The Most Beautiful Videogames

Funny story time! When I was in high school, my school decided that it would be a really great idea to bring in a genuine movie director to give a little speech about art and do a bit of Q&A. Very good idea in theory… Except the director they ultimately went with was some complete unknown who had only done unsuccessful indie flicks, so a lot of the sentiment was lost. At the end of his speech, when he asked if anybody had any questions, the entire room filled with hundreds of people (attendance was mandatory) fell silent… Except, of course, for yours truly, who completely failed to read the atmosphere. I had only one question for him – “Do you think videogames can be considered a form of art?” The answer he gave me was basically “I believe that videogames can have value to a lot of people, but I don’t think they can ever be art”. Oh, yeah, Mr. Director? You wanna take that bet? Well, here’s five games I’ve played which are more beautiful than most pieces of traditional art!

1. Child of Light

Screenshot from the game Child of LightLet’s start off with a bang, shall we? “Child of Light” is a game designed from the grounds up to be an interactive picture book, like those many of us used to read (or, well, have read to us) as children, complete with a fantasy adventure in which a young princess taken to a strange land must find unlikely companions and discover her way home while defeating the evil queen who has imprisoned her there. The princess visits many peculiar places, like a city of mice dwelling within the belly of a giant, and best of all – every single line of dialogue is in rhyme. It’s fantastic! But best of all, the artstyle itself has been specifically made to resemble a living, breathing picture book. While the illustrations itself are simplistic, they’re colorful, fluid and vivid, and when seen in motion, they are beautiful! If you grew up with picture books, “Child of Light” will most certainly be a treat!

2. Limbo

Screenshot from the game LimboTime for something a little bit darker, and I do mean that literally! “Limbo” is one of those unique games which are completely devoid of color, and yet still manage to be hauntingly beautiful – hell, it practically set the standard for those games! I don’t think it’s fair to call it a black and white game, considering that it’s mostly black and some shades of grey, but it seems appropriate enough, so let’s go with that! While the darkness does make things a little bit hard to see, honestly, the game wouldn’t have worked nearly as well if it was in color, as it tells the story of a little boy’s passage through Limbo and ascension into Heaven. The subject matter of a child’s implied death is already hard enough, but when you combine that with the fact that Limbo itself is a horrible place filled with dangers and lost souls… Yeah, you can see why black and white was chosen as the color palette. Still, I’d say it works spectacularly well, and the sheer fact that “Limbo” has spawned so many imitators in the “black and white art games” genre should speak for itself!

3. Journey

Screenshot from the game JourneyYou literally can NOT make a list with influential, beautiful games that are works of art without mentioning “Journey”. It is, by far, one of the greatest videogame experiences out there. When it was first released this tiny little game scored dozens of “Game of the Year” awards (including a videogame’s first ever Grammy nomination), beating franchises with hundreds of millions of dollars behind them! And honestly, it’s not hard to see why. I mean, look at THAT! This right here is pure art. There’s not really a storyline, at least not one that’s explicitly stated to you. There’s no plot, no dialogue, no text, no characters. Just an experience. Emotions. And the all too beautiful vistas you go through on your journey to the mountain. It’s truly fascinating just how effective pure visuals can be in conveying a narrative in a game when you strip away almost everything else. Even without the nameless, faceless, gowned protagonist never uttering as much as an “oooh” or an “aah” during the adventure, you always know exactly what they’re feeling – mostly because you feel it too. When you see something utterly beautiful, you’re left marveling at it; when you’re being chased by something, you’re scared. For a game to achieve all of that without a word… Well, it’s got to be art, right?

Card Games in Art

Card games have been around for an absurdly long time – hundreds of years at the very least (we have recorded evidence of playing cards originating as early as the 14th century), but some archeologists estimate that we’ve been playing card games for thousands of years, with them originating in China before spreading to India, Persia and Egypt. Whatever the case, it’s quite a safe bet to say that playing cards have been an essential part of human history, and as a result, it’s little wonder that the people using them have gradually found themselves depicted in various works of art for a while. As you can see in the link above, there have been paintings of card players enjoying themselves for almost as long as there have been cards, but today I want to focus on more modern interpretations of the activity within the art medium, and ones that I believe portray it with a unique vision that has something very interesting to say. Because let’s face it – card games have changed a TON since the 14th century. Many gamblers today prefer to play online, on sites like http://www.blackjacksites.info, and as a result these paintings are a bit like little time capsules of days gone by.

