Helping to put to rest the "Are Video Games Art?" debate
July 8, 2013 7:55 AM Subscribe
Animation artist Dan the Ad Man created this very cool visualization of video game characters as moving paths of abstract art in his piece Street Fighter Motion Sculptures. [via]
Brilliant stuff and oh man street fighter had some of the best chiptunes ever.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 8:05 AM on July 8, 2013
posted by Foci for Analysis at 8:05 AM on July 8, 2013
Eh, doesn't really do what it says on the tin.
But it's cool lookin'.
posted by papercake at 8:25 AM on July 8, 2013
But it's cool lookin'.
posted by papercake at 8:25 AM on July 8, 2013
This puts nothing to rest. Video games are art as much as any audiovisual craft that has intent and an audience.
The art of this is more the visualization treatment (point clouds, extruded shapes) based on body motion data, with very little to do with games, besides the inspiration (which is cool).
posted by hanoixan at 8:32 AM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
The art of this is more the visualization treatment (point clouds, extruded shapes) based on body motion data, with very little to do with games, besides the inspiration (which is cool).
posted by hanoixan at 8:32 AM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
This puts nothing to rest. Video games are art as much as any audiovisual craft that has intent and an audience.
unless somebody wants to subject them to serious cultural criticism in which case they are just fun and why do you have to be such a buzzkill
posted by mightygodking at 8:39 AM on July 8, 2013 [3 favorites]
unless somebody wants to subject them to serious cultural criticism in which case they are just fun and why do you have to be such a buzzkill
posted by mightygodking at 8:39 AM on July 8, 2013 [3 favorites]
Sorry folks, the title was meant to be flippant. But that kind of goofiness obviously doesn't translate to one line of text well, and I should have known better.
I simply meant that art can be derived from video games, which is akin to saying art can be derived from absolutely anything.
I apologize for the derail it may have caused, which might be a distraction from a fairly neat way of looking at an old game.
posted by quin at 8:41 AM on July 8, 2013 [5 favorites]
I simply meant that art can be derived from video games, which is akin to saying art can be derived from absolutely anything.
I apologize for the derail it may have caused, which might be a distraction from a fairly neat way of looking at an old game.
posted by quin at 8:41 AM on July 8, 2013 [5 favorites]
Video games are art as much as any audiovisual craft that has intent and an audience.
Exactly--much like, for instance, a McDonald's commercial. But that's not usually what people mean when they say video games are art.
posted by Sing Or Swim at 8:49 AM on July 8, 2013
Exactly--much like, for instance, a McDonald's commercial. But that's not usually what people mean when they say video games are art.
posted by Sing Or Swim at 8:49 AM on July 8, 2013
I'm sure Umberto Boccioni would approve.
So would Marcel Duchamp.
posted by 3.2.3 at 8:52 AM on July 8, 2013
So would Marcel Duchamp.
posted by 3.2.3 at 8:52 AM on July 8, 2013
But that's not usually what people mean when they say video games are art.
What they usually mean is, "STOP ROLLING YOUR EYES AT ME WHEN I TALK ABOUT VIDEO GAMES, MOM."
posted by straight at 8:56 AM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
What they usually mean is, "STOP ROLLING YOUR EYES AT ME WHEN I TALK ABOUT VIDEO GAMES, MOM."
posted by straight at 8:56 AM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
MoMa has 14 video games in their collection.. as previously noted
posted by snaparapans at 9:05 AM on July 8, 2013
posted by snaparapans at 9:05 AM on July 8, 2013
as seen before (first?) here and ripped off by major corp here.
posted by jonbro at 9:18 AM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by jonbro at 9:18 AM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
Nobody goes up to Lemmy and says, "well yes, your music is certainly exciting and keeps the kids off the street and such, but is it really art?" because he will threaten to jam screwdrivers in your kneecaps.
I don't think video game fans should do that of course, but it still seems relevant somehow.
posted by vanar sena at 9:18 AM on July 8, 2013
I don't think video game fans should do that of course, but it still seems relevant somehow.
posted by vanar sena at 9:18 AM on July 8, 2013
oops, shouldn't have put ripped off, I guess that was settled with a credit line eventually.
posted by jonbro at 9:21 AM on July 8, 2013
posted by jonbro at 9:21 AM on July 8, 2013
Oh god could we please not have the "are video games art" discussion right now? Mother has a headache.
So these are beautiful. I particularly like the aesthetic choices he made, like reducing the color palette, using a shiny texture, and the choices of when to extrude and persist vs when to let things disappear. Also confetti flies out of Chun-Li's panties; I'm not quite sure what that's about, but it made me laugh.
I'd really like to see physical objects of some of these forms.
posted by Nelson at 9:23 AM on July 8, 2013
So these are beautiful. I particularly like the aesthetic choices he made, like reducing the color palette, using a shiny texture, and the choices of when to extrude and persist vs when to let things disappear. Also confetti flies out of Chun-Li's panties; I'm not quite sure what that's about, but it made me laugh.
I'd really like to see physical objects of some of these forms.
posted by Nelson at 9:23 AM on July 8, 2013
[...] ripped off by major corp hereActually, it looks like they were both done by the same guy.
posted by barkingpumpkin at 10:33 AM on July 8, 2013
If you had asked me before I finished playing The Last of Us, I dont know how I would have answered. But now having played it, I am convinced that some games do transcend their format and are in fact Art.
The game is hugely involving, at times very moving and has several moments of real sublime beauty.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 11:33 AM on July 8, 2013
The game is hugely involving, at times very moving and has several moments of real sublime beauty.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 11:33 AM on July 8, 2013
No "hundred hand slap" by E. Honda? I woulds have thought that was a natural for this kinda thing.
posted by ShutterBun at 12:28 PM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by ShutterBun at 12:28 PM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
gggn
small a art yes, of course, why are you even asking
big A ART almost never, but barely anything is
ENDY FUCKEN STORY as my man begbie wid say
The videos are nice!
posted by Sebmojo at 2:32 PM on July 8, 2013
small a art yes, of course, why are you even asking
big A ART almost never, but barely anything is
ENDY FUCKEN STORY as my man begbie wid say
The videos are nice!
posted by Sebmojo at 2:32 PM on July 8, 2013
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