#medium specificity

[irfanhyder-dmss25]

Blogpost #2

Medium Specificity and Gesamtkunstwerk in Digital Character Sculpting:

Introduction

As a digital 3D character artist my practice is focused on sculpting characters in ZBrush. One of my projects personally was creating a digital sculpture of Bruce Banner in the moment of changing into the Hulk. This blog post is a reflection on that work using the concepts of medium specificity and Gesamtkunstwerk, in how my choice of tools influenced the result of the work, and if this project transcends the boundaries of one medium into a more integrated art experience.

Medium Specificity and Digital Sculpting

The concept of medium specificity is derived from modernist art theory and is best linked to Clement Greenberg. Greenberg believed it was true that each artistic medium possessed its own special qualities and that the best artworks tended to emphasize these properties rather than simply imitate other media (Greenberg, 1960). While these ideas were developed in relation to painting, they are still relevant to the analysis of contemporary digital practices. In my Hulk transformation sculpt ZBrush played an important part in the final result.The software is made expressly for digital sculpting, that allows artists to sculpt highly detailed anatomy, exaggerated forms, and continuous refinement. Because of these affordances, I chose to represent the transformation as a single frozen moment and not a full sequence of movement. This choice reflects a sculptural mindset where form, volume, and physical presence are prioritised over narrative progression. Digital sculpting also enables an iterative workflow that would be very difficult to have in traditional physical sculpture. Because of these affordances, I chose to represent the transformation as a single frozen moment and not a full sequence of movement. This flexibility enabled me to play with muscle definition, proportions and facial expression until the character was convincing. The sculpt also exists in the form of digital data, which means it can be rendered differently, animated or brought into a physical object through 3D printing. These possibilities signify how digital sculpture works with multiple contexts and yet still within its medium. If this work was created by using a different medium such as 2D illustration, the meaning and impact of the work would be vastly different. The sense of mass and depth that defines the Hulk character is closely tied to the three dimensional nature of digital sculpting, reinforcing the importance of medium specificity in my practice.

Presentation and the Idea of Gesamtkunstwerk

The digital sculpture was presented as a turntable video with lighting and sound. This brings up questions of Gesamtkunstwerk, which is most associated with Richard Wagner and his concept of "total work of art" (Wagner, 1993). Wagner used this idea to explain that artworks that incorporate various art forms like music, visual design, and performance into a unified whole. In my project, there are a number of elements, including sculptural form, lighting, camera movement, and sound. The addition of sound was a way to add atmosphere and emotional intensity, implying transformation in more than what the static sculpt alone could communicate. In this sense, the work goes a little beyond a purely visual object. However, critical discussions of Gesamtkunstwerk emphasise that true total works of art is based on a deep and essential integration between elements, rather than placing different media together. When viewed through the lens of this, my project is not a total artwork. The sculpt is static and the sound is supporting the visuals and not structurally essential. The experience is still mainly centred on visual form.

Expanding Beyond the Medium

If this project were to be further developed into a more complete Gesamtkunstwerk, it would have to include animation, cinematic camera work, and integrated sound design. Such changes would fundamentally change the work of a sculptural study to a time based media project based on duration, rhythm and narrative structure. While this might produce a more immersive experience, it would also cause a distraction away from fundamental sculptural qualities such as anatomy, surface detail and form. As Manovich (2001) has pointed out, digital convergence does not necessarily enhance artistic meaning, but can actually confuse the identity of a work by diluting what makes a particular medium effective. In this case, staying medium specific helps the sculpt to communicate their ideas about form, transformation and physicality more clearly.

Conclusion

Applying the concepts of medium specificity and Gesamtkunstwerk has helped me to better understand my own creative decisions. Rather than feeling that the lack of animation or interactivity is a limitation. I now appreciate that this is a conscious choice due to the inherent strengths of digital sculpting. The project is a success because it does what ZBrush is intended to do best. This reflection has also had an impact on how I approach future projects. I am now more aware of when the expansion of a work into multiple media makes sense, and when it is more effective to let a single medium define the boundaries of a work. Engaging with these theories has contributed towards the contextualisation of my practice around the broader conversation around digital art, media convergence and contemporary creative production.

References

Greenberg, C. (1960) ‘Modernist Painting’, Forum Lectures, Voice of America. Available at: https://www.yorku.ca/yamlau/readings/greenberg_modernistPainting.pdf Manovich, L 2001, The Language of New Media, MIT Press, Cambridge. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/herts/detail.action?docID=6246549#. Wagner, R. (1993) The Artwork of the Future and Other Works. Translated by W. A. Ellis. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. Available at: The Art-Work of the Future and Other Works - Richard Wagner - Google Books

[bhamrakunwar]

Why The Matrix Feels Like a Total Work of Art

Introduction

The first time I had seen The Matrix, it was 1999; I was blown away with how captivating and visually stimulating it was. It is not just a movie; innovative visuals, state-of-the-art action sequences, music, and philosophical storytelling combine in a way that feels much bigger than the sum of its parts.

This blog uses The Matrix to explore the ideas of medium specificity and gesamtkunstwerk-or "total work of art"-to show how this film's medium led to certain creative decisions and why the movie feels like a complete artistic experience.

"It's a film about reality, and at the same time, it changes how one looks upon cinema itself."

---

Medium Specificity: What Makes This Film Unique

Medium specificity is all about what a particular medium does best. In the case of The Matrix, cinema itself has a starring role:

* Visuals: The magic of film can be evoked through such means as 'bullet-time' photography, slow motion, and wire-fu choreography. * Cinematography: Framing, camera angles, and lighting establish a believable yet stylised world.

* Sound and music: The electronic score and sound effects heighten tension to reinforce the sci-fi aesthetic.

These creative choices were directly contingent on the medium of the film. A novel or stage play adaptation would be unable to capture these action set pieces and visual effects in quite the same way. A video game could give the audience interactive capabilities, but it would necessitate losing the tight control by the director over pacing, composition, and visual style.

"The medium isn't just a way to tell the story-it shapes how we feel it."

What is the relationship among actions, habits, and disposition?

Gesamtkunstwerk: A Total Work of Art?

A Gesamtkunstwerk is a work that brings together several art forms into one unified experience. The Matrix does so in the following ways: * Visual storytelling: Production design, the green-tinted "Matrix world," and costume go together to create a unified, identifying visual language. * Sound and music: Soundtrack and sound design enhance the visuals by focusing on tension, mood, and action.

* Philosophical narrative: A script that's intrigued by identity, freedom, and reality adds intellectual weight to the spectacle.

* Action: There are choreographed action scenes, especially in wire-fu and martial arts.

It weaves these elements into a whole that makes for an immersive experience, one where the story, visuals, sound, and action feel inseparable. For this reason, The Matrix is a total work of art: it coheres in such a way as to be intellectually and emotionally engaging, rather than simply visual excitement.

How Medium and Tools Shape Creative Choices

The medium of cinema allowed the Wachowskis to:

* Control timing and pacing precisely through editing - something impossible in theatre or literature.

* Employ special effects to bend reality with the now-famous bullet-time shots.

• The combination of music, visuals, and sound can emphasize the film’s themes.

If the story were adapted as a video game, virtual reality, or novel, the experience would be different:

* An audience might get physically involved in the action with a VR game but sacrifice the precision with which the director controls the visuals.

* Probably, a novel could delve more into the characters' minds, yet it couldn't replace such a sight.

"The tools used - cameras, effects, editing, and music - define what the story feels like."

Conclusion

Commentary Conclusion Through its complex mixture of visual, audio, narrative, and choreographic components, The Matrix has come to represent how cinema as a medium is in itself a Gesamtkunstwerk. With its medium specificity informing each creative decision-from camera angle to the choice of music-the film became a game-changer that still reverberates in media today. By contextualizing it through medium specificity and gesamtkunstwerk, it becomes clear that The Matrix is more than a science fiction story-it is a cohesive artistic vision that could not exist in the same capacity in another medium. “The Matrix isn’t just a film we watch — it’s a world we step into, and a story we feel.”