”The Card Players” by Théodore Rombouts

The Card Players by Théodore RomboutsLet’s start off with something from the baroque era – “The Card Players”, painted by Flemish painter Théodore Rombouts. This oil painting is one of my favorites, as I believe it very accurately captures the atmosphere of a traditional card game. Of course, we shouldn’t overlook the fact that, much like many other baroque paintings, “The Card Players” is extremely lifelike and very realistic, but there’s more to its appeal than just the lifelike realism – otherwise, every photograph we took with our phones would be a masterpiece! No, art is all about capturing a moment in time, as well as portraying the emotions and feelings within that moment on the canvas, and I have to say that Rombouts did so spectacularly! With a mere glance, you can see what everyone is thinking, from the focused players to the chatting people to the side. It’s a thing of beauty.

”War Veterans Playing Cards” by Wilhelm Heinrich Otto Dix

War Veterans Playing Cards by Wilhelm Heinrich Otto DixNow it’s time for something a bit more surrealistic! This painting goes by several names, including “Crippled War Veterans Playing Cards” and “War Veteran Invalids Playing Cards”, but the most common one I found is the one above, which is the one I ended up using. Otto Dix, born in 1891, lived through the horrors of both World Wars, but it was very clear that the first one, and the effects that it had on the people of Berlin, affected him the most. His 1920 painting depicts veterans of various stages of disfigurement enjoying themselves, or perhaps at least finding a little bit of solace, by playing cards. Their injuries are vastly exaggerated – all three share only one leg and one arm, they have an assortment of scars and prostheses… They have replaced parts of themselves with artificial constructs, perhaps indicating that war has taken away not only parts of their bodies, but parts of their souls as well – parts that, try as they might (be it through prostheses or card games) they’re never going to be able to take back.

”A Friend in Need”, by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge

A Friend in Need by Cassius Marcellus CoolidgeThere’s… Really not much to say about this one. The most famous painting in Cassius Coolidge’s “Dogs Playing Poker” series, “A Friend in Need” is instantly the first thing that pops into most people’s head when they’re asked about card games in paintings. Hell, I’m sure you thought about it when you saw the very title of this article, didn’t you? For that very reason, I’m going to keep this entry short – you’ve seen this painting everywhere, you’ve heard everyone talking about, and I doubt I can really say anything new. It’s “Dogs Playing Poker”, and it’s a classic.

Underrated Art Pieces In The Louvre

The Louvre is definitely the most famous art gallery of them all, to the point where the vast majority of people can’t even name another by name! It has become synonymous with the best of the best, the highest calibre of works of art worthy of being preserved through the ages. Even people who know absolutely nothing about art whatsoever can still name at least a couple of the pieces exhibited behind the walls of the Louvre – the “Venus de Milo”, “Lady Liberty Leading the People”, and, of course, the “Mona Lisa”, which could very well be the most famous painting of all time despite the fact that its original tends to be fairly modest in both size and scope. Surrounded by so much greatness in one place, many tend to overlook the fact that the museum holds a lot more masterpieces than they suspected! Here are a few pieces of art which you may overlook, but shouldn’t.

”Raft of the Medusa”, by Théodore Géricault

Raft of the MedusaWhile this painting may be very familiar to art students everywhere, you barely see it mentioned in popular culture, which is an absolute shame considering just how spectacular it is. The wreck of the ship “Medusa” is one of the biggest disasters to have ever happened at sea, second only to the Titanic – when an incompetent captain directed his ship into a storm on its very first night, only a handful of people managed to survive on a single raft. The survivors quickly had to turn to cannibalism in order to last, and when rescue arrived thirteen days later, only fifteen men were left. Entire books have been written about the tragedy, some even by the survivors themselves, and yet a single look at Théodore Géricault’s painting is enough to tell you all you need to know. Despite how aesthetically pleasing the composition is, the despair and suffering of the survivors is very clearly evident, the plight on each and every single one of them narrated to the viewer simply through their body language. All of the pieces fit together to form a gigantic (five by seven meters) pictures of human anguish which must be seen in person to be fully experienced.

”The Coronation of Napoleon”, by Jacques-Louis David

The Coronation of NapoleonTo say that Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most controversial figures of history would be a massive understatement. He brought a lot of good things to the world (you know how the Western world runs mostly on democracy right now? You can thank Napoleon for that), but he also brought a lot of bad things to it. Some historians think the bad outweigh the good, others disagree, but whatever the case may be, there’s absolutely no dispute that the representation of his coronation, depicted by Jacