Artwork Collection

Cybernetic Lovers

Cybernetics, the study of systems that are structured utilizing feedback and continuous communication, provides a framework within video games to dissect how female characters are constructed and circulated. Examining video games from 1990 to 2015, I explore the ongoing oversexualization, and voyeuristic framing of female characters. Through painting and layering visuals, the subject shifts, revealing a representation generated through ongoing cycles of viewing and consumption.

Painting

01 Nuderaider

A popular icon and the titular character of the Tomb Raider franchise, Lara Croft is speculated to be able to undress within game if a sequence of moves is performed correctly. A conspiracy turning out to be false, fans of the game responded by... More

Painting

02 Sherry, patient

A chapter in Resident Evil 6 consists of the protagonist Sherry being depicted in an over exposing hospital gown, digested through overhead camera angles. The scene’s insistence on being read as sexual is reinforced through the attentiveness in how... More

Painting

03 Quiet

Quiet, named for her muteness throughout most of the game, is dressed in an overexposing bikini within an otherwise militarized setting, emphasizing the choice that her characterization was not intended to serve practicality, but instead a gaze.... More

Painting

04 Ashley

Ashley, inspired by the non-playable character within Resident Evil 4. I express a quiet sense of longing and sadness for the way the character was originally constructed and received. Ashley functions as the central objective of the game, yet... More

Painting

05 Jill

Jill, referencing a character from the franchise Resident Evil, takes on a satirical tone. The painting reflects the exaggerated excitement and praise that often occurs when a female character is portrayed as more realistic, less sexualized, and... More

Painting

06 Lara

Tomb Raiders Lara Croft returns the player's gaze. Through overlays of cameras, eyes and bodies, it's hard to pinpoint just one singular look. There is a known feeling of being watched, which is the beginning of something shifting throughout the... More

Painting

07 Mona

Mona, a character from Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, embodies the classic femme fatale archetype. Positioned as both powerful and seductive, she often uses her sexuality strategically, taking control over the situations she enters. Through... More

Painting

08 Enkindle

This work reflects on games such as Dark Souls III, where players are able to choose the gender of their character and customize their appearance. This feature can create a space where women are able to play as characters that reflect their own... More

Painting

09 Watcher

The masked characters of the Abyss Watchers in Dark Souls III can be read as camouflaged bodies that resist a fixed identity. A total concealment of the body and face allows the possibility of a projection of character, as the player imposes their... More

Work by

Gabriella Gerbasi

Drawing and Painting

“Cybernetics, the study of systems that are structured utilizing feedback and continuous communication, provides a framework within video games to dissect how female characters are constructed and...” [More]