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Einfühlung and Abstraction in the Moving Image: Historical and Contemporary Reflections

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 July 2012

Robin Curtis
Robin Curtis*
Affiliation:
Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf E-mail: robin.curtis@t-online.de
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Argument

Despite the fact that “empathy” is often simply used as a translation of Einfühlung, the two terms have distinct meanings and distinct disciplinary affiliations. This text considers the manner in which the moving image (whether within a film, video, or art installation) invites spatial forms of engagement akin to those described both by historical accounts of Einfühlung, a form of engagement that pertains not only to the activities of humans represented within images, but also to the aesthetic qualities of images in a more abstract sense and to the forms to be found there.

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Type
Research Article
Information
Science in Context , Volume 25 , Issue 3: The Varieties of Empathy in Science, Art, and History , September 2012 , pp. 425 - 446
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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