References

Warner Bros. (n.d.). The Matrix. Official movie page. https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/matrix warnerbros.com

Chatman, S. (1978). Story and Discourse: Narrative Structure in Fiction and Film. Cornell University Press. https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9780801491863/story-and-discourse/ cornellpress.cornell.edu

The Matrix (1999) – IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/ imdb.com

WhatIsTheMatrix.com – Matrix Universe. https://www.whatisthematrix.com/universe/

[selinasharmadigitalmedia]

Generative AI – Artistic Threat or Creative Tool?

Introduction

We have entered the age of AI (Artificial Intelligence) in the 2020s where we can generate artworks, music, designs and texts (Manovich and Arielli, 2024, p.10). This is changing the media, film and creative industries, reminiscent to the rise of CGI (Computer Generated Imagery). Artists are fearing the change that generative AI will bring to the creative industries, just as 2D artists feared the rise of CGI. Both demonstrate the artists’ ‘fear of the machine’ and ‘resistance to change’ (Lasseter, 1987, p.35). However, while there are similarities, it is important to note that the term ‘Computer Generated Imagery’ is a ‘misnomer’ as ‘the computer doesn’t generate the images’ (Lasseter cited in Wood, 2013, p.31). Generative AI, however, does.

Bolter discusses how AI can be used either as a tool for humans to use, or as a new medium itself (2023). This blog post examines how AI can be a tool for human creativity, rather than a medium to replace human creation. It will examine AI’s identity in medium specificity, the Gesamtkunstwerk, intertextuality, and authorship; and it will argue that AI should ultimately be a tool for creativity.

The following texts will inform the discussion: Motoarca, I.R. (2024) AI, Copyright, and Pseudo Art; Manovich, L. and Arielli, E. (2024) Artificial Aesthetics: Generative AI, Art and Visual Media; and Setabundhu, J. and Setabundhu, P. (2018) ‘Cathy Berberian in the Sea of the Uncanny: How Science Inspires Our Art’.

AI as a Medium

Medium specificity is the belief that art should be limited by medium to not distract a viewer. Lessing discussed this in his 1766 essay Laocoön, arguing that ‘painting and poetry should be like two just and friendly neighbours’ who cannot interfere with one another (2002, p.116). On the other hand, the Gesamtkunstwerk is about ‘gather[ing] up each branch of Art in its highest and most perfect expression’ (Wagner, 1849, p.17); in other words, combining artforms to encourage further immersion. Thinking about these concepts will inform if we should view generative AI as a medium itself or a tool.  

The first TV series in India to be made purely with AI imagery was released 25 October 2025. Mahabharat - Ek Dharmayudh (Levanya, 2025) uses AI as a medium itself rather than as a tool used in tandem with human creation (Figure 1). While this can be considered to be a revolutionary step in AI film-making, the audience reception suggests otherwise with a 1.3/10 score on IMDB. Many users commented on the series being 'AI Slop' and 'an insult to artists' (IMDB, no date). The main criticisms are the lifeless movements of the characters. Furthermore, the series relies on retelling the Hindu mythological tale of Mahabharat which is of common knowledge to Indian viewers, therefore they focus on the spectacle of AI rather than the narrative telling of the story and coherence (which the series lacks with unrelated images seemingly being edited together without intentional thought). The results of this series suggest that AI still has a long way to go before it can stand as its own medium.

Figure 1 - Mahabharat - Ek Dharmayudh (Levanya, 2025)

If we consider that AI is a medium itself, and if we followed the concept of medium specificity, this could make AI a threat to artists as it could be used as a means of replacing roles within a pipeline to cut costs and increase efficiency. Kay argues that a computer is a medium that can simulate details of other mediums, making it a metamedium (1984).  The same can be applied to AI art as it simulates other mediums through prompts and pixels. Anadol describes generating AI art as ‘[using] data as pigment’ (2020), suggesting how AI can be a medium itself. However, to consider AI art to be its own medium is ironic as it has trained on pre-existing art forms from all kinds of mediums, therefore it is not even medium specific in nature. Manovich critiques the medium specificity concept as no longer reflecting the actual functioning of culture, with AI being an example for this: “various cultural and technological developments have together rendered meaningless one of the key concepts of modern art – that of a medium” (2000, p.1).

