GAMESCENES

GAME ART: ÁDÁM VARGA'S TOMCAT - LEVELS 1-4 (2020-2024)

Ádám Varga's oeuvre represents a compelling convergence of video game aesthetics and contemporary art, skillfully navigating the realms of digital image manipulation, appropriation, and transformation. In his 2019 publication 1.5:10, Varga engages in a dialogue between the reproducibility of painting and the formal lexicon of video games. Through a process of digital editing and vector-based execution, Varga's work transcends traditional boundaries, offering a critical examination of the intersections between digital and physical art forms.

Varga's practice is deeply rooted in the visual and conceptual elements of early video games, as exemplified by his reinterpretation of the Tomcat video game levels. Tomcat: The F-14 Fighter Simulator (1988), which released for various platforms including DOS and the Commodore 64. A combat flight simulation that aimed to provide a realistic experience of piloting an F-14 Tomcat, the game had players engaging in dogfights, bombing runs, and various missions that tested their flying and combat skills.

Ádám Varga: Mapping, 2024, Vintage gallery, Courtesy of Vintage gallery, photo: Marcell Piti

These works, presented in enlarged and distorted vertical formats, evoke a cartographic perspective that parallels the player's navigational experience within the game. Varga's manipulation of the pixel structure into elongated, rectangular forms creates a disorienting anamorphic effect, drawing attention to the inherent distortions in both digital and cartographic representations. This distortion, reminiscent of the challenges in projecting the spherical globe onto a flat map, underscores the paradoxes of visual accuracy and fidelity.

Ádám Varga, Tomcat – Level 2, 2024
acrylic on canvas, 185x145cm

The use of a foil cutting machine as a contemporary equivalent of the printing block exemplifies Varga's commitment to exploring the reproducibility of artistic processes. By manually assigning vector shapes to each image in Adobe Illustrator and subsequently utilizing these shapes in the painting process, Varga engages in a dialogue with the mechanical and the manual, the digital and the analog. The intricate, labor-intensive procedure of plotting and removing templates becomes a performative act of mapping, emphasizing the artist's intimate engagement with the visual terrain he constructs.

Ádám Varga, Tomcat – Level 3, 2024
acrylic on canvas, 185x145cm

Varga's conceptual framework is enriched by his references to Vilém Flusser's philosophy of scanning in photography. The process of mapping, both literal and metaphorical, becomes an exercise in attention and recognition, as the viewer's gaze traverses the image surface, piecing together abstract elements to form a coherent visual narrative. This act of "scanning" parallels the player's experience in video games, where the gradual revelation of the map mirrors the unfolding of the artwork's visual structure.

Ádám Varga, Tomcat – Level 2, 2024
acrylic on canvas, 185x145cm

Through his exploration of video game-inspired aesthetics, Varga challenges conventional notions of originality and reproduction, creating a body of work that is both a homage to and a critique of digital culture. His paintings, positioned at the nexus of art and technology, invite viewers to reconsider the ways in which we perceive and interact with images in an increasingly digitized world. Varga's practice exemplifies the enduring relevance and influence of video game aesthetics in contemporary art, offering a nuanced perspective on the possibilities of digital and analog hybridity.

Ádám Varga (b. 1995) pursued his painting studies at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts from 2014 to 2019, with a notable stint as a visiting student at the Art Academy of Latvia in Riga in 2017. His burgeoning career included an internship at the Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst in Leipzig in 2019. Varga's artistic excellence has been recognized through the prestigious Derkovits Scholarship, awarded to him from 2021 to 2024, and his shortlisting for the MODEM prize by the MODEM Center for Modern and Contemporary Art in Debrecen in 2022. Beyond his individual practice, he is an active member of PINCE, an artist-run space in Budapest, where he has contributed to numerous independent exhibitions and projects. Varga's work interrogates the intricate dynamics of production and reproduction in art. His diverse painting projects delve into the dialectical relationship between these concepts, highlighting the inherent contradictions and unresolved tensions. Central to his practice is an exploration of the neutrality of production processes, the impact of digitalization on painting, and the questioning of authenticity. His sources are varied, encompassing definitions, files, digital images, computer games, and diagrams. In recent years, Varga has incorporated the use of a plotter in his painting process, not only for its primary function but also for experimental purposes. This tool plays a crucial role in his examination of the nature of painting, allowing him to navigate a technical and conceptual spectrum that exposes the tension between the reproduced character of mass-produced products and the uniqueness of original artworks. His practice ultimately challenges and redefines the boundaries of painting, presenting a nuanced critique of production and originality in contemporary art.

