"

have"presented"before."What"Merleau1Ponty"claims"is"that"the"body"is"both"object"1since"we"can"

relate"to"it"as"an"object"1"and"subject,"because"it"is"our"way"to"relate"to"the"world."This"idea"implies"

that"“’being’"(the"question"of"ontology)"cannot"be"separated"from"doing,"from"perception"and"

action."The"subject"is"not,"as"Descartes"asserted,"a"‘cogito’"or"‘I"think’,"but"rather"an"‘I"can’"–"a"body1

subject"(Merleau1Ponty,"1945/2003,"p.159)."The"way"we"perceive"the"world"and"our"position"in"it"

is"grounded"in"the"phenomenology"of"the"body,"which"is"‘our"general"medium"for"having"a"world’"

(1945/2003,"p.169)”"(As"quoted"in"Klevjer,"2006)."

Klevjer"takes"this"concept"to"argument"his"position:"according"to"him"the"avatar"appeals"to"players"

of"videogames"because"it"mediates"our"presence"in"the"game."Through"the"avatar,"the"players"can"

touch"and"act"in"the"game"world."According"to"him"to"inhabit"a"world"through"the"avatar"is"a"way"to"

feel"embodied"with"this"world"and"so"with"the"game.""

"

“Like"a"typewriter,"the"avatar"integrates"with"the"body"and"sets"up"a"new"space"of"

affordances,"a"new"bodily"space"(1945/2003,"p.167)."‘Bodily"space’"describes"space"as"it"

exists"for"(or"by)"the"body1subject;"it"is"constituted"as"‘environment’"by"virtue"of"being"

meaningful"to"bodily"effort."Like"a"new"limb"or"a"prosthesis,"the"avatar"has"the"capacity"to"

transform"bodily"space;"it"transforms"the"space"of"potential"action"for"the"‘I"can’,"and"

integrates"with"the"body"as"a"perceptual"habit.”"(Klevjer,"2006)"

"

61"

To"play"a"game"means"to"participate"in"something:"when"we"play"we"are"not"just"observing,"we"are"

interacting"and"modifying"the"world"in"the"game;"very"often"we"do"that"through"an"avatar,"and"this"

interaction"should"bring"embodiment."It"is"necessary"to"consider"how"the"topics"I"tried"to"point"out"

in"my"thesis"are"very"far"from"this"perspective."It"is"my"intention"to"highlight"that"this"type"of"

research"toward"embodiment"in"video"games"very"much"differ"from"all"the"discourses"about"

simulation"of"a"gesture."My"interpretation"of"Merleau1Ponty’s"Phenomenology"of"the"body"tries"to"

take"into"consideration"the"dialoguing"relationship"(of"dialogue)"between"subject"and"object,"while"

Klevjer’s"interpretation"takes"into"account"mostly"the"simulation"of"the"relationship"between"

subject"and"object.""

In"the"same"way"Kirkpatrick"builds"his"theory"from"a"starting"point"that"has"been"highly"discussed"

in"this"thesis."He"writes:"“[…]"the"hand"of"the"artist;"her"tools;"the"material,"and"the"form"1"cannot"be"

understood"independently"of"one"another."In"a"sense,"form"is"the"coming"together"of"these"forces"in"

an"object"or"performance."[…]"Focillon’s"model"clearly"assigns"a"privileged"role"to"the"artist"who"

possesses"the"touch"that"cleaves"form"from"darkness"of"matter”"(Kirkpatrick,"2011,"p."97198).""

Kirkpatrick"uses"the"model"of"the"art"historian"Henri"Focillon"because"this"author"in"particular"

claimed"the"importance"of"matter"and"materials"even"in"a"process"of"abstraction"like"drawing."

Defining"drawinng"as"abstract"he"implied"that"the"sign"of"a"pencil"on"a"paper"is"not"as"“material”"as"

a"sculpture"or"an"oil"painting"can"be.43"

Kirkpatrick"supports"the"importance"of"involving"the"sense"of"touch"and"the"body,"but"he"arrives"to"

a"very"different"conclusion."His"idea"is"that"the"visual"part"of"a"game"cannot"be"considered"as"

important"as"the"tactile"part,"so"his"attention"focuses"on"controllers."What"he"finds"out"is"that"the"

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43 “One might reasonably suppose that there are certain techniques in which matter is of slight importance, that drawing, for example, is a process of abstraction so extreme and so pure that matter is reduced to a mere armature of the slenderest possible sort, and is, indeed, very nearly volatized. But matter in this volatile state is still matter, and by virtue of being controlled, compressed and divided on the paper - which it instantly brings to life - it acquires a special power” (Henri Focillon, The Life of Forms in Art, 1989, p. 100). #

62"

controller"gives"meaning"to"the"game,"engaging"the"player"in"a"pattern."This"pattern"or"sequence"is"

not"taken"into"consideration"by"the"player"because"the"images"“distract”"him/her,"but"it"is"what,"

according"to"Kirkpatrick,"really"makes"the"difference"between"games"and"other"media.""

It"is"important"to"also"notice"that"controllers"are"not"(yet)"a"tactile"device"in"the"proper"sense"of"the"

term:"if"we"exclude"some"vibrating"effects"they"do"not"allow"a"real"tactile"simulation"in"the"game."In"

the"use"of"a"controller"there"is"a"process"of"adaptation,"we"have"to"learn"that"when"we"press"a"

determined"button"it"corresponds"to"a"determined"action"in"the"game."

Even"if"the"author"started"from"the"same"assumptions"I"made"in"this"thesis,"I"do"not"completely"

agree"with"his"point"of"view."In"this"perspective,"every"game"that"makes"use"of"the"same"kind"of"

controller"will"be"perceived"as"the"same"in"terms"of"tactile"feedback."

Moreover,"the"correspondence"with"the"artist"and"the"work"of"art,"underlines"how"it"is"important"

for"the"artist"to"touch"the"materials"in"order"to"produce"an"object."The"use"of"controllers"does"not"

really"solve"this"issue."While"on"the"side"of"the"player"there"is"an"effective"tactile"feedback,"there"is"

nothing"on"the"side"of"the"artist,"or"at"least"Kirkpatrick"does"not"cover"this"part"of"the"problem.""