As generative AI has an unorthodox algorithmic approach to art creating variants of pre-existing examples, which Manovich and Arielli call ‘computational mannerism’ (2024, p.10), one might argue that generative AI is a Gesamtkunstwerk. This is because it is an amalgamation of all types of art mediums that it has trained from. However, I would argue that it is not a Gesamtkunstwerk because generative AI lacks intention, a core belief of the Gesamtkunstwerk. Rather than making artistic choices to immerse a viewer, it is creating visuals based on patterns of existing styles which is ‘not creative at all’ (ibid.). Motoarca suggests that AI work should not be seen as art, but rather ‘pseudo art’ or ‘simulacra’ (2023-2024, p.500) as they are ‘a-contextual’ (ibid. p.515).

The algorithmic nature of generative AI is what Disney and Universal allege is a “bottomless pit of plagiarism” (Espiner et al, 2025). Midjourney has been caught generating intellectual properties of Disney and Universal, with characters such as Yoda (Frank Oz) from Star Wars (Irvin Kershner, 1980), Elsa (Idina Menzel) from Frozen (Chrick Buck and Jennifer Lee, 2013), and the Minions (Pierre Coffin) from Despicable Me (Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud) to name a few (Espiner et al, 2025). In Figure 2, we can see that Midjourney has accurately captured Yoda's likeness, as well as Star Wars' environments and lighting style. If a person had created this, it would clearly be plagiarism of a copyrighted characted. Therefore, if Midjourney have stolen from big corporations to train their AI, then it brings the question of ethics into AI as a medium if it has potentially trained off images that creators have not consented to. This reinforces the idea that generative AI is not creating anything new, but it is simply creating a pixelated collage based on patterns of pre-existing images and styles.

Figure 2 - Midjourney's output of the character Yoda from the IP Star Wars (Amidi, 2025)

While we can approach generative AI as being its own medium specifically, the results will be simulations of other mediums which counteract the idea of medium specificity. Furthermore, while it is tempting to dub generative AI as a Gesamtkunstwerk, the results are uninspired and computational, lacking originality and intentionality that is fundamental to the Gesamtkunstwerk. Therefore, we can conclude that generative AI should not be considered as a medium of art, nor should it be approached as one.

AI as a Tool

J. and P. Setabundhu argued that ‘creativity always works in tandem with technology and skills’ (2018, p.4). This supports the idea that AI is best used as a tool. Anadol’s argument that AI is ‘intelligent only as long as we collaborate with it’ (2020) further supports this. Just as a pencil can be a tool for a watercolour painting, or a pen can be a tool for a pencil drawing, we can consider generative AI to be a tool in our creative processes to use as a foundational point or to use within the finished product. This approach goes against medium specificity; instead, it adheres to the Gesamtkunstwerk concept, where multiple mediums and tools are utilised for an advanced viewing experience.

As Weibel suggests, mixing media can lead to ‘extraordinary major innovations in each of the media and in art’ (2012). This is why AI should not be disregarded as a tool, as it can be used in tandem with current pipelines to enhance art. This approach is supported by Arielli’s argument that ‘technology is the development of tools extending our reach and power’ (Manovich and Arielli, 2024, p.11). Many studios are starting to experiment with the new generative AI technology to adapt and evolve with it, using it as a tool in their own pipelines. Anton Thorne (Senior CG Artist) and Katie Eyre (Senior Motion Designer) from Dyson talked about this at the 2025 Adobe Substance Days, where they explained how AI is helping speed up creative workflows for artists. Additionally, Svet Lapcheva (Innovation Director and Executive Producer) from the studio Future Deluxe argued how artists should work with what is in front of them, not against it; and that artistic creation is a dialogue between humans and systems/AI, where artists maintain control while collaborating with systems for new and creative outputs (2025). This is why AI is a tool; not a hero of a story and not a solution (ibid.).

