From the automaton to the animation character: Evolution of representation systems and recognition of movement

Abstract

Throughout h istory, humans h ave b een i nterested in the phenomenon of movement and its connection to the illusion of life; different mechanisms and articulated systems have been built with the purpose of breathing life into inert beings. In this article, the movement quality of the creation act present in different sociocultural fields is reflected on in areas ranging from mysticism to technology. The starting point is the enigma of the anima (soul) and its connection to the creators-named performers (i.e., builder-operator, puppeteer, and animator)-and their creations-called "embodied avatars" (i.e., automaton, puppet, and animated character). The relationships of control- freedom and dependence-independence between the performer and their "embodied avatar" are analyzed, as well as the degree of acceptance that the audience shows when watching the creations that are reproduced through the diachronic device (mask-screen). The automaton's transition toward the animated character proves the evolution of representation systems and the recognition of movement.