The"author’s"view"about"game"graphics"is"very"clear"when"he"affirms"that""

"

“Game"graphics,"in"contrast"[to"controllers],"are"endlessly"‘new’"and"are"caught"up"in"the"

cultural"project"of"distraction"1"they"are"always"hyped"as"the"‘next"development’."Gamers"use"

graphical"improvement"and"other"technical"accomplishments"as"indexical"for"improvement"

in"game"quality,"but"those"changes"rarely"represent"a"new"structure"of"feeling"or"real"

innovation"related"to"form."Here,"mediation"and"mediatisation;"art"and"entertainment"come"

into"antagonism"within"the"development"of"the"video"game"as"a"cultural"form."Few"reflect"on"

63"

controller"design,"yet"it"is"here"that"many"of"the"really"interesting"changes"occur.”"

(Kirkpatrick,"2011,"p."113)"

"

Kirkpatrick"talks"about"CG"but"he"does"not"take"into"account"a"way"of"producing"game"graphic"that"

can"be"more"tangible,"such"as"stop1motion"animation"or"live"action"shootings.""

For"this"reason"I"cannot"fully"engage"with"his"argumentation."The"controller"gives"a"tactile"feedback"

but"this"feedback"is"not"directly"related"to"what"we"see"on"the"screen."If"with"the"controller"a"player"

performs"the"action"of"touching"a"table,"the"tactile"feedback"he"gets"back"is"not"a"feedback"he"would"

have"by"touching"a"real"table."This"process"can"create"disjunction"more"than"involvement.""

"

A"similar"issue"can"be"found"in"the"argumentation"made"by"Klevjer."Klevjer"does"not"address"the"

role"of"the"controller;"on"the"contrary,"he"focuses"only"on"the"re1enactment"of"the"gesture"and"not"

on"the"tactile"feedback."The"perspective"taken"in"his"paper"does"not"look"at"the"simulation"of"the"

touching"action,"which"can"be"very"realistic"in"the"movement,"but"also"weakened"by"the"feeling"of"

distance"caused"in"the"viewer"through"CG."What"I"mean"to"mark"with"this"affirmation"is"the"

difference"between"the"reproduction"of"the"tactile"gesture"and"the"sensation"of"the"tactile"gesture."

Even"if"we"do"not"directly"stimulate"the"sense"of"touch"and"the"physical"engagement"with"it,"we"can"

have"the"feeling"of"touching."The"simple"simulation"of"the"act"of"touching"does"not"specifically"imply"

the"stimuli"toward"a"tactile"sensation."

Moreover,"also"in"Klevjer’s"theory,"the"idea"of"having"embodiment"through"the"presence"of"an"

avatar"looks"only"the"point"of"view"of"the"players"and"not"the"point"of"view"of"the"artist,"since"this"

aspect"does"not"influence"the"engagement"of"the"artist"with"his"own"work."As"I"said"in"the"beginning"

of"this"paper,"my"aim"is"to"try"to"re1gain"a"close"relationship"of"empathy"both"from"the"side"of"the"

creators"and"on"the"side"of"the"players"and"from"my"analysis"the"use"of"haptic"visuality"and"stop1

motion"animation"resulted"as"a"possible"way"to"combine"and"satisfy"these"two"categories."

"

64"

The"theory"explained"by"Klevjer"and"also"parts"of"Kirkpatrick’s"deductions,"do"not"necessarily"

collide"with"what"I"have"written"in"this"paper;"on"the"contrary,"they"can"be"combined"together.""

As"we"have"seen"an"important"characteristic"that"differentiates"movies/animation"from"video"

games"is"the"possibility"to"interact"and"do"actions"in"the"virtual"world."According"to"Kirkpatrick"the"

feelings"aroused"by"the"stimuli"of"the"sense"of"touch"are"very"important"to"characterize"the"

aesthetic"of"video"games;"according"to"Klevjer,"the"avatar"works"as"prosthesis"of"our"body"and"

makes"the"player"feel"more"embodied"with"what"he/she"is"experiencing."At"the"same"time,"as"we"

have"seen"in"this"paper,"the"use"of"CG"distances"the"player"because"it"lacks"a"physical"dimension."

The"use"of"haptic"visuality"would"integrate"the"need"to"experience"a"dimension"of"touch,"and"

combined"with"the"interactivity"tipical"of"video"games"it"could"bring"us"to"a"new#haptic,#a"way"of"

conveying"a"tactile"sensation"emphasized"by"the"synthesis"of"these"elements"that"involves"both"

artist"and"players."

"

"

"

"

65"

Project:(Ever(Yours,(Vincent(

#

“The*night*café*is*a*continuation*of*the*sower,*as*is*the*head*of*the*old(peasant((

and*of*the(poet,*if*I*manage*to*do*the*latter*painting.(It’s*a*colour,**

then,*that*isn’t*locally*true*from*the*realist*point*of*view*of(trompe*l’oeil,**

but*a*colour*suggesting*some*emotion,*an*ardent*temperament.*[…]**

Hokusai(makes*you*cry*out*the*same*thing*—*but*in*his*case*with*his(lines,*his(drawing,*

*since*in*your*letter*you*say*to*yourself:*these*waves*are(claws,**

the*boat*is*caught*in*them,*you*can*feel*it.*Ah*well,*if*we*made*the*colour**

very*correct*or*the*drawing*very*correct,*we*wouldn’t*create*those*emotions.”*

Vincent*Van*Gogh,*1888,*letter*to*Theo*

"

"

The"will"to"regain"an"empathic"relationship"with"my"art"and"the"interest"in"tactile"qualities"of"

materials"is"the"foundation"of"my"project."As"explained"before,"I"wanted"to"produce"something"that"

could"have"given"me"the"possibility"to"work"with"raw"materials"and"real"objects."I"had"the"idea"of"

developing"a"video"game"in"stop1motion"animation"in"order"to"use"CG"as"little"as"possible"and"

maintain"a"physical"contact"with"my"art.""