As well as being a tool for creation, it is also being used as a tool of intertextuality. As generative art is easily accessible through Chat GPT, Midjourney and Sora AI (to name a few), it has ‘unprecedentedly intensified the pluralisation of the authorial figure’ (Rizzi, 2024, p.116). Generative AI allows an audience to be interactive with an IP. This fan-centred co-creation is a major benefit for IP holders as they generate data for their IPs (Part 2: Staying in character: Transmedia storytelling & transmedia franchises, no date). This audience interactivity is reflective of an ever-evolving process of media objects as a result of technological shifts, from creation to distribution, reception and interaction (Rizzi, 2024, p.116). A recent example of this was the AI Ghibli trend on social media, where fans could generate themselves as characters in a Studio Ghibli movie style (Figure 3). Comparing Figure 3 to Studio Ghibli's Ponyo (Miyazaki, 2008) (Figure 4), we can see that the AI image has captured the likeness of the watercolour medium in Ghibli films as well as the character design style. Serbanescu and Nack argue that AI ‘supports human creativity, opening a new era of collaborative storytelling’ (2023, p.9). Intertextuality of generative AI supports this as fans impose their own narratives on their AI Ghibli characters. Furthermore, by having AI create the images in the same likeness of Ghibli's medium and style makes fans feel like they can be in the Ghibli universe.

Figure 3 - example of the AI Ghibli trend (Schlosser, 2025)

Figure 4 - Ponyo by Studio Ghibli (Miyazaki, 2008).

However, this is not without critique; an AI generative trend such as this goes against what Hayao Miyazaki himself and his films stand for, such as environmentalism and anti-globalisation (Bhatt, 2025). As a result, the trend is an example of unconscious intertextuality as the author is not in control of how his media is being used by audience members. Kristeva explains that every media is ‘under the jurisdiction of other discourses which impose a universe on it’ (cited in Culler, 1981, p.105), further highlighting how creators cannot fully control the content of their work and how it is transformed. Miyazaki himself deems AI “an insult to life itself” (cited in Bhatt, 2025). This highlights the complexity of intertextuality, where authorship and authorial intentions are disregarded in lieu of fan interactivity.

Serbanescu and Nack argue that, since generative AI is computational, it will be without bias; therefore, collaboration with AI will mitigate emotional discomfort in projects (2023, p.6). While this should make sense in theory, it is not the case. As generative AI has trained from artworks created by humans, it has the same systemic biases and prejudices as humans. Hill critiques AI for ‘systemically [obscuring] or distort[ing] the depiction of people of colour’ (2025). She explains that AI has a default assumption of whiteness in heroic or historical roles (ibid.) (Figure 5). It is important to be aware of the flaws and biases of generative AI if we plan to use it as a tool for creation to not reinforce stereotypes of marginalised groups.

Figure 5 - Ai Generated Imagery depicting a white man with euro-centric features for a protagonist character (Hill, 2025).

Linking back to medium specificity, this is why we should not consider AI to be a stand-alone medium as it can perpetuate discriminatory biases. Therefore, generative AI is best used as a tool for human creation so it can be viewed critically and manipulated intentionally to make a Gesamtkunstwerk.

Conclusion

How the creative industries will change with the evolution of generative AI is still something to be observed. What will affect its implementation is if we treat AI as a medium or a tool. We should not adopt a medium specific approach with it as it simulates an array of mediums, and it has trained from all mediums; therefore medium specificity cannot inherently apply to generative AI. We also should not consider it a Gesamtkunstwerk because it is a-contextual, working without intention and context.

Instead, generative AI should be utilised as a tool to maximise human creativity and create Gesamtkunstwerks. It can also be used as a tool for intertextuality, revolutionising audience interaction with media. However, it should be used critically and with care as generative AI is not without bias and discrimination.

In conclusion, generative AI is can be described as an amalgamate zombification and Frankenstein creation of art – thoughtless, unhuman, though not fully understood yet. It is unlikely to threaten artists’ livelihoods as it lacks creative thought, and it is not inventive. However, it is likely to be used in artists’ workflows as a tool of creativity. This encourages me to experiment with AI tools in my own work to examine how effective its use-cases can be.

Bibliography

Amidi, A. (2025) Disney, Universal Sue AI Generator Midjourney, Calling It "A Bottomless Pit Of Plagiarism’. Available at: https://www.cartoonbrew.com/law/disney-universal-sue-ai-generator-midjourney-calling-it-a-bottomless-pit-of-plagiarism-247796.html (Accessed: 31 October 2025).

