Animation and the Powers of Plasticity

Abstract

This article studies the notion of plasticity that Sergei Eisenstein identified as key to the practice of animation. But rather than approaching plasticity only in aesthetic terms, the article extends its meaning to consider animated figures’ power over their beholders. By looking at both historical and contemporary case studies, from Athanasius Kircher’s experiments in the 17th century to present-day virtual reality applications developed by the US military, the author seeks to understand the transformative potential of animation with regard to psychic life, and how this potential has been turned into a practice of power.