After"a"long"process"of"brainstorming"I"decided"to"create"a"game"about"the"impressionist"painter"

Vincent"Van"Gogh."I"chose"this"topic"for"two"reasons:"a"deep"personal"interest"in"the"life"and"poetics"

of"the"artist,"and"because"his"art"shares"with"my"work"a"marked"haptic"feeling.""

Moreover,"my"intent"was"to"better"connect"with"my"art"and"charge"it"with"human"emotions."The"

topic"of"Van"Gogh’s"life"helped"in"this"sense:"Van"Gogh’s"paintings"are"the"expression"of"his"struggle"

66"

and"of"his"feelings44."I"wanted"to"represent"a"particular"moment,"the"return"to"his"house"after"the"

recovery"in"an"asylum."It"is"an"extremely"delicate"passage"of"his"life,"filled"with"strong"feelings"and"

the"rebound"with"reality."It"is"important"to"highlight"how"I"always"felt"a"sort"of"affinity"toward"Van"

Gogh"and"his"work."In"this"project"I"could"not"directly"communicate"to"the"viewers"the"pain"or"

emotions"Van"Gogh"felt,"simply"because"I"am"not"Van"Gogh."My"aim"is"to"communicate"–through"the"

physical"imprinting"of"the"matter–"my"empathy"with"Van"Gogh’s"paintings."In"turn,"my"

interpretation"should"reconnect"with"the"painter’s"strong"feelings."

"

"

Concept

#

The"first"passage"was"of"course"about"documentation."I"collected"and"went"through"many"paintings"

and"letters"sent"from"Van"Gogh"to"his"brother"Theo.45"When"I"had"a"clear"overview"I"started"

thinking"about"the"setting"of"the"game.""

The"game"is"a"point1and1click"adventure"game"in"which"the"player"plays"the"role"of"the"famous"

painter"who"has"just"came"back"to"his"normal"life"after"recovering"in"an"asylum.46"

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44 “There is none of the classical balance and restraint in his work, none of the French placidity. He is far removed from the reasoned perfection of a Poussin, the delicate grace of a Watteau or the aristrocratic romanticism of a Delacroix: he is much nearer to Sturm und Drang. […] Van Gogh was impulsive, intensely emotional, mystic and unbalanced: he painted as it were “red hot”, intuitively and ferociously –a hit or miss method. The unity of his pictures is not so much a visual as a spiritual unity. (Douglas Lord in the Introduction of Van Gogh on Art and Artists: Letters to Emile Bernard, 1938) 45 Van Gogh had an abundant correspondence with his brother, more than 900 letters have been found. For further readings: http://vangoghletters.org/vg/letters.html 46 Van Gogh always suffered from episodes of depression. In 1888 the painter Paul Gauguin, after many requests of Van Gogh, agreed to go to live with him for a limited amount of time. The relationship between the two artists proved to be disastrous. Van Gogh was a great admirer of Gauguin and wanted to be treated as his equal but Gauguin had an arrogant and domineering temper. After one of their fights Van Gogh reached a crisis point and in a moment of madness he cut off his ear. He was then diagnosed of “generalized delirium” and hospitalized.#

67"

Clara"Fernandez1Vara"writes"in"her"paper"“The"Key"to"Adventure"Game"Design:"Insight"and"Sense1

making”:"“These"games"[point1and1click"adventures]"share"five"features"(Fernandez1Vara,"2009),"

which"set"them"apart"from"other"games:"they"are"story1driven,"the"player"controls"a"player"

character,"puzzle"solving"constitutes"their"basic"core"mechanic,"the"interaction"with"the"world"is"

mainly"object"manipulation,"and"the"game"motivates"the"player"to"explore"the"space"of"the"game"

and"the"possible"actions"within"it.”"(Fernandez1Vara,"2010)"

I"chose"a"point1and1click"because"of"its"characteristics:"it"allows"to"tell"the"story"of"Van"Gogh"while"

having"only"object"manipulation"as"interaction,"that"is"something"not"hard"to"recreate"with"stop1

motion"animation.""

In"the"game"the"points"of"connection"between"events"in"the"story"are"the"letters"Van"Gogh"sends"to"

Theo."Those"have"the"function"of"acting"as"an"intermediary"between"Vincent’s"thoughts"and"the"

player’s"understanding"of"his"vicissitudes."The"letters"also"contain"useful"hints"to"proceed"and"solve"

puzzles"in"the"game:"with"this"stratagem"I"want"to"encourage"the"player"to"read"through"all"the"

letters"and"develop"empathy"with"the"character’s"feelings."It"also"makes"the"game"easier"to"

understand/solve"even"for"kids"and"teenagers,"who"can"learn"while"playing"about"the"life"and"the"

work"of"the"famous"painter."

The"goal"of"the"game"is"to"find"the"paintings"in"the"room"and"hang"them"on"the"wall"where"the"

painting"of"his"room"is."If"the"paintings"are"hung"in"the"correct"order,"the"doors"of"the"room"will"

open"and"give"the"player"the"possibility"to"enter"with"the"character"in"the"“virtual"space”"of"the"

artwork."There,"with"the"help"of"the"letters,"the"player"has"a"series"of"actions"and"puzzles"to"solve"in"

order"to"“restore”"the"painting"and"bring"it"back"to"the"original"shine."The"“ruined"paintings”"want"

to"be"a"metaphor"for"the"protagonist’s"psyche."In"the"process"of"helping"the"character"to"repair"his"

art1works,"the"player"helps"Van"Gogh"to"find"peace"of"mind."

There"is"not"a"defined"target"audience"for"this"videogame."I"tried"to"have"gameplay"that"is"easy"to"

understand"and"puzzles"that"do"not"involve"particular"knowledge"like"mathematic"or"history:"the"

68"

puzzles"are"always"very"connected"to"the"letters"and"can"be"solved"by"paying"attention"to"Van"

Gogh’s"thoughts"and"writings."This"choice"has"been"made"in"order"to"allow"every"kind"of"player"to"

empathize"and"enjoy"the"game.""