Anadol,R. (2020) ‘Art in the Age of Machine Intelligence’. TED talk. Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/refik_anadol_art_in_the_age_of_machine_intelligence (Accessed 27 Oct 2025)

Bhatt, J. (2025) ‘Ghibli AI Trend: What Happens To Humans When We Let Artificial Intelligence Create Art?’, Medium, 29 March. Available at: https://medium.com/@Jia1303/ghibli-ai-trend-what-happens-to-humans-when-we-let-artificial-intelligence-create-art-2c672bd62769 (Accessed: 31 October 2025).

Bolter, J.D. (2023) ‘AI Generative Art as Algorithmic Remediation’, IMAGE: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Image Sciences, 37(1), pp. 195–207. Available at: https://mediarep.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/34b804d2-c446-4440-b8b8-e5b6af0370ac/content (Accessed: 27 October 2025).

Buck, C. and Lee, J. (2013) Frozen. [Film] USA: Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Coffin, P. and Renaud, C. (2010) Despicable Me. [Film] USA: Illumination Entertainment.

Culler, J. (1981) The Pursuit of Signs: Semiotics, Literature, Deconstruction. London: Routledge.

Espiner, B. et al. (2025) Artificial intelligence: Disney and Universal sue Midjourney over copyright, BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg5vjqdm1ypo (Accessed: 31 October 2025).

Hill, J.J. (2025) ‘Recreating Ezekiel Gillespie: Racial bias in AI art persists despite efforts to correct flawed algorithms’, Milwaukee Independent, 28 March. Available at: https://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/column/recreating-ezekiel-gillespie-racial-bias-ai-art-persists-despite-efforts-correct-flawed-algorithms/ (Accessed: 10 October 2025).

IMDb (no date) Mahabharat – Ek Dharmayudh. Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt38781492/ (Accessed: 6 January 2026).

Kay, A. (1984) “Computer Software,” Scientific American, 52.

Kershner, I. (1980) Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. [Film] USA: Lucasfilm Ltd.

Krauss, R. (2000) A Voyage on the North Sea: Art in the Age of the Post-Medium Condition. London: Thames & Hudson

Lapcheva, S. (2025) ‘Future Deluxe’, lecture presented at Mo:De, Raven­sbourne University London, London, 27 June 2025.

Lasseter, J. (1987). Principles of Traditional Animation Applied to 3D Computer Animation. [online] Available at: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/academic/class/15462 f14/www/lec_slides/Lesseter.pdf  [Accessed 22 October 2024].

Lessing, G.E. (2002) ‘Laocoön: An Essay on the Limits of Painting and Poetry (1766)’, in J.M. Bernstein (ed.) Classic and Romantic German Aesthetics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Levanya (2025) Mahabharat – Ek Dharmayudh. [TV Series]. India: Jiostar.

Manovich, L. (2001) ‘Post‑media Aesthetics’, From White Cube to Cellspace: Image‑spaces in Modern Culture, [online PDF] Available at: https://manovich.net/content/04-projects/033-post-media-aesthetics/29_article_2001.pdf (Accessed: 27 October 2025).

Manovich, L. (2001) The Language of New Media. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Manovich, L. and Arielli, E. (2024) Artificial Aesthetics: Generative AI, Art and Visual Media. [online PDF] Available at: https://manovich.net/content/04-projects/178-artificial-aesthetics/manovich_and_arielli.artificial_aesthetics.all_chapters_final.pdf (Accessed: 28 October 2025).

MidJourney (2025) MidJourney, version 6. [AI image generation software] Available at: https://www.midjourney.com/

Miyazaki, H. (2008) Ponyo. [Film] Japan: Studio Ghibli.

Motoarca, I. R. (2023–2024) ‘AI, Copyright, and Pseudo Art’, Yale Journal of Law and Technology, 26, pp. 430–526.

OpenAI (2025) ChatGPT (GPT‑5 mini). [AI chatbot] Available at: https://chat.openai.com/

OpenAI (2024) Sora, version Sora 2. [AI video‑generation software] Available at: https://sora.chatgpt.com/

Part 2: Staying in character: Transmedia storytelling & transmedia franchises (no date). Available at: https://inworld.ai/blog/staying-in-character-transmedia-storytelling-and-ai-characters (Accessed: 27 October 2025).