LINK: Ádám Varga

GAME ART: KHALED MAKHSHOUSH'S PIXEL ART

Saudi artist Khaled Makhshoush, born in 1992 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is a paradigm of how digital innovation and traditional culture can intertwine to produce captivating art. Living and working in Riyadh, Makhshoush has carved out a distinctive niche for himself in the realm of digital art, particularly in the specialized field of pixel art. This form of art, which uses the pixel as its fundamental unit of composition, is rooted in the digital age’s visual lexicon, drawing inspiration from the early days of computer graphics and video gaming. We are talking the aesthetics of 16/32 bit console games here...

Khaled Makshoush

Makhshoush’s ongoing engagement with pixel art began in 2016, driven by a passion for video games, both playing and developing them. This interest not only ignited his creative expression but also informed the aesthetic and conceptual underpinnings of his work. As a self-taught artist, he leverages a combination of modern tools, including a drawing tablet, stylus, and mouse, to craft his atmospheric digital paintings. These tools become extensions of his vision, allowing him to meticulously piece together images pixel by pixel, creating vibrant and intricate scenes that bridge the gap between the digital and the natural world.

Khaled Makshoush

His artistic practice is a reflective exploration of the emotional resonance of places, both real and imagined. Makhshoush’s work is underpinned by a deep interest in the interplay between emotions and space, leading him to create evocative scenes that transcend mere representation. By basing his imaginary landscapes on real ones, he blends reality with imagination, offering viewers a gateway into his unique perception of the world. This approach not only showcases his technical skill but also highlights his ability to capture and convey the essence of a place through the lens of personal experience and emotional response.

Khaled Makshoush

The landscapes and urban scenes of Riyadh, with their rich history and rapid modern development, serve as a primary source of inspiration for Makhshoush. His art captures the dynamic spirit of Saudi Arabia, reflecting both its cultural heritage and its contemporary transformation. From serene deserts to bustling cityscapes, his pixel art reimagines familiar scenes through a personal and contemporary lens, making them resonate with viewers on multiple levels.

Khaled Makshoush

Makhshoush’s contribution to the art world extends beyond the aesthetic; it is a dialogue with the viewer about the significance of place and the universal experience of change. By documenting the evolving landscape of Riyadh and, by extension, Saudi Arabia on both Twitter, Instagram and a variety of other platforms, Makhshoush’s pixel art becomes a historical record of the present, capturing the essence of a society navigating the waters of tradition and modernity.

Born in 1992 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Khaled Makhshoush is a self-taught digital artist who specializes in pixel art, a visual expression from the digital world whose basic material is the physical representation of a pixel. When Makhshoush first began creating his pixel art in 2016, he saw it as a means of creative expression stemming from his interest in playing and developing video games. He uses a drawing tablet, a stylus, and a mouse to create his atmospheric digital paintings, which explore the relationship between emotions and space. Focusing on how the place feels, he bases his imaginary places on existing ones, blending reality and imagination, and inviting the viewers to experience his vision. Khaled Makhshoush lives and works in Riyadh.

LINK: Khaled Makhshoush

LINK: Khaled on Twitter/X

LINK: SuperRare

EVENT: DANIELLE UDOGARANYA'S SEEING ME, SEEING YOU, SEEING US (OCTOBER 18 - NOVEMBER 26 2023, BOLOGNA & RAVENNA, ITALY)

Danielle Udogaranya, Eden, 2023 © The Sims, EA Courtesy of the artist

Danielle Udogaranya. Seeing Me, Seeing You, Seeing us

October 18 - November 26 2023

Fondazione del Monte in Bologna and at Palazzo Paltroni in Ravenna

FOTO/INDUSTRIA VI BIENNIAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY ON INDUSTRY AND WORK

Bologna and Ravenna, Italy

 