"

The"concept"of"this"game"is"designed"around"trying"to"convey"affection"and"emotions."As"we"have"

seen"through"this"paper,"the"use"of"CG"would"have"brought"to"a"completely"different"result."The"

approach"to"the"game"through"the"technique"of"stop1motion"animation:""

"

“Rehumanizes"the"procedure,"releasing"the"expressive"work"from"the"predictable"

ostensibility"of"technology,"providing"unexpected"alternatives"in"the"meaning1giving"

processes,"boosting"receptiveness"to"the"transgression"of"protocol"procedures,"opening"up"to"

expressive"results"that"go"beyond"programmed"sanctions"and"that"prescribed"by"functional"

reliability.”"(Graça,"2005,"p."104)"

"

The"“rehumanization”"appointed"by"Graça"is"what"I"was"interested"in"when"I"started"the"project:"

not"an"art"distant"from"me"(and"from"the"viewers),"but"an"art"able"to"share"deep"connections"both"

with"the"creator"and"the"players."Following"the"theories"exposed"mainly"by"Marks"and"Švankmajer"I"

decided"that"the"better"way"to"communicate"haptic"feelings"and"stimulate"tactility"in"a"video"game"

would"have"been"through"the"aid"of"stop1motion"animation."The"possibility"to"handcraft"objects"

gave"me"the"possibility"to"confer"to"them"determined"characteristics.""

!

69"

Aesthetic

Van"Gogh’s"room"is"the"main"environment"of"the"game."I"tried"to"keep"as"much"as"possible"the"

aspect"the"room"has"in"Van"Gogh’s"painting47,"adding"to"it"some"small"differences."First"of"all"the"

perspective"of"objects"in"the"painting"is"completely"unrealistic"and"very"exaggerated."The"painting"

is"indeed"“filtered”"by"Van"Gogh’s"own"emotions"and"perception."My"idea"was"not"to"have"a"perfect"

physical"reproduction"of"the"painting,"but"to"add"my"own"style"and"to"reach"a"different"balance"of"

the"elements.""

The"whole"scene"is"adapted"to"the"medium"of"video"games,"and"specifically"to"a"point1and1click"

video"game."Fernandez1Vara"explains:""

"

“Manipulating"objects"and"interacting"with"other"characters"encourages"the"player"to"explore"

the"world"to"learn"how"it"works."The"player"thus"has"to"experiment"in"the"world"in"order"to"

solve"the"puzzles,"see"what"works"and"what"does"not."Rather"than"explaining"to"the"player"

what"to"do,"the"player"has"to"seek"information"by"talking"to"characters,"and"trying"different"

actions"with"every"object."This"takes"place"within"the"game"world,"a"simulated"world"the"

player"navigates"in"search"of"information"and"challenges.”"(Fernandez1Vara,"2010)"

"

"

In"order"to"give"the"player"more"challenge"and"sense"of"discovery"I"added"objects"and"filled"the"

room"with"small"props,"even"if"in"the"original"painting"all"these"elements"are"not"present.""

Contrariwise"to"Van"Gogh’s"painting,"I"decided"to"give"to"the"room"a"tidy"and"rational"look,"in"order"

to"make"a"marked"distinction"between"the"mind"of"the"painter"and"the"external"world."

######################################## #####################

47 Bedroom in Arles (first version), 1888. See Appendix D.

70"

Paul"Wells"in"his"book"Understanding"Animation"argues"that"materials"that"are"part"of"our"daily"

lives"evoke"a"more"physical"character"and"that"fabrication"“plays"out"an"alternative"version"of"

material"existence,"recalling"narrative"out"of"constructed"objects"and"environments,"natural"forms"

and"substances,"and"the"taken1for1granted"constituent"elements"of"the"everyday"world”"(Wells,"

1998,"p."90)."The"objects"in"the"scene"remind"us"of"objects"from"reality"and"evoke"the"tactile"feeling"

that"the"nature"of"real"objects"evokes.48"

The"haptic"sensations"the"main"room"should"trigger"in"the"player"are"sharp,"defined,"dry,"and"

incisive."I"used"a"variety"of"materials"with"those"specific"peculiarities"in"order"to"obtain"this"effect:"

wood,"glass,"metal,"cardboard,"and"thick"fabric"are"the"main"component"of"the"objects"and"

environment."Those"elements"combine"together"and"imitate"real"world"objects,"they"blend"their"

different"textures"to"create"a"diverse"tactile"experience."Barry"Purves"(2008)"writes"that"“These"

lifeless"bits"of"wood,"brass"and"silicone"suddenly"connect"with"each"other;"not"only"have"we"

appeared"to"give"them"life,"but"they"are"responding"to"each"other”"(Purves,"2008,"p."226)."

To"make"the"character"I"used"a"different"approach."The"whole"exterior"body"of"the"puppet"is"made"

in"plasticine:"this"material"gave"me"the"possibility"to"leave"the"surface"rough,"incomplete,"imperfect,"

deeply"marked"by"thumbprints"and"modeling"tools.49"

This"aesthetic"choice"has"the"scope"to"externalise"the"inner"feelings"of"the"character."At"the"same"

time"it"gave"me"the"possibility"to"add"my"personal"imprinting"to"the"material"that"constitutes"it."

John"Sundholm"points"out"that"the"aesthetics"of"materiality"“is"a"way"of"retaining"deixis50;"a"trace"of"

the"past"event"as"an"intervention"and"specific"relation,"a"material"fact"that"a"simple"referential"

relation"to"the"image"tends"to"ignore”"(Sundholm,"2005,"p."55).""

######################################## #####################

48 See Appendix F. 49 See Appendix C. #50 In this case Deixis (that is usually referred to the phenomenon in which in order to understand the meaning of certain words, they require to be placed in a context) is used here to indicate the traces that the artist leaves in his/her own work.