Rizzi, B. G. (2024) ‘The networked author: Looking at contemporary authorship through postdigital comics’, Anglica (Warszawa), 33(2), pp. 115–141. doi: 10.7311/0860-5734.33.2.07.  

Schlosser, K. (2025) ‘Seattle engineer’s Ghibli-style image goes viral, and sparks some backlash over AI art’, GeekWire, 31 March. Available at: https://www.geekwire.com/2025/seattle-engineers-ghibli-style-image-goes-viral-and-sparks-some-backlash-over-ai-art/ (Accessed: 8 January 2026).

Serbanescu, A. and Nack, F. (2023) ‘Human-AI system co-creativity for building narrative worlds’, IASDR Conference Series [Preprint]. Available at: https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/iasdr/iasdr2023/fullpapers/76. (Accessed: 27 October 2025)

Setabundhu, J. and Setabundhu, P. (2018) ‘Cathy Berberian in the Sea of the Uncanny: How Science Inspires Our Art’, 2018 International Conference on Engineering, Applied Sciences, and Technology (ICEAST), Phuket, Thailand, 4–7 July 2018. Piscataway, NJ: IEEE, pp. 1–4. doi: 10.1109/ICEAST.2018.8434427.

Thorne, A. and Eyre, K. (2025) ‘Frameworks for Future-Proof Digital Twins’, lecture presented at Adobe Substance Days London, BAFTA Piccadilly, London, 9 October 2025.

Wagner, R. (1849). Art and Revolution.

Wagner, R. (1849) The Artwork of the Future.

Weibel, P. (2012) ‘The Post‑Media Condition’, Mute, 19 March. Available at: https://www.metamute.org/editorial/lab/post-media-condition (Accessed: 27 October 2025).

Wood, A. (2013). Talking About Maya. University of Kent [online]. Available from: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/37675/1/talkingaboutmaya.pdf [Accessed 22 October 2024].

[muqaddasaman]

Blog 2 – Gesamtkunstwerk: The Artistic Core of Video Games 

In this blog, I will explore the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk within the realm of video games and assess its influence on their success. Additionally, I will examine different video game designs and their artistic approaches, comparing the success of those that embrace a holistic design philosophy with those that remain committed to medium specificity. 

The success of any video game is primarily dependent upon a single factor and that is how immersed the video game can make its player feel as if he is playing the game. If a video game is capable of isolating a player from reality and successfully drops them into the narrative alongside the characters, then the game is considered to be a success. This idea resonates with Richard Wagner's concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, which describes a work of art that integrates multiple art forms (Wagner, 2001) to captivate its audience—something video games consistently strive to achieve. 

Over the past decade, video games have made monumental strides in bridging the gap between our real world and the virtual world. Cutting-edge graphics and realistic visual effects make us question our own reality, while music and sound further blur these lines. Techniques like photogrammetry and real-time facial capture, once primarily used for lifelike character models, are now being applied to entire virtual environments, creating a level of realism we've never seen before. Furthermore, music has also been utilized in even greater capacity, where once short soundtracks would be used to fill the void nowadays whole orchestras and music bands are hired to create everything from simple sound effects to bombastic music for key high moments.  

In addition to these advancements, many other creators are employing diverse artistic methods and techniques to convey their art to the users including different art-styles, unique game mechanics and even using interactive hardware to produce the desired effects. All following Richard Wagnar’s idea that no one rich faculty of the separate arts will remain unused in the Gesamtkunstwerk of the Future (Wagner and William Ashton Ellis, 1994) proving once again the importance of Gesamtkunstwerk in video game design and development. 

One of my favorite examples of such a game is “Nier Automata” (2017), by PlatinumGames, that utilizes all the different art techniques and methods to not only to draw the players into the world but to also successfully convey the narrative that the creator so intricately formed. As its designer Takahisa Taura mentioned that the success of the game itself could largely be attributed to the fluidity of the art style and game mechanics that could evolve to suit the situation. From seamlessly blending 2D and 3D game art styles to utilizing the player’s actions and playstyle to change the world itself, the game masterfully makes the player question his actions, just as the creator had intended. 

