Acknowledgements. Preface. Part 1: Introduction. 1 Methodology and Structure of the Study. 2 Introductory Overview. Part 2: The Computer as a Creative Partner: The Early Developments of Computer Graphics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 3 Ivan E. Sutherland’s Sketchpad and the Birth of the "Universal" Computer Drawing. 4 Parallel Developments: The Computer in the Fine Arts and Design of the 1960s. 5 Steven A. Coons: A New Confluence between Man and Machine. Part 3: University of Utah: The Cradle of Contemporary 3D Computer Graphics. 6 A Common Goal: 3D Computer Graphics between Credibility and Realism. 7 Opacity, Light and Animation: A Strategy for Realizing the Common Goal. Part 4: Realism in US Visual Culture. 8 Pixar’s Realism: Edwin Catmull as a Bridge between Production Aesthetics and Visual Aesthetics. 9 The Tangibility of Things: Feeling and Precision in Painting. Part 5: Retrieving 3D Computer Graphics’ Lost "Context of Meaning". 10 Technological Progress and Image Practice in the United States. 11 On the Cultural-Historical Background of Synthetic Imaging. 12 Conclusion. 13 A Brief Outlook: What About AI? Figures. List of Films. Bibliography. Glossary. Index. Organizational Chart of the Historiography.
Biography
Carolin Scheler is a researcher in the fields of digital visual culture, media archaeology, and animation studies, currently planning a postdoctoral research project. Her educational background is in the practical field of 3D animation and cultural theory, which she studied at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hanover, Germany, and the Ohio State University, USA. From 2015 to 2018 she worked as a research assistant at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hanover in the Department of Media, Information, and Design. During the same period, she was also a research assistant at the Institute of Fine Arts and Art History at the University of Hildesheim, where she later earned her doctorate in the Department of Cultural Studies and Aesthetic Communication in 2022. As part of the Research Training Group ‘Aesthetic Practice’ her scholarly work was funded by the German Research Foundation in the years from 2019 to 2022. Since 2022, Carolin Scheler has been a lecturer in cultural theory at the University of the Arts Bremen in the Department of Art and Design. She has also been working as a lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hanover in the Department of Media, Information, and Design since 2018. At these universities, she teaches in the field of digital media studies, animation theory, art theory, humor theory, and academic writing as well as supervising BAs and MAs.
“The current excitement surrounding images generated by generative AI that look like photographs obscures the fact that there is an older and, for some time to come, arguably more important tradition: photorealistic computer graphics. Research in this field began as early as the 1960s. Scheler traces this development and, more importantly, embeds it in a cultural history of realism. This outstanding study makes a very important contribution to our understanding of today's digital visual culture and, at the same time, allows us to read the traditions that have shaped it. Ultimately, it also succeeds in providing a successful classification of AI-generated images.” --Jens Schröter, Chair for Media Studies, University of Bonn
"Computer graphics is a constantly evolving field, presenting new technical opportunities and challenges that demand attention. As such, it is rare to step back and reflect on how intentionality, philosophical perspectives, applied practice and visual culture influence its development, or to consider its broader cultural impact. However, this perspective is essential for recognizing emerging trends, fostering creativity and innovation, agency and collaboration, as well as allowing for more informed and ethically conscious decisions moving forward. As the field of computer graphics undergoes a significant transformation with the rise of machine learning and AI technologies, it is an opportune moment to reflect on how past contributors and practitioners have influenced technological development. Dr. Scheler is uniquely positioned to cast light on the dynamics of agency and cooperation in computer-based art and design, and offers a perspective rooted in the research goals and philosophies of those who pioneered the field. This insight should inspire originality and invite a deeper cultural reflection in future researchers in the fields of technology and cultural history alike." --Vita Berezina-Blackburn, Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design, The Ohio State University
