Computers as Theatre, Second Edition

5. Design Heuristics

Most art forms characteristically involve representations of real-world phenomena. As Aristotle observed, art represents not what is, but a kind of thing that might be; environments, objects, situations, characters, and actions are represented within a wide range of deviation from real life. The degree and types of deviations are the result of the form, style, and purpose of the representation. In drama, only a few styles (predominantly of the last two centuries) venture far afield from representing characters, situations, and actions that are recognizably human or human-like. Likewise, non-representational styles in painting and sculpture are largely modern developments in Western culture. One reason for the preference for ...