It is not an easy task to achieve a level of immersion that makes the players question their personal decisions and actions in a make-believe world which, technically, does not even exist. Yet it's the utilization of all the different art forms and techniques that a piece of software can not only make you forget your surroundings but also ponder over your own decisions (Granic, Lobel and Engels, 2014).

In contrast, a 'pure' game, striving for medium specificity, reveals a clear difference not only in player immersion but also in their emotional response and engagement with the game. A prime example of this is the visual novel genre, which relies on static character models and text to convey its narrative. Players are often given the freedom to choose their adventure from a predetermined set of choices that lead to one of many pre-made endings. While this genre offers a unique approach, it has struggled to gain mainstream popularity, often serving as an introductory tool for aspiring game developers, utilized in risk-prone projects or as a medium for creators with limited time, skill, or budget. Very rarely do we see success in this genre and often that is attributed to a gimmick or mechanic that draws the curiosity of its fans. 

Personally, I view video games as an amalgamation of various art styles and mechanics that come together to stimulate the senses and emotions. It’s easy to see Gesamtkunstwerk—the combination of different art forms—as the true backbone of successful video games. While it’s certainly possible to create games that adhere to medium specificity and strive for purity, I believe doing so is akin to denying a game’s full potential. Unless a particular game demands such restraint, I would argue that it's unnecessary. Instead, I would always aim to achieve the perfect blend of arts to create something truly extraordinary. 

Sources 

Gamerant ed., (2016). Quantum Break is Biggest Selling, New Microsoft Studios IP in Current Generation. Available at: https://gamerant.com/quantum-break-best-selling-property-503/ [Accessed 16 Oct. 2024]. 

Granic, I., Lobel, A. and Engels, R.C.M.E. (2014). The benefits of playing video games. American Psychologist, [online] 69(1), pp.66–78. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034857. 

Wagner, R. and William Ashton Ellis (1994). The art-work of the future and other works. Lincoln, London: University of Nebraska Press. 

Wikipedia Contributors (2024). Gesamtkunstwerk. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gesamtkunstwerk#Arts_and_Crafts_movement [Accessed 16 Oct. 2024]. 

[realrosefenny-blog]

Medium Specificity: Visual Art! It is similar to a picture in that it's a still image. But visual art doesn't have to exist in real life in order to exist on paper. The only limitations are the artist's imagination and skills! Here's a penguin I sketched for my TMA 259 class.

[realrosefenny-blog]

Medium Specificity: Pictures! Pictures capture a single moment. Pictures have changed in the past few years as selfies and social media have emerged. Nowadays, we capture a lot of our lives on camera. Social media audiences have shifted mostly from text to pictures. This is evidenced in users choosing to ditch Facebook- a typically text-centered platform- to Instagram, a picture- and video-centered platform. These little moments can give you a glimpse into the existence of other things or the lives of other people. Here’s a glimpse into my life in 2015, exclusively through selfies. 

[realrosefenny-blog]

Journal Entry March 16, 2016

Medium Specificity: Another type of medium is simply text. It is typically considered to be more scholarly. It has been around for hundreds of years. I utilize this medium in my journal. Here’s an entry I wrote down from March 16, 2016:

I saw The Taste of Sunrise, an ASL play, in the Margetts today and it was so. Amazing. WOW I just want to learn all the ASL now!

We talked to the guy who played the main character afterwards and he was so sweet! He gave us all “finger hugs” and said thank you for coming and that he couldn’t wait to take all of his makeup off haha.

Grateful for today:

1. My sister Srm. She is just trying to figure out life and how I wish I could be there for her! I love my young Srm!

2. Mandarin Wilcox. She is TOO FUNNY FOR THIS WORLD I can’t handle her!

3. Mandarin’s roommate Belle. She is smart!

4. Leah (I can’t remember her last name- I think Brandt?). I got to talk to her before Taste of Sunrise and she is fun to talk to!

5. Bring It On the musical. It is so dang SWAGGY.