71"

Van"Gogh’s"puppet"is"strongly"characterized"by"the"plasticity"of"the"materials"and"by"the"colors."The"

deep"cold"blue"of"the"dress"emphasizes"the"warm"colors"of"his"skin"and"hair,"for"which"I"used"many"

tones"of"yellow,"orange"and"ocher.""

When"the"character"enters"into"the"paintings51"I"decided"to"not"make"use"of"real"materials"and"

objects,"but"to"leave"the"paintings"in"their"digital"form."With"more"time"I"would"have"certainly"tried"

to"make"them"analogue,"printing"the"different"levels"of"the"painting"on"paper"and"building"a"set"

with"them."Unfortunately"the"time"frame"I"had"did"not"allow"me"to"do"so."The"choice"of"leaving"the"

paintings"digital"was"anyway"a"good"compromise,"for"two"main"reasons:"the"paintings"are"a"

“different"world”"in"which"the"character"moves,"a"world"part"of"his"imagination,"so"I"had"to"make"

clear"the"difference"between"his"real"world"and"his"fantasy;"moreover"the"idea"of"leaving"the"

paintings"as"they"are"gives"me"the"opportunity"to"show"the"real"painting,"to"do"not"operate"or"

reinterpret"it"too"much"in"order"to"expose"to"the"player"Van"Gogh’s"brush"strokes"and"sign.""

"

Process

"

To"complete"the"vertical"slice"of"this"game"I"worked"mainly"alone,"asking"the"help"of"two"persons"

for"the"programming"of"the"game"in"Unity"and"the"creation"of"a"soundtrack."This"decision"allowed"

me"to"make"a"game"that"could"really"express"my"point"of"view"on"Van"Gogh’s"art,"even"if"on"the"

other"side"it"meant"figuring"out"every"possible"solution"without"any"help."

#

In"order"to"realize"the"game"I"had"to"go"through"many"steps,"often"very"different"from"the"steps"

usually"taken"to"make"a"game"in"CG."The"approach"needed"to"design"a"game"in"stop1motion"

######################################## #####################

51 The paintings present in the demo are the Café Terrace at Night, 1888, and the Sorrowing Old Man (At Eternity’s Gate), 1890. See Appendix E. #

72"

animation"has"to"consider"accurately"aspects"that"with"this"technique"are"not"possible"to"modify"

later"on"during"the"development,"while"in"a"game"made"with"CG"everything"can"always"be"reversed"

and"changed."For"the"whole"development"of"the"game"I"wrote"my"thoughts"on"a"blog,"in"a"sort"of"

diary,"in"order"to"keep"track"of"the"passages"I"had"to"face"and"have"an"idea"of"the"direction"to"

follow52."

My"perspective"had"to"be"more"cinematic"than"related"to"game"development:"since"the"beginning"I"

figured"out"it"would"have"been"impossible"to"go"on"without"the"creation"of"a"storyboard.53"

Storyboards"and"shot"lists"are"very"much"used"in"cinema"in"order"to"avoid"mistakes"that"would"

create"discontinuity"between"the"scenes."In"my"video"game"the"risk"was"the"same"and"with"a"clear"

idea"of"how"every"scene"should"have"been"made,"certain"kind"of"mistakes"could"be"avoided."

The"storyboard"helped"me"not"only"with"the"progress"of"the"events,"but"above"all"it"helped"me"to"

figure"out"the"exact"disposition"of"objects"in"every"scene,"their"interactive/non1interactive"status,"

their"movements"and"changes."This"passage"is"extremely"important"in"a"game"in"stop1motion"

animation"because"interactive"objects"cannot"be"photographed"with"the"rest"of"the"scene"and"once"

an"object"is"photographed"in"the"environment"it"is"very"hard"to"take"it"away"or"move"it"in"a"different"

position."For"every"scene,"with"the"help"of"the"storyboard,"I"made"a"list"of"objects,"dividing"them"

according"to"their"interactivity"level.""

After"this"step,"all"the"objects"and"the"main"character"had"to"be"fabricated."For"the"character"I"used"

a"structure"of"metal"wire"to"make"an"armature"able"to"move"freely"and"at"the"same"time"to"give"a"

solid"base"to"the"puppet."I"covered"the"armature"with"polystyrene"on"the"“fixed”"parts"of"the"body,"

and"with"foam"on"the"joints.54"Both"the"materials"are"characterized"by"extreme"lightness"that"

ensures"the"not"excessive"weight"of"the"puppet."The"visible"parts"of"the"body"are"built"with"

plasticine"because"it"is"a"material"that"gives"a"feeling"of"roughness"and"incompleteness."Plasticine"is"

very"ductile"but"at"the"same"time"it"is"weighty"and"with"a"tendency"to"melt"or"to"become"excessively"######################################## #####################

52 http://fuckyeahgamedesigner.tumblr.com 53 See Appendix G.#54 See Appendix H.

73"

soft"under"high"temperatures."I"had"many"difficulties"when"it"came"to"moving"the"character"under"

the"heat"produced"by"the"spotlight,"but"I"decided"the"aesthetic"of"the"character"was"really"important"

in"my"project,"so"the"texture"feeling"had"to"be"prioritized.(

According"to"Suzanne"Buchan:""

"

“We"can"also"understand"texture"in"a"literal"sense:"the"materials"from"which"

animated"figures"are"constructed"as"sculptural"objects"are"often"composed"of"

materials"that"are"not"what"we"would"expect"a"human"being"to"be"made"of,"but"

the"bits"and"pieces"are"familiar"to"us"from"our"own"forays"in"flea"markets"or"

stowed1away"boxes"in"the"attic."And"the"objects"often"embody"something"else.”"(Buchan,"

2011)"

"

The"puppet"is"characterized"this"way"by"a"plasticity"that"no"other"object"in"the"scene"has,"and"in"my"

vision"this"makes"it"more"“human”."

"

To"realize"all"the"different"objects"present"in"the"room"I"had"to"really"understand"materials"and"

their"properties."In"order"to"make"realistic"props"it"has"been"necessary"to"learn"a"bit"of"the"craft"art"

of"a"carpenter"and"of"a"seamstress."The"tasks"included"sawing"and"sanding"wood,"straw"chairs,"

painting,"gluing,"stuffing"pillows"and"sewing"blankets,"etc."

As"an"artist"I"established"a"really"close"relationship"with"every"object,"because"every"of"them"carries"

a"story,"a"failure,"a"second"trial."Cerys"Alonso"writes"in"his"paper:"

#

“The"critic"Peter"Dormer"describes"how"the"“experience"and"memories,"constituting"craft"

activity”"(Willcox"2007,"p."7)"provide"objects,"which"then"take"on"a"new"‘life’"once"they"have"

left"the"maker."They"form"part"of"the"owner’s"environment,"imbued"with"a"constant"

overlaying"of"narrative."The"story"of"the"maker"and"the"conception"of"the"piece"are"subsumed"

74"

over"time"by"the"account"of"how"they"came"to"be"owned,"where"they"are"placed"in"the"house"

or"worn"on"the"body"and"chips,"scratches"and"wear"through"repetition"of"use.”"(Alonso,"2010)"

"

Every"single"part"I"handcrafted"in"this"video"game"should"be"enriched"by"the"emotions"embedded"in"

it,"helping"the"player"empathizing"and"feel"embodied"with"it."

Another"important"part"of"the"project"was"the"photo"shoot."I"placed"the"camera"in"order"to"have"the"

right"angle"to"see"in"perspective"all"the"elements"of"the"scene."At"the"same"time"I"tried"not"to"use"too"

much"a"view"from"above."Indeed,"that"kind"of"view"would"have"given"the"idea"of"a"dollhouse"and"

placed"the"player"in"sort"of"“creator”"point"of"view,"while"I"wanted"the"player"to"empathize"with"the"

main"character.55"When"the"camera"found"its"position"it"was"time"to"build"proper"scene"lighting."In"

the"original"Van"Gogh’s"painting"of"his"bedroom56"we"cannot"understand"where"the"light"comes"

from"since"there"is"total"absence"of"shadows."The"only"visible"source"of"light"is"the"window"from"

which"a"green1yellow"daylight"seems"to"spark"behind"closed"blinds."This"light"does"not"irradiate"

through"the"room"but"it"is"only"perceivable"on"the"surface"of"the"window."I"tried"to"achieve"the"

same"effect"by"pointing"a"small"table"lamp"behind"the"window"in"the"model"of"the"room,"properly"

obscured"by"colored"filters."I"lit"the"rest"of"the"model"with"a"spot"lamp"simulating"the"daylight"

(temperature"of"5600"kelvin)."Like"in"the"painting,"in"the"model"there"is"no"recognizable"or"rational"

source"of"light."The"walls"and"the"floor"were"shot"alone,"and"all"the"other"objects"were"added"later."

This"choice"takes"away"some"realism"but"it"is"necessary"to"the"functionality"of"the"game."If"the"

objects"are"in"the"same"photograph,"the"software57"would"read"the"image"as"a"whole"2D"

background"and"the"character"cannot"pass"in"front"or"behind"the"objects."In"this"case"I"had"to"accept"

the"compromise"between"the"necessities"derived"from"interactivity"and"the"aesthetic"of"the"game.""

######################################## #####################

55 See Appendix I. 56 See Appendix D. #57 In this case Unity.

75"

When"assembling"the"objects"of"the"environment"in"the"digital"space,"many"problems"with"lights"

and"perspective"were"found."Differently"from"games"made"with"CG,"in"my"project"it"was"not"

possible"to"“adjust”"those"elements"with"the"use"of"software."I"do"believe"those"kind"of"

compromises"are"for"sure"limiting"the"design"of"the"game"in"many"ways."On"the"other"hand,"the"

sense"of"embodiment"the"artist"(and"consequently"the"player)"earns"with"the"use"of"stop1motion"

animation"is"worth"the"limitations."The"creators"of"The"Neverhood"said"in"an"interview:""

"

“The"main"challenge"of"working"in"clay"and"other"physical"materials"is"the"sheer"cost"of"

creating"all"the"game"assets"in"terms"of"time,"materials"and"effort."Simply"put,"you"have"to"

build"everything,"and"because"everything"is"a"real"object,"you"are"subject"to"the"laws"of"

physics."When"you"work"in"CG,"the"more"traditional"route"in"game"development,"all"of"your"

assets"are"virtual,"and"as"a"result"are"much"easier"to"iterate"and"you"can"cheat"real"world"

physics"whenever"it"makes"your"life"easier."There"is"no"«undo»"button"when"working"with"

real"objects!"However,"we"believe"the"aesthetic"advantages"of"working"in"stop"motion"make"it"

worth"the"extra"effort.”58"

"

The"creation"of"this"game"involved"many"trials"and"involved"a"very"significant"amount"of"time"that"

may"have"been"reduced"with"the"use"of"CG."Nevertheless"if"I"had"followed"that"path,"I"would"have"

not"achieved"the"same"empathy"I"feel"now"with"my"work.""

Also"during"the"ideation"of"the"soundtrack"I"tried"to"be"as"present"as"possible."I"did"not"create"the"

soundtrack"since"I"do"not"have"the"skills"to"compose"music,"but"in"my"opinion"the"soundtrack"is"a"

######################################## #####################

58 http://gamestar.ru/english/armikrog_interview_eng.html

#

76"

very"important"part"that"allows"amplifying"the"sensation"of"empathy,"contributing"to"the"

foundation"of"a"specific"mood.""

I"hope"to"communicate"this"empathy"to"the"players"and"let"them"feel"a"grasp"something"of"Van"

Gogh’s"sensibility."For"this"reason"I"tried"to"work"in"very"strict"contact"with"the"composer,"

reviewing"every"small"change"and"following"the"process."I"tried"to"have"warm"music,"characterized"

by"chord"instruments"and"home"recordings,"leaving"computer1generated"sounds"out"of"it."

