Game Art: Susy Oliveira's sculptures
Susy Oliveira, "Time is never wasted", 2006, c-prints and foamcore, 144 x 58 x 15 inches (Images courtesy of the artist)
Susy Oliveira's artwork is not directly inspired by videogames. Moreover, the Canadian artist does not use digital entertainment as a means of expression, as a subject or even as a pretest. However, several of her sculptures - especially "Time is Never Wasted" (above) - display obvious game-like influences. In a pataphysical play of unintended correspondences, the sleeping/dead character evokes the look and poses of corpses in first-person shooters or simplistic 3D action games. The polygon-nature of these sculpture cannot but remind the gamer in all of us of the outcome of our expeditions in virtual domains. Additionally, one is inevitably reminded of Brody Condon's seminal "650 Polygon John Carmack" (2004), "an appropriated portrait of Carmack from the game Quake III, CNC milled in polyurethane, and textured with hundreds of hand placed inket decals". Granted: Oliveira's foam sculptures have an higher-resolution, a higher polygon-count. But the connection is clear. And what if Oliveira's cadaver were a victim of Carmack's rage?
Brody Condon, "650 Polygon John Carmack" (2004), Version 2.0, CNC Milled Polyurethane, Archival Inkjet Prints 108cm x 56cm x 65cm, Edition of 1 + 1AP 650 (Image courtesy of the artist)
Related: Adri Wichert