Video Games As Art
In this first unit of our Humanities class, named Argument, we learned more about how to make a proper argument by looking at the Declaration of Independence. We learned about concepts such as syllogisms and inductive and deductive premises, and even got to go out and talk to Alderman Walter Burnett about Argument and the city government. For this Action Project, we had to declare our right to study a specific course of our own design. Below is my declaration to study Video Games as Art.
Topic: Video Games As Art
Introduction: I am creating this declaration to fight for a class based on learning about art through a modern, digital eye, through the context of games and the effects they have on people. It is necessary for me to write this declaration because I think that people should be able to learn in ways that relate to modern society. My official declaration is that people of my age, in our generation, should be able to learn through forms of media that capture their attention the most. Fueled by the rise of independent game studios, more and more people are setting out to explore their passion through the creation of a game, and telling their story or showing their art through the game that they create. I think that this is something more people should learn about.
Personal and Logical Evidence: In my opinion, the purpose of school and learning is to prepare the students of the topic for the world ahead of them, and to learn from the triumphs and mistakes of the people that came before them. In this case, I believe that learning about art through the lens of video games could provide a unique and modern learning experience to students. My unalienable rights as a human are the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This is an expression of them because video games are a topic I highly enjoy, and I believe that studying them more in-depth would fall under the category of pursuing happiness.
The objective of this independent study is to teach students about art from the lens of a video game, and to help put into a modern perspective how artists and game designers create this atmosphere for someone playing their game through the design of sounds and images. I think that games should be viewed not just as mere “play”, but as richly textured, compelling experiences that have crossed the boundary into culture and art. Contemporary art is as much of “play” as video games are, yet art is much more widely and seriously studied despite that. I have the right to study this because video games are a form of art. As art is a subject commonly studied in school, I should be able to study video games in school.
A scene from the game Journey. Flickr, Playstation Europe, June 3rd 2010.
Topic: Video Games As Art
Introduction: I am creating this declaration to fight for a class based on learning about art through a modern, digital eye, through the context of games and the effects they have on people. It is necessary for me to write this declaration because I think that people should be able to learn in ways that relate to modern society. My official declaration is that people of my age, in our generation, should be able to learn through forms of media that capture their attention the most. Fueled by the rise of independent game studios, more and more people are setting out to explore their passion through the creation of a game, and telling their story or showing their art through the game that they create. I think that this is something more people should learn about.
Personal and Logical Evidence: In my opinion, the purpose of school and learning is to prepare the students of the topic for the world ahead of them, and to learn from the triumphs and mistakes of the people that came before them. In this case, I believe that learning about art through the lens of video games could provide a unique and modern learning experience to students. My unalienable rights as a human are the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This is an expression of them because video games are a topic I highly enjoy, and I believe that studying them more in-depth would fall under the category of pursuing happiness.
The objective of this independent study is to teach students about art from the lens of a video game, and to help put into a modern perspective how artists and game designers create this atmosphere for someone playing their game through the design of sounds and images. I think that games should be viewed not just as mere “play”, but as richly textured, compelling experiences that have crossed the boundary into culture and art. Contemporary art is as much of “play” as video games are, yet art is much more widely and seriously studied despite that. I have the right to study this because video games are a form of art. As art is a subject commonly studied in school, I should be able to study video games in school.
Syllogisms:
Premise 1: Video games use sounds and images to convey emotions and atmosphere.
Premise 2: Contemporary uses images to convey emotions and atmosphere.
Conclusion: Video games are a form of art.
Premise 1: Video games are a form of art.
Premise 2: Art is studied in school.
Conclusion: Therefore, video games should be studied in school.
Premise 1: Video games use sounds and images to convey emotions and atmosphere.
Premise 2: Contemporary uses images to convey emotions and atmosphere.
Conclusion: Video games are a form of art.
Premise 1: Video games are a form of art.
Premise 2: Art is studied in school.
Conclusion: Therefore, video games should be studied in school.
Guiding Question: What makes a game a piece of art?
Resources:
Desired Outcomes:
In reflection, I thought that this Action Project was very enjoyable. I love being able to research and speak more about the things that I’m passionate about, and this project let me make a case as to why I think I should be able to study one of the topics that I’m most passionate about.
Citations:
Antonelli, Paola. “MoMA: Video Games: 14 in the Collection, for Starters.” InsideOut, www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2012/11/29/video-games-14-in-the-collection-for-starters/.
Chikhani, Riad. “The History Of Gaming: An Evolving Community.” TechCrunch, TechCrunch, 31 Oct. 2015, techcrunch.com/2015/10/31/the-history-of-gaming-an-evolving-community/.
Moriarty, Brian. “It's Becoming Harder to Deny Video Games 'Art' Status.” Time, Time, 22 Sept. 2015, time.com/collection-post/4038821/brian-moriarty-are-video-games-art/.
“NEWM-N 131 Game On! A History of Video Games.” IUPUI, soic.iupui.edu/courses/newm-n131/.
“The Art of Video Games.” Smithsonian American Art Museum, americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/games.
Resources:
- The Art of Video Games by Chris Melissinos
- Open World: Video Games and Contemporary Art by Samantha Blackmon
- Video Game Revolution- An in depth discussion of the History of Video Games from PBS.
- Flower (2009), Journey (2012), The Stanley Parable (2013), and Ori and the Blind Forest (2015) - Being able to experience and study these games would allow the students to gain a good understanding of what art in modern gaming looks like through hands-on experience.
Course Overview:
- For the students taking the class to gain a better understanding digital art through the medium of video games.
- For the students to be able to follow their passion in art, video games, and/or both, and be able to have hands-on experience with both subjects in school.
- For the students to obtain further knowledge of video game history and culture from an artistic perspective.
- Visit the Video Game Art (VGA) Gallery, to have a look at art in both modern and retro video games.
- Visit the Museum of Contemporary Art, to give students a view at other forms of modern art and compare it to the forms of art seen in modern games.
- View and create a timeline of milestone video games.
- Write an assessment on their favorite video game and why it’s important to them. Should help shape discussion and explain the students’ interest in gaming.
- Possible Action Project: Create artwork referencing video games, or create an “art game”. Based on Open World (see resources above), and uses it as a reference book.
- Read and discuss The Art of Video Games.
In reflection, I thought that this Action Project was very enjoyable. I love being able to research and speak more about the things that I’m passionate about, and this project let me make a case as to why I think I should be able to study one of the topics that I’m most passionate about.
Citations:
Chikhani, Riad. “The History Of Gaming: An Evolving Community.” TechCrunch, TechCrunch, 31 Oct. 2015, techcrunch.com/2015/10/31/the-history-of-gaming-an-evolving-community/.
Moriarty, Brian. “It's Becoming Harder to Deny Video Games 'Art' Status.” Time, Time, 22 Sept. 2015, time.com/collection-post/4038821/brian-moriarty-are-video-games-art/.
“NEWM-N 131 Game On! A History of Video Games.” IUPUI, soic.iupui.edu/courses/newm-n131/.
“The Art of Video Games.” Smithsonian American Art Museum, americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/games.
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