#

Outcome

"

For"this"thesis"I"realized"a"sort"of"Demo"of"the"game"with"the"introductory"part"and"two"paintings"in"

which"the"player"can"enter."In"the"timeframe"I"had"it"was"of"course"not"possible"to"complete"the"

game,"but"only"to"give"a"hint"about"the"aesthetic"and"gameplay.""

During"the"realization"of"the"project"I"had"to"face"many"issues"and"give"up"on"various"ideas."The"

constraints"derived"from"the"use"of"stop1motion"animation"limited"my"possibilities"and"directions,"

forcing"me"to"take"practical"decisions"over"imaginative"ones."I"do"not"see"the"compromises"I"had"to"

make"as"necessarily"bad."Already"during"my"Bachelor’s"programme"I"understood"how"sometimes"

the"director"has"to"cut"scenes"he"is"extremely"affectionate"to,"in"order"not"to"bore"or"confuse"the"

audience."In"this"case"I"had"to"do"the"same:"sacrifice"some"ideas"I"was"really"affectionate"to,"in"order"

to"save"what"was"really"important"and"irreplaceable."In"my"opinion"this"mandatory"process"has"the"

advantage"of"taking"away"everything"is"unnecessary,"making"it"simpler"for"the"players"to"

understand"the"game"and"for"the"creator"to"refine"his"message.""

Many"things"could"have"been"done"in"half"of"the"time"they"actually"took"to"be"done."As"I"said"before,"

I"had"to"learn"many"new"skills"and"to"re1do"things"countless"times."This"is"a"very"valuable"

characteristic"of"the"physical"world;"when"there"are"mistakes"there"is"no"way"to"go"back"to"the"

77"

previous"version"saved"in"another"file,"or"to"just"save"something"in"a"different"format."In"my"opinion"

it"is"a"quality"and"not"a"defect:"it"requires"the"creator"to"think"before"doing"and"to"have"a"strong"

mental"presence."This"particular"aspect"could"be"another"reason"behind"the"feeling"of"embodiment"

between"the"artist"and"the"work,"since"he/she"cannot"be"distracted"while"a"task"is"being"done:"

therefore"the"designer"stays"focused"on"his"process"and"puts"every"thought"in"it."

The"final"product"is"not"perfectly"polished"and"it"presents"some"flaws"in"terms"of"details,"especially"

in"sound"design"but"also"programming"issues."Nevertheless"it"is"perfectly"able"to"show"the"goal"I"

wanted"to"reach"with"this"project."Ever"Yours,"Vincent"is"a"game"that"makes"of"imperfections"its"

strength"and"that"communicates"vital"force"precisely"because"it"is"not"perfected,"it"is"human."It"

carries"the"imprint"of"the"artist"inside"the"materials"that"compose"the"scenes."As"the"creator,"I"do"

not"feel"detached"or"unrelated"to"my"work"even"if"it"is"only"a"small"part"of"what"I"had"in"mind."It"is"

deeply"connected"to"my"person"because"there"is"the"sign"left"by"my"body."This"work"feels"like"a"

detached"and"remote"part"of"myself"capable"of"taking"a"different"shape,"the"shape"of"a"video"game,"

in"order"to"convey"my"feelings"toward"Van"Gogh’s"paintings"and"life.""

#

78"

Conclusion(

#

“It*is*our*goal*to*bring*persons*“into*contact”*with*the*world,**

with*each*other*and*themselves.*We*are*therefore*on*the*track*of**

man’s*lost*senses*in*a*bid*to*restore*these*with*the*aid*of*technology.”*

Monical*Fluschman*and*Wolfgang*Straus,*1998*

#

#

At"the"beginning"of"my"research"there"was"a"discomfort"caused"by"the"impossibility"to"engage"with"

my"work"while"creating"art"for"video"games."Having"tried"in"my"past"experience"a"higher"sense"of"

connection"while"working"with"raw"materials,"I"individuated"the"source"of"this"problem"in"CG."As"

we’ve"seen"Tereza"Stehlíková"in"her"paper"underlines"the"same"frustration"when"using"CGI"and"

affirms:""

"

“I"was"longing"to"touch"the"subject,"which"was"hiding"behind"the"impenetrable"screen"of"the"

computer:"to"grasp"it"and"mould"it"into"the"desired"shape,"to"make"my"imprint"on"it."The"

inability"to"do"so"led"to"work"which"felt"insipid,"distant,"disembodied,"uninvolved,"both"on"an"

emotional"and"visual"level.”"(Stehlíková,"2012)""

"

I"found"a"possibility"to"overcome"this"feeling"in"the"use"of"stop1motion"animation"and"handcrafted"

environments."Through"the"re1discover"of"tactility"and"the"use"of"haptic"visuality"it"has"been"

possible"to"instill"emotions"in"my"art"and"in"this"project"without"abandoning"video"games."At"the"

same"time"I"tried"to"create"something"that"1"through"the"physical"imprinting"of"my"thumbnails"on"

the"surface"of"the"matter"1"could"establish"a"relation"of"empathy"with"the"users."As"we"have"seen,"

touching"technologies"do"not"have"the"same"expressive"power"of"haptic"visuality:"while"tactile"

devices"directly"act"our"sense"of"touch,"haptic"visuality"relies"on"a"process"called"synesthesia"in"

79"

order"to"stimulate"analogical"associations"and"touch"through"vision."

More"than"that,"the"technique"of"stop1motion"has"some"peculiarities"related"to"its"materiality"and"

its"capacity"to"make"“alive”"the"inanimate"objects."All"these"characteristics"reinforce"the"sympathy"

and"connection"between"audience"and"images.""

Haptic"visuality"is"a"successful"way"to"achieve"an"immersed"dialogue"that"goes"from"the"artist"to"the"

work"of"art"and"arrives"to"the"viewers."

Right"here"at"the"end"of"my"itinerary,"I"discovered"that"I"found"again"the"lost"intimacy"with"my"art,"

but"more"than"that"I"found"a"possible"path"to"gain"intimacy"with"the"world"through"technology"(and"

through"video"games"specifically)."

