Into The Pixel

A few weeks ago, USA Today did an article related to the not-so-age-old discussion: Are Video Games Art?. While it was less an address of the debate and more of a presentation of those things that were arguably considered to be such, I found it rather disappointing that a show mentioned in the article, entitled Into The Pixel contained no…well, pixels.

While I am a huge fan of all Video Game inspired art, music, writing, etc, I have to say that it would be nice to see a widely recognized gallery, show, and artist which actually features pixel-based paintings or other works of art containing pixels, squares, what-have-you. It honestly baffles me how at this point in time, with the influence of early Video Games on culture, and furthermore on the current generation of up-and-coming young-to-mid adults, that pixel based art is not a widely accepted or practiced form of abstract/conceptual art…why not? I do realize that pixel-art is most definitely a form to many, however, this acceptence generally happens only when it is created, shared, and viewed soley on a computer, generally over the internet.

Going back to my reaction to the Into The Pixel show; this was the same reaction I had to the series of I Am 8-Bit shows in Los Angelos, CA these past couple of years. I was thrilled to know, however, that a few pieces of pixelated goodness were accepted into last summer’s show, by none other than my talented bro, Jude Buffum. Additionally, the pieces displayed were a set of four from his Happy Endings series.

I personally love the pixel as a medium – simple yet pronounced, sharp but elegant – which is part of the reason I depict naked women, bowls of fruit and other images that once begged for curves and many shades of color to be considered art. I’ve honestly had people tell me that they would f*ck the girl in a painting of mine. And yet, I’ve had others be offended that I would depict naked women, even in such low resolution - my dad among them, nonetheless – though there are no more than 4 or 5 pixels worth of nipple in any of the paintings. That, and I haven’t yet shown any nether region, but I think I just might…

My point is that who’s really to say what is and isn’t art. It doesn’t matter, art is what it is to whom it is. However, one thing that art most certainly is, is a representation, in one way, shape, or form, of the culture and generation which creates it and embraces it. I create pixel art, and I embrace it.

For those that still think pixel art isn’t valid art, I leave you with this image:

Pixel-Love!

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