From Illusion to Immersion

As "The Battle of the Sedan" was designed entirely as propaganda for public viewing, versus remaining secluded in the private collection of a wealthy patron, the influence of the government in shaping the message was paramount for both inception and execution. However, what is also interesting about the "Sedan" is the evolution of the mechanical techniques for constructing panoramas and the increased understanding of the physiological aspects of optical perception. 

          Represents the most pivotal point in the evolution of the panorama – the transition from the static world of painted representation to the electronically mediated world of computer-generated realities.  Brings into focus one of the most important transitions towards an immersive experience – Claude Monet’s rendition of water lilies. Monet’s concept was to immerse the viewer into the experience; thus, he chose to remove many of the standard references to perspective to permit the audience to view the water lilies – painted at approximately 15 feet wide and 7 feet tall - as if they were pond side. This approach forecast what would evolve to be "the union of stage and audience" ;  refers to as the eradication "of barriers with a multimedia work of art" . This reconceptualization between space and audience transitions towards the medium of film and the writings of Benjamin, Panofsky and Arnheim and their validation of the medium as embracing an aesthetic construct. It is this early convergence of technology and an aesthetic construct that begins to pave the way for the use of computer technologies as a representational medium. 



          That military applications fueled much of the early computer generated realities comes as no surprise; artistic journey into a realm where the known laws of the physical world become reconfigured and the viewer an integrated part of the artist’s work.  both emerging and established artists of the 1990s and their (re)combinations of multiple media that allow for not only an expressive approach but also a virtual reality unencumbered by the physicalities of gear. 
            Telepresence, in particular, reconfigures art from that of a stable artifact created by an artist to one that can be morphed by a viewer via the use of technology. In the world of art, removing the concept of privilege from the piece and placing it within the public sphere reflects strong postmodern influences. However, to radically reconstruct the role of spectator to that of co-creator changes the very nature of the creative process and our participation in it. Humans, though, are not the only agents of change within the sphere of technologically immersive art.  In looking at the future directions of the form, takes the reader towards considerations of the organic and artificial life form as shaping both the art form and the immersive experience.
          The transition from illusory to immersive mediums while highlighting major theoretical influences as a means of validation and explication for the art form. For those examining theories related to the visual or the literary, " in particular, exemplifies the very nature of postmodern deconstruction  - the ability to take apart and reconstruct objects to create new meaning. Brings to the fore Derrida’s ideologies with respect to reality and representation by presenting to the reader the work of artists who seek to achieve convergence between the experience and the medium.
         These ideas, when brought into a writing context, can lead to new methods of invention and enable both educators and students to challenge previously codified assumptions about composition. In a digital context particularly, The static text, once our only product from the writing process, now becomes more than a non-linear, hypertext creation; instead, a text, like an interactive art form, develops organically and reflects the mutable nature of the computer medium in conjunction with a diverse and changing authorship.