Art is the celebration of free will. The presence of aesthetics is
itself an argument against determinism. The subjective awareness of
time passing would not exist in a determined universe. A
pre-determined universe would be taken in as a whole. It would be
perceived as a shape, not an environment in which one could be
immersed, as you are now.
The fourth dimension allows for ontological actuality; the experience
of music, seasons, growth, pleasure and pain, work and play, learning
and forgetting, creating and destroying. These all derive from
uncertainty, or the subjective perception of time. This is
interactivity.
We live in a paradigm that adopts a stern separation between two
interactive experiences: Games and Life. Games and play are harshly
degraded by their popular definition, associated with triviality.
"This is not a game", is an accustomed scolding response to child-like
behavior. The main reason for this dismissive attitude is the idea
that one is free to leave a game, or start over. In contrast, one can
not freely enter or exit the defined laws of life; (or at least, one
is not aware of being able to do so.)
I am interested in games because I believe that they are more
significant than their conventional definition. I define games as "An
interactive, uncertain experience, framed by rules." Essentially, the
experience of living, being immersed by the rules of this universe, is
possibly the same as being immersed inside of a game. The rules are
cryptic, contradictory, unforgiving, terrifying, and beautiful.
Eventually we will all stop playing. Perhaps we start a new one. I
believe that when we create or play a game, we are intimately
manifesting the parallel of a "little universe."
My work involves the study of games and an attempt to forge a new
definition of games and play that demands more respect. I do this by
creating systems of rules for myself and for others. I consider the
conception, formation and execution of games to be an art form, and a
frontier to be explored.
Pizza Dog
Artist Statement
There are no personal artist statements. The artist is not a god. The
artist is not a creator. The artist is only a vessel. The artist is a
vessel for the village around him. The village struggles to understand
itself, and this dialogue is what is important. The ego and the
identity of a single artist mean as much as a name given to a dog. It
is only important that work is being done, and that games are being
played. Work and play are the same thing. Play need not be associated
with triviality. Laughter is the sound of your consciousness evolving.
My work always involves eliminating classifications that do not need
to exist between separated concepts/disciplines. For example: Games
are art, and work is play. But I can't do this alone. My work is an
invitation.
Cultural Need for Art Games:
Thorne Brandt
Technology is emerging that will mutate our conception of the
individuality of the "Artist" as well as the "Art World" as a whole.
This mutation is occurring because of accessibility. A few years
ago, it was impressive for an artist to have a website. Today, every
thirteen-year-old has a personalized online empire. Garage-Band allows
anyone to produce pop tracks (for free), and Myspace allows anyone to
distribute these tracks (for free). Cell phones can edit videos and
upload them directly onto Youtube. These videos can automatically be
mailed to millions of subscribers. New Media Art is becoming
increasingly user-friendly.
This is a paradigm shift, and it is not necessarily good or bad. It
is great that more art is being produced, from more voices than ever.
It is great that more art is being consumed, by a massive
heterogeneous audience. On the other hand, it might seem catastrophic
for some video/music/web artists who rely on the pre-conceived notion
of the Art-Market, veiled by a sky illuminated by Art-Stardom. The
sky is quickly filling up with white noise. Sure, it's brilliant, but
how will this new market determine which individual artists are
recognized, or rewarded?
I suggest games as one avenue.
Whether you admit it or not, there are unspoken rules and hidden
competition that exists underneath all aspects of Art. Art-Poker
unmasks these rules by replacing them with visible ones. The known
rules act as a control variable, which can be ignored by the viewer
after they are obeyed. In Art-Poker, the emphasis is placed on the
relationship between works. This ostensibly exposes the value systems
of the individual artists more prominently than their own work,
standing alone.
Art Poker Fundamentals:
A judge(s) is decided at the beginning of a round. This game rests on
the subjective value system of the judge(s). Players/Artists are
asked to create work in a limited amount of time. Players are
presented with random yet discrete limitations to what they are
allowed to create. The limitations become more specific over time.
Players that do not meet these obstructions are disqualified. The
completed artwork is presented and players are free to critique each
other's work publicly. The judge(s) chooses which of the remaining
work is the strongest, and the winner is rewarded with a prize, or any
money that was wagered.
There are endless variations of this process - video, drawing,
performance, etc...