Danielle Udogaranya, known as Ebonix, is a multifaceted content creator, gaming connoisseur, and 3D artist. Her artistic focus lies in portraying groups of faceless individuals, endowing them with a distinct identity. However, unlike her previous works that utilized in-game photography, Ebonix has embarked on a new journey, harnessing the power of digital avatars. What sets this exploration apart is the shift from the real world to the virtual domain, where stereotypes continue to manifest, paradoxically distinguishing between the 'norm' and the 'exception.' Ebonix's ingenious creations bridge this divide by crafting avatars that enable those belonging to marginalized or overlooked categories to finally see themselves represented within the gaming world. This visionary approach underscores the significance of activism and inclusivity not only within tangible society but also in its digital reproductions. In this virtual arena, battles are waged that extend far beyond the ephemeral, emphasizing the enduring impact of Ebonix's work.

Seeing Me, Seeing You, Seeing us takes place at Fondazione del Monte in Bologna and at Palazzo Paltroni in Ravenna, Italy during FOTO/INDUSTRIA.

Danielle Udogaranya (London, UK, 1991)—best known as Ebonix—is a content creator, DE&I Games Consultant and 3D artist. Fuelled by a frustration with the lack of diversity in The Sims 4, she decided to take matters into her own hands by teaching herself 3D modelling and creating hair, clothes and accessories that she felt represented her. Her content quickly led her working directly with The Sims on the addition of over 100 skintones and afro hair, ushering in a generational change for new Simmers. Through her content creation projects create space for black, POC, women, femmes and non-men, Udogaranya has since become an advocate for diversity and representation in gaming and has been featured on Apple, BBC, Vice, The Verge, The Guardian, and many more.

LINK: Danielle Udogaranya

LINK: Seeing Me, Seeing You, Seeing us

EVENT: LARRY ACHIAMPONG'S AND I SAW A NEW HEAVEN (MAY 4 - JUNE 17 2023, LONDON

Larry Achiampong, And I saw a new heaven. Photo credit: Reece Straw, Copperfield Gallery, 2023

 

Larry Achiampong

And I saw a new heaven

4 May - 17 June 2023

Copperfield Gallery

6 Copperfield Street
London SE1 0EP
info (at) copperfieldlondon . com
+44 (0) 7455 029002
+44 (0) 7845 594549​

Press release:

Referencing the unlikely trinity of HBO TV, video games and Christianity, the title drawn from dialogues from the game-turned-series The Last of Us and ultimately from the Bible encapsulates the references for Larry Achiampong’s second solo show at Copperfield. From computer games to church the cast of faces represented there has almost always been white. The already problematic status quo that church is high culture and gaming is low or pop culture breaks down here when one references the other, but the exhibition brings real game play for visitors into direct dialogue with Achiampong’s collaged paintings. 
 
“video games have had huge influence on my art work and the reality of their sophistication and cultural referencing is ignored by the rest of the creative sphere. It’s time for video games to take their place as context in the gallery while I work on my ultimate goal; a playable artwork. At its core gaming is storytelling, world building, fantasy, exploration and human culture in one”
 
What is missing still, trailing behind even film and TV, is minority representation in games. What scant references there have been to people of colour or the queer community for example have almost always been negative or derogatory with just one or two recent exceptions like Beyonetta. Why though when nearly half of game players in the US alone are people of colour? While the mechanics differ, this cause and effect of this uncomfortable fact can ultimately be connected to a similar peculiarity in religion.
 
Almost anywhere in the world touched by white missionary work, from the Philippines to Ghana, you can find congregations of colour surrounded by posters and imagery with an entirely white cast of God, Mary, Jesus, disciples and crew. The incongruity of a chalk white Jesus with his apparently middle eastern origins is hugely questionable, but in the context of countries that have been repressed by white western imperialism, the apparent perpetuation of these images by these congregations becomes even more unsettling. As a starting point for the works in the exhibition, Achiampong has selected a series of typical religious posters from Ghana to paint over. Their plethora of graphic and immediate imagery draws on a pastiche of dated advertising styles and, in turn, so does Achiampong’s response. While the Golliwog or minstrel show character is an uncomfortably recognisable icon of Britain and America's colonial past, the immediacy of this image when reduced here to an internet style avatar, belies its complex and often obscured history. Other more subtle painted edits and editions amplify the way in which these works question, disrupt and take ownership of these problematic legacies by obscuring parts of the posters. The frame on the face of each panel is custom made by hand by Larry in a nod to the idealised story of Christ as carpenter vs the realities faced by many undervalued manual work forces today. The framing style is comparable with the kind found in the humble places of worship Achiampong experienced as a child — grand in form but with no pretence of gilding or hiding the knots — in other words, strangely honest. 
 