Marks"writes"that"any"representational"technology"can"be"more"or"less"symbolic"or"mimetic,"but"

she"believes"“that"in"our"uneven"global"emergence"from"literate"to"audiovisual"cultures"(see"

McLuhan"1962),"we"may"be"witnessing"a"gradual"return"to"more"mimetic"technologies:"

technologies"that"call"or"attempt"to"recreate,"our"pre1existing"sensuous"upon,"relationship"to"the"

world.”"(Marks,"2000,"p."215)"

"

While"being"immersed"in"this"project"I"began"to"be"immersed"in"the"world"a"lot"more"than"when"I"

was"standing"in"front"of"my"computer."It"is"not"only"because"I"was"touching"real"matter,"but"because"

I"had"to"observe,"experiment"and"interact"with"it."I"had"to"analyze"the"qualities"and"flaws"of"

materials,"and"try"to"combine"them"predicting"their"behavior."This"process"implied"the"combination"

on"the"interior"with"the"exterior,"a"continuous"conversation"between"the"subject"and"the"object,"an"

exchange"of"information"with"the"surrounding"world."

As"Graça"points"out,"the"body"of"the"animator"appears"as"a"place"between"an"“exterior"space"which"

is"internalised"and"an"internal"space"which"is"externalised,"as"the"intense"passage"between"that"

which"modifies"him"and"that"which"he"is"capable"of"expressing”."When"proclaiming"his"practice"as"

an"animation"d’observation,"the"author"physically"positions"his"look"and"his"gesture"in"the"physical"

world."(Graça,"2003)"

80"

#

Buck1Morss"(1989)"argues"that"the"image"is"the"language"of"the"dialogue,"overcoming"differences"of"

dialect"and"background."

Before"I"started"this"research"I"had"lost"the"dialogue"with"the"images"I"used"to"create"for"video"

games."During"the"process"I"learned"how"to"generate"a"new"communication"with"my"art"and"with"

the"users."I"claimed"the"need"of"a"new"form"of"visuality"in"video"games,"a"visuality"that"gets"closer"

and"does"not"move"away"from"the"user."This"new"visuality"can"be"reached"by"combining"the"

characteristics"of"haptic"visuality"with"the"natural"interactivity"of"video"games"in"what"I"called"new"

haptic."

"

The"mediation"of"senses"through"a"screen"sometimes"implies"individuality"and"distancing."Martha"

Langford"asks"in"her"book:""

#

“As"in"the"protest"where"the"unfamiliar"is"made"familiar"through"the"square"format"of"the"

camera,"the"cell"phone"and"the"video"camera"capture"experience"and"render"them"digestible,"

consumable."But"is"there"a"way"to"invert"this"relationship"1"to"(im)plant"community"and"

sensory"experience,"to"create"a"haptic"and"affective"visuality?"In"other"words,"is"there"a"way"

that"the"visual,"mediated"through"the"prosthetic,"represents"not"a"blindness"but"a"new"way"of"

seeing,"a"combination"that"can"be"called"post1photographic,"possibly"even"post1visual?”"

(Langford,"p."154)"

#

At"the"end"of"this"research"I"can"say"the"project"I"made"is"an"attempt"to"introduce"an"affective"

visuality"in"video"games,"embedding"the"integration"of"the"body"as"a"manifestation"of"intimate"

emotions."The"attempt"has"a"limit:"it"asks"to"both"the"artist"and"the"user"to"be"responsive,"to"be"

interested,"to"make"an"extra"effort"toward"the"images."""

"

81"

"

82"

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2008.#

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86"

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#

87"

Filmography(

"

Leckce#Faust#(Faust),"Dir."Jan"Švankmajer."Lucerna"Films"–"Beta,"1994."

Les"Grenouilles"qui"Demandent"un"Roi"(Frogland),"Dir."Ladislas"Starevich."1922."

Miest"Kinomatograficheskovo"Operatora"(The"Cameraman’s"Revenge),"Dir."Ladislas"Starevich."

Divisa"Ediciones"(1995),"1911."

Možnosti#dialogu#(Dimensions#of#Dialogue),"Dir."Jan"Švankmajer."Raro"Video"(2009),"1982.#

Street#Of#Crocodiles,"Dir."Quay"Brothers."British"Film"Institute"(BFI),"1986."

The#Piano,"Dir."Jane"Campion."Miramax"Films,"1993."

Tma/Svetlo/Tma#(DarknessNLightNDarkness),"Dir."Jan"Švankmajer."First"Run"Features"(2000),"1990."

Two#Or#Three#Things#I#know#About#Her,"Dir."Jean1Luc"Godard.""New"Yorker"Films,"1967."

##

"

"

88"

List(of(Works(

Monet,"Claude.""Impression,#Sunrise,"1872."Musée"Marmottan1Claude"Monet,"Paris."

Van"Gogh,"Vincent.#Bedroom#in#Arles#(first#version),"1888."Van"Gogh"Museum,"Amsterdam."

Van"Gogh,"Vincent."Café#Terrace#at#Night,"1888."Kroller1Muller"Museum,"Otterlo.#

Van"Gogh,"Vincent."Sorrowing#Old#Man#(At#Eternity’s#Gate),"1890."Kroller1Muller"Museum,"Otterlo."

"

"

"

#

"

89"

Ludography(

"

"

LittleBigPlanet,"Sony"Computer"Entertainment,"2008"

Lume,#State#of#Play,#2012#

Tearaway,#Sony#Computer#Entertainment,#2013#

The#Dream#Machine,#Cockroach#Inc.,#2013Nongoing,##

The#Neverhood,#DreamWorks#Interactive,#1996.#

"

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"

90"

APPEDICES"

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APPENDIX(A(

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APPENDIX(B(

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93"

APPENDIX(C(

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94"

APPENDIX(D(

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96"

APPENDIX(E(#

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97"

APPENDIX(F(#

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98"

( APPENDIX(G( (

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99"

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100"

APPENDIX(H(

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101"

APPENDIX(I(

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102"

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