Digital technology has heightened the perception of the self and the awareness that the self is always mediated and re-constituted. When looking at a traditional painting, the viewer has the illusion of maintaining a critical distance with the object of representation and of contemplating an example of mimetic art. Yet, the act of painting itself is the expression of the individual's desire for self-representation and the identification of the viewer's gaze with the object of representation. The illusion of mimesis is the transparency of the represented object, and thus a perfect identification of subject/object while maintaining a clear distinction of the mutual boundaries. Furthermore, the invisibility of the narrator's body -both creator and viewer- allows for further distancing and creates a false assumption of disembodiment. But, as Jean-Francois Lyotard provocatively asked, "Can Thought Go on without a Body?"