Nearby, games like Bayonetta 2, The Binding of Isaac, and Blasphemous give context to the works for visitors through play. The Binding of Isaac was made in darkly humorous response to the game developers Catholic and Baptist upbringing which Achiampong’s childhood shares, and is loosely based on the Bible story of the same name, but has as much to say about childhood as organised religion. In their aesthetics and sounds, and references to literature and history, Blasphemous and Bayonetta 2 relate to Christianity – specifically, the Catholicism with which the artist grew up – and explore the problematic aspects of religion and blind Faith. An uncanny dialogue thus arises between these games and the artworks, from their use of racialised imagery, to that of language: Biblical commands, lifted from Latin; teachings from Psalms demanding control of the self under the guise of support. It is a question of independently analysing the instruction given to us by a ‘higher power’, of considering the self in the broader context of accepted traditions and behaviours.
 
It is the intro sequence from 2014 blockbuster game Bioshock Infinite that welcomes visitors to the exhibition. While part fantasy, the game draws on some of humanities darkest moments, and gives context to the kind of processes that have led to historic whitewashing across culture. The game is set in the fictional city of Columbia, founded by self-proclaimed prophet Zachary Comstock, and funded by the American government as a floating world's fair within the ideology of American exceptionalism. Worshipped as a prophet, Comstock has transformed the city into a theocratic police state, with the Founding Fathers of the United States venerated as religious icons. Play makes it clear that institutional racism and elitism are widespread in the city, with minorities serving as a labour underclass on the verge of rebellion.
Sound familiar?

 

LINK: And I Saw A New Heaven

LINK: Larry Achiampong

EVENT: WORLDBUILDING: VIDEO GAMES AND ART IN THE DIGITAL ERA (JUNE 10 2023 - JAN 15 2024, METZ, FRANCE)

Theo Triantafyllidis, Pastoral, 2019

 

Worldbuilding: Video Games And Art In The Digital Era

Centre Pompidou-Metz
1 Parvis des Droits de l'Homme
57020 Metz
France

Curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, artistic director at the Serpentine Gallery, London

press release

Certainly, this exhibit focuses on an activity worth reckoning with. In 2022, 3.03 billion people—more than a third of the world’s population—played video games. As Hans-Ulrich Obrist asserts, this hobby has become “the biggest mass phenomenon of our time. Many people spend hours every day in a parallel world and live a multitude of different lives. Video games are to the twenty-first century what movies were to the twentieth century and novels to the nineteenth century”. Around a hundred years ago, in his book Homo Ludens, the historian Johan Huizinga theorized that play is a basic drive of humankind. Bringing people together in new ways, he contends, play is the source of culture.

More recently, in his book Games: Agency as Art, C. Thi Nguyen argues that games, particularly video games, are a distinct type of art which “let us experience forms of agency we might not have discovered on our own”. As such, gaming has the potential to unleash powerful psychic forces. Video games have proven to be an effective tool for the development of training and strategy. Indeed, scientists have made good use of video games simulating biological systems to speculate on the possible origins and destination of life. Accordingly, video games as a digital art form offer a means for an existential quest beyond the embodied physical world and into the multiverse. By their very nature, they open the potential to imagine and build new worlds.

Several of the featured artists in the exhibit began making work that refers to video games as early as the 1980s while most of the others were just born around that time. For the works in this show, artists have addressed video games in various ways. Some have adapted their themes and visual style to make videos. Others have modified, hacked, and subverted existing video games. Finally, some have created their own video games. As Hans-Ulrich Obrist writes, “traditionally, video games were created by a small and insular group of people…producing games with a very limited perspective. This is now changing rapidly… Artists are increasingly developing the technical ability to create [their own] virtual worlds of diversity and inclusion”. Through these means, the artists are taking this format beyond pure entertainment value to probe social, political, and aesthetic questions. While video games have been the topic of numerous exhibitions in recent years, most of these highlighted their legitimacy as an artistic medium or focused on aspects of “game art”.

