In light of the recent reading from Ian Bogost’s How To Do Things With Videogames, I wanted to address an issue discussed in class today. In the reading and in the In-Class Hosts’ presentations, the issue of whether or not video games are a form of art came up. I would like to take the time to agree with Brett Baker that contemporary society will soon come to accept video games as a form of art. Additionally, I found it useful that Brett used the analogies of impressionism and jazz to justify his opinion. Indeed, as computer-based art programs (such as Adobe PhotoShop) grow in demand, and as computer graphic design becomes increasingly important in the marketing and art worlds, it seems only logical that video games will soon follow suit. Also, video games will fit well into the evolving category of modern art that places an emphasis on interaction. Interactive art is an increasingly popular subgenre of modern art, and has been very successful among art consumers worldwide. The evolution of interactive art began with the Dada movement in the 1920s and gradually progressed to include a wider consumer base and greater use of technology. One such example is Wooden Mirrors, which uses cameras, a computer, and overhead lighting to reproduce an image on wooden pixels. The exhibit, currently at The Open University in the United Kingdom, requires that a subject stand in front of the “mirror” while their movements are captured by cameras and reproduced by the wooden pixels in real time. Going back to video games, once the technology has improved and the current generation of “digital natives” grows up, it is my opinion that video games will become a widely accepted form of interactive art, in which consumers will play an even greater role than they do today. Evolution is inevitable.
Wooden Mirrors: