Post Modern Art, The Age of Digital Entertainment
In 2011, the state of California sued the Electronic Merchants Association for the sale or rental of violent video games to minors (Brown). The case went up to the Supreme Court and they ruled in favor of the Electronic Merchants Association (Brown). The reason behind the ruling was of the protection of free speech from the first amendment (Brown). The Supreme Court also deemed that video games are art, because they are a form of expression (Brown).
Forest of Illusion, 1995 by Hisashi Nogami
from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
In 1995, Nintendo released Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. While many artists worked on the game, Hishashi Nogami was credited for the marker art style. I grew up playing this game, I consider it a masterpiece. The game has its own unique art style. I adore the living picture book art style.
The art elements I like about the Forest of Illusion is the line work, the shapes and the patterns. The line work is exquisite, each line is purposeful, and brings the shapes to life. I enjoy the patterns the most, especially the moving clouds in the background. I also like the patterns of the hills, how each hill has its own color, size and charming smile.
Nep-Enut by Hisashi Nogami, 1995
from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
In the gif above, the big blue water monster is called Nep-Enut (mariowiki.com). The bi-pedal dinosaur is called Yoshi and the baby is Mario. Nep-Enut is also present on the box art cover and he is the most iconic enemy from the game.
The art elements I like about Nep-Enut is the line work, it really draws attention to the foreground. I also enjoy the shapes, from Nep-Enut's fangs and his huge eye brows. The rhythm is incredible, from the waterfall in the background, the calm water in the fore ground, Yoshi's never ending march and Nep Enut's steady mouth breathing.
Chrono Trigger by Akira Toriyama, 1995
Chrono Trigger is a Role Playing Game, produced by Squaresoft and released for the Super Nintendo in 1995. Chrono Trigger is one of my favorite games, the sprite work for the game is incredible. The goal of the game is eliminate Lavos, which will destroy all life if he isn't stopped. You travel through time, all the way from the prehistoric era of dinosaurs to the future where robots have enslaved humanity. You gather up party members to have a climactic battle against Lavos.
The artist is Akira Toriyama, better known for Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. Akira has a real distinct anime style. The guy with the flaming sword is Chrono, the main protagonist. The lady is Marle, she is using her fire magic to imbue Chrono's sword. The frog's name is Glenn, a medieval knight who was transformed an anthropomorphic frog.
The art elements I like about Chrono trigger is the perspective, it gives a sense of depth between the characters and the background. I also like the contrast between the light background and all the characters. The proportion between the monster and Chrono gives a sense of action and danger.
Chrono Trigger by Akira Toriyama, 1995
The characters is what makes Chrono Trigger an amazing game. From left to right, Luca, Robo, Ayla, Chono, Marle and Frog. Each character is unique and interesting. The art elements I like is the contrast of light and dark, between the characters and the background. I also noticed the balance between ground and the sky. I also like the form of each character.
Bloodborne by Ryo Fujimaki, 2012 - 2015
The picture above is from the Playstation 4 title named Bloodborne. You play as a hunter in the city of Yarnham, fighting various monsters across the game. Bloodborne is heavily inspired by the Victorian-era, as noted by the architecture and the clothing of the hunter. The game's monsters were inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, who is best known for the Call of Cthulu (Matuleft) .
I really enjoy the pattern of the cobblestone road. The hue of the picture is really dark, it provides a sense of dread and unease. I also enjoy the sense of scale, between the hunter and giant clock tower in the foreground.
Bloodborne has lively, breathtaking and surreal environments. Bloodborne is one of my favorite video games because of the combat mechanics, scenery and the Victorian era architecture.
One art element I enjoy is the sense of scale from the massive castle in the background. The pointed tower have very intricate shape. The building and stairs have a rundown texture, like they have seen better days.
I chose Yoshi's Island, Chrono Trigger and Bloodborne because of their own art styles. I loved the story book aspect of Yoshi's Island, especially the lively backgrounds. What made me love Chrono Trigger was the characters, the artist Akira Toriyama made each character feel relatable and likeable. I also love the scenery of Bloodborne. I chose these games because I really enjoy the visual art style of each game.
One might proclaim that video games cannot be art. If a painting of a single red dot can sell for 86.9 million dollars, why can't a video game be art? Each game I showcased has charm, personality and style. The Smithsonian American Art Museum has an exhibit dedicated to video games,further proof that video games are art (americanart.si.edu). The art exhibit was to show the evolution of video games as an artistic medium (americanart.si.edu).
Bibliography
“The Art of Video Games.” Smithsonian American Art Museum, americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/games.
BROWN, GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA, ET AL. v. ENTERTAINMENT MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION ET AL. . 27 June 2011, www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/08-1448.pdf.
Super Mario Wiki. “Nep-Enut.” Super Mario Wiki, Super Mario Wiki, 3 Apr. 2021, www.mariowiki.com/Nep-Enut.
Matulef, Jeffrey. “How Bloodborne Honours the Legacy of H.P. Lovecraft.” Eurogamer.net, Eurogamer.net, 10 Apr. 2015, www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-04-10-how-bloodborne-honours-the-legacy-of-h-p-lovecraft.
Great choices, I really enjoyed learning about the video game art. I'm not a video game player, but i'm with you; video game artist are most definitely making art!! It takes a lot of imagination to make art alone, now an entire world, the imaginative creativeness that a person has to have to do this is amazing. I really like the art for the Yoshi game, it's so bright and playful. I really enjoy looking at the 2nd image of Bloodborne it's so interesting, I love how the artist makes the clouds and appearance of fog on the ground and all the details on the grass. fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI actually love how you brought video games into the conversation. A lot of people don't realize it, but it is truly a form of art and storytelling and it continues to evolve. Many people, both artists and coders, spend countless hours working on them to bring joy to thousands of people.
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