Worldbuilding is the first transgenerational, multinational show of this scope to examine how contemporary artists are appropriating the aesthetics and technology of gaming as their chosen form of expression. In so doing, this exhibit presents a plurality of voices and a multitude of perspectives.

With works by Peggy Ahwesh, Rebecca Allen, Cory Arcangel, Ed Atkins, Meriem Benanni, David Blandy & Larry Achiampong, Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, Ian Cheng, Cao Fei, Basmah Felemban, Ed Fornieles, Sarah Friend, Kim Heecheon, Institute of Queer Ecology, Rindon Johnson, Keiken, Lawrence Lek, Gabriel Massan, Lual Mayen, Sondra Perry, Jacolby Satterwhite, Frances Stark, Sturtevant, Theo Triantafyllidis, Suzanne Treister, Angela Washko, Lu Yang, among others.

LINK: Worldbuilding

See also

EVENT: THE ART OF PLAY (FROM OCTOBER 14 2022, SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND)

State of Play Games: Lumino City (Courtesy of State of Play Games)

The Art of Play

October 14 2022

Curated by Dr. Michael Pennington

National Videogame Museum
Castle House
Angel Street
Sheffield
S3 8LN England

 

The Art of Play, the latest exhibition at the marvelous National Video Game Museum in  Sheffield, UK, celebrates the impact of British game mechanics and aesthetics on visual culture by showcasing five indie games that changed game design forever. Among the artifacts on display are indie classics Monument Valley, Lumino City and No Longer Home alongside Worms 2 and Dizzy. The exhibition opens on October 14th in Sheffield but it's unclear when it will end.

press release

The Art of Play is a new exhibition at the National Videogame Museum. It takes you “behind the screens” to reveal the art, creativity and people behind five UK-made videogames. Emphasizing the handmade and traditional techniques used within games, The Art of Play focuses on the non-digital aspects which create the unique textures and moods seen on screen.

Art and Craft of Videogames

Developed through conversations with UK based games studios, the exhibit showcases drawings, notebooks and physical models. Video interviews with designers and artists also detail the concept development and inspiration behind the games.

Furthermore, featured case studies include award-winning contemporary games Monument Valley, Lumino City and No Longer Home. Classics like the Dizzy series and Yorkshire’s very own Worms are also part of the exhibition.

The Art of Play exhibits videogames as contemporary art, illustrating the handcrafted techniques and creativity. Monument Valley is a prime example of this.

Visitors will be able to immerse themselves in a newly released Panoramic Edition of Monument Valley. It is a meditative and calming puzzle game influenced by the works of artist M.C. Escher. Seemingly impossible geometric architecture is brought to life as 21st century interactive labyrinths.

Dr. Michael Pennington, Curator at The National Videogame Museum says: “We are delighted to be showcasing the expertise, craft and art of videogames. Through this exhibition (and the support of Art Fund) we are able to celebrate videogame art as art, and explore how game developers use traditional techniques to produce stunning and contemporary interactive artworks.”

Star Objects

Comparatively, contrasting the contemporary with the historic, on display in Sheffield for the first time is a hand-drawn map, created by the Oliver Twins in 1989. This star object, the “Fantasy World Dizzy” map, features hundreds of intricate level details. Visitors will be able to see clouds, trapdoors and beanstalks, all sketched out in pencil. It even includes alternative titles for the game which had not yet been coded.

Additionally, a series of rarely-seen objects on display include an Amiga 4000 computer (on loan from the US). This was used to design and develop the videogame Worms 2. Art Director for Worms 2, Cris Blyth significantly paints a picture of how blockbuster games were created in Yorkshire, in the late 1990’s. This is presented through his design memos, rough notes and storyboard designs.

Living Collections

This exhibit is part of “Living Collections” a new interview series supported by Arts Council England. Thereupon, visitors can take a deep-dive into the tools and techniques behind the production of much loved videogames in the Museum’s collection.

Emily Theodore Marlow, Curator at The National Videogame Museum says: “Thanks to Arts Council support we have been able to dig deeper into objects within our collection, and through speaking to Worms designer Cris Blyth, paint a picture of what it was like to make videogames in the 1990s in Yorkshire.”

Ustwo Games: Monument Valley (Courtesy of Ustwo Games)

Humble Grove Studios: No Longer Home, logo designed by Cecile Richard (Courtesy of Humble Grove Studios)

Humble Grove Studios: No Longer Home, logo designed by Cecile Richard (Courtesy of Humble Grove Studios)

Ustwo Games: Monument Valley (Courtesy of Ustwo Games)

Ustwo Games: Monument Valley (Courtesy of Ustwo Games)

Humble Grove Studios: No Longer Home, logo designed by Cecile Richard (Courtesy of Humble Grove Studios)

The Oliver Twins: Fantasy Land Dizzy Map, photography by Gordie Cavill, technician and engineer at The National Videogame Museum (Courtesy of The Oliver Twins)

LINK: The Art of Play

EVENT: BRICK GAMES (MARCH 18 - MAY 25 2022, PALMA, SPAIN)

BRICK GAMES

18 March - 25 May, 2022

L21 S’Escorxador
Hermanos García Peñaranda 1A
07010 Palma
Islas Baleares, España

Curated by Francesco Giaveri 

Featured artists: Richard Woods, Dasha Shishkin, Gao Hang, Richie Culver, Eva Fàbregas, Álvaro Gil, Gabriele de Santis, Felix Treadwell, Ryan Browning, Jordi Ribes, Pixy Liao, Rachel Hobkirk, Matthew Feyld, Charline Tyberghein, Sepand Danesh, Grip Face

As Francesco Giaveri explains;

Games are always plural. A game has to be very disappointing to not want to start a new round and then another. The Brick Game video game console that flooded the market in the 90s promised to contain 9999 games. It was probably much less, but it doesn’t matter, without a doubt Tetris was the one that got me hooked, the one I liked the most. Many years later, I still play for long periods of time on airplane trips where they still offer this idle option. I love the paradox of how it works. To advance without advancing. To move up a level, the brick wall has to remain as low as possible, as other bricks progressively fall. If there are gaps in the wall and its height grows too high, until it passes the upper limit of the screen, the game ends. On the contrary, it is a matter of forming one or more lines, from one side to the other, compact and seamless, so that the bricks disappear, thus leaving more space for the others that, in the meantime, continue to fall, each time at a faster and faster speed. At the formal and chromatic level, it is a question of creating unions of independent fragments. Discontinuous unions awaiting the decisive fragment that will appear to resolve and complete the compact and seamless lines.

My favorite piece is Gao Hang's Boy gaze, 2021

GAO HANG, Boy gaze, 2021, Acrylic on canvas. 182.88 x 60.96 cm

L21 Gallery is a project that has continued to evolve over the years since it was founded by Óscar Florit in Palma de Mallorca (Spain) in 2012. At that time, the gallery was committed to the representation of emerging national artists and the experimentation with new exhibition formats. Examples of this were the projects The Envelope, The Window, at the gallery’s venue in Madrid, and the project The Apartment, which was awarded at ARCO 2015. L21 Gallery is currently an international and hybrid project located in two venues in Mallorca: a 450 m2 industrial building in Son Castelló industrial estate that has been hosting the gallery’s exhibition programme since 2016, and a second venue with five exhibition rooms in the city of Palma. These two large spaces allow us to freely develop the different aspects of the project: contemporary art gallery, artists’ residence and production centre (L21 LAB)

LINK: Brick Games

CALL FOR ARTWORKS: PUBLIC ART CALIFORNIA COLLECTION

Dyson & Womack, public art curators, are working with the State of California to select artists and artworks to be included in the Digital Art Call for Entries for the Public Art CA collection. Public Art CA is a contemporary art collection commissioned for the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and the California Health and Human Services (CHHS) new buildings in downtown Sacramento. The call centers digital artworks on a 32.5ft high 24ft wide digital display within the CNRA building. This opportunity embraces a contemporary and accessible concept of what public art is, who makes it, and for whom it is for. Dyson & Womack is seeking to commission artists and artworks that consider experimentation, innovation, and inclusion as central components of creation.

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Press release:

Interested in creating your own public art showcase of digital media or working with Dyson & Womack? We are available for new projects now. Contact us with any questions or if you would like any additional information on our services. 

Digital media artists, Dyson & Womack are accepting submissions for the Public Art CA digital media call for entries. Submit your ideas for new or existing digital artworks to join our latest public art collection for the State of California. Have a question or just want to learn more? Join one of our upcoming online artist information sessions for more info on how to apply. Artists working across all forms of digital media are welcome to apply - link @dysonwomack. 

Video still, artwork by Allison Janae Hamilton @allisonjanaehamilton

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Los artistas de medios digitales, Dyson & Womack están aceptando presentaciones para la participación en la convocatoria de medios digitales de Public Art CA. Envíe sus ideas para obras de arte digitales nuevas o existentes para ser parte de nuestra última colección de arte público para el estado de California. ¿Tiene alguna pregunta o simplemente desea obtener más información? Únase a una de nuestras próximas sesiones de información para artistas en línea para obtener más información sobre cómo aplicar. Artistas que trabajan en todas formas de medios digitales estan bienveinidos a aplicar. Enlace @dysonwomack.

Official Tags and Hashtags: @dysonwomack @calartscouncil #publicartca #dysonwomack 

Video still, artwork by Eve-Lauryn LaFountain @songsoffilm

For more information, deadlines, formats and more, check the attached PDF: CNRA_Media Wall_RFP

INTERVIEW: EDUARD TUCAKOVIĆ AND THE ART OF THE SOURCE ENGINE

Eduard Tucaković, Monolith

As part of our ongoing series of conversations with practitioners using game-based technology to make art, we chatted with Eduard Tucaković, a 25 year old artist from Croatia who has been using the Source Filmmaker in unexpected ways, because "the street finds its own uses for things". The Source Filmmaker is the movie-making tool built and used by Valve to make movies inside the Source game engine. Because the Source Filmmaker uses the same assets as a Source-engine game, what goes into the game can be used in the movie, and vice versa. However, Tucaković does not use this tool to make machinima, but for scenebuilding purposes. Scenebuilding consists of creating virtual dioramas - static, hyper detailed images - using a video game engine. In fact, there's a vibrant community of scenebuildiers online and Tucaković is one of the most active and prolific members. He creates scenes imbued with a sense of melancholy and loss for a future that never materialized. They depict dystopian futures that are part cyberpunk and part 1950s techno-utopia gone sour, often with a sense of peaceful resignation. These images are built on the very notion of intertextuality: pop culture - Star Wars, Blade Runner, Jurassic Park, 2001: A Space Odyssey, although some references are less explicit - is used as an infinite archive. What follows is our conversation, edited for clarity, which took place via email in March 2021. 

Matteo Bittanti: Can you introduce yourself? When did you begin using Source Filmmaker to create virtual dioramas?

Eduard Tucaković: I am a 25 year old artist from Croatia, in the community I'm more known as Atlas. I'm a full time photographer and when I am not shooting photos around mountains I'm probably home sitting at my desk scenebuilding in Source Filmmaker. I originally started using Source Filmmaker in late 2014, early 2015 as a software to make machinima movies, but as I got the grip of the software itself I became more interested in building dioramas, that eventually led me to rendering only 1 frame of a scene and later editing that frame to make it a full fledged artwork. 

Eduard Tucaković, Delivery Man

Matteo Bittanti: How long have you been making these virtual dioramas? How would you describe the process? And how visible is the community on the cultural sphere?

Eduard Tucaković: I have been actively scenebuilding for around 5 years I believe. As I mentioned earlier, first it was scenebuilds for machinimas rather than for artworks. You can look at scenebuilding as set dressing, some people make their sets for animations while some make it for artworks. The community is slowly but surely becoming bigger, our artworks are reaching people beyond the community, and at this point even Valve is somewhat aware of what we're doing. That's all thanks to sites like your own, that lets us speak of our craft, and we as a community are really grateful for that.

Eduard Tucaković,  The Scenebuilding process. 

Matteo Bittanti: What tools do you use to create your scenes?

 

Eduard Tucaković: I primarily use Source Filmmaker and Photoshop. I also use Lightroom to retouch the colours and contrast of some of my renders: this is something I have borrowed from photography and that workflow has suited me for a long time now.

 

Matteo Bittanti: Do you also make machinima?

Eduard Tucaković: Yes, machinima has been a big part of my life, I originally got introduced to this medium through Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, that eventually led to Source Filmmaker. Nowadays I am only using Source Filmmaker for scenebuilding and rendering pictures, but I am also helping scenebuild environments for a couple of famous Source Filmmaker series such as The Reinstated or Exile/Vilify a Half Life/Portal series. In the past, I used Source Filmmaker to make short commercials for names like ESL. And these days I've been even using it as a means to make concept art for feature films.

 

Eduard Tucaković, Haven

 

Matteo Bittanti: What makes or breaks a scene?

Eduard Tucaković: It's really hard to say, In my book it's all about the composition and the atmosphere. Lots of newcomers struggle with mastering the lighting, and that's something that takes a long time to fully understand. On the scenebuilding department, just like with any other art form, you have to understand the composition and the scale. You need to know where to add the detail, and where to sacrifice it for the benefit of the workflow, I think understanding all of that together makes for good artwork. 

 

Eduard Tucaković, 1989

Matteo Bittanti: How long does it make to create a scene, on average?

 

Eduard Tucaković: It all depends on how big the scene is, but I would say it's around three days for me. I like taking pauses then coming back to my work with a fresh and empty mind. Here's a Scenebuild Breakdown. Here's a short video that illustrates the process:

 

Eduard Tucaković, scenebuilding breakdown

Matteo Bittanti: What are the key advantages of using Source Filmmaker over other tools? 

Eduard Tucaković: Source Filmmaker compared to other big rendering power houses such as Blender these days is much easier to get into, due to its own limits. There is a whole lot of documentation from the community that can kickstart anyone to render their first scenes. We also have a workshop from where you can get various props and models you might need for a scene. However I would like to mention that Source Filmmaker is still a 32 bit software, and that can be a hustle since you have a memory limit and it's prone to crashes. Valve recently released Source Filmmaker 2 alongside Half-Life Alyx, but even though it comes with quite a bit of improvements, it's not standalone and it still lacks a workshop. We also need to port everything to s2fm, and source 2 itself still lacks some of the toolset. If anyone from Valve is reading this, we as a community would gladly help you out with the Source Filmmaker. Maybe even with our help Saxxy Awards could become a thing again. 

 

Matteo Bittanti: What do you recommend for somebody who want to start using Source Filmmaker?

Eduard Tucaković: I'm sharing my latest artwork here with you along with the behind the scenes of how it looks in the engine. I'm also sharing a 50+ page Scenebuilding guide google doc guide I wrote with some of the friends from the community. If anyone wants to find me online, they can reach me on my Twitter page @AtlasRedLine, and if anyone is interested in more of my sfm artwork they can check it out on my Deviant Art page. I also hang out in our Source Filmmaker discord server, where there are whole lots of veterans from the community, you can grab an invite link on r/sfm.

LINK: Eduard Tucaković

RESOURCE: REPRESENTING EMOTIONS IN COMPUTER GAMES AND PAINTINGS BY LUDMILA KVAPILOVÁ-KLÜSENER (PAIDIA JOURNAL)

 

Dr. Ludmila Kvapilová-Klüsener studied art history at the universities in Prague, Regensburg and Salzburg. In 2013 she did her PhD with Prof. Dr. Heidrun Stein-Kecks at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg on the subject of "Vespers in Bavaria from 1380 to 1430 between import and local production". This was followed by a scientific traineeship at the Museum Schnütgen in Cologne and work as an art expert at Auctionata AG in Berlin. She has been working as a research assistant at the Diocesan Museum Bamberg since 2017. Her research interests include, in addition to her focus on late Gothic sculpture, the subject of computer games in the visual arts.

LINK: Look how it works! About the representation of emotions in computer games in paintings and drawings by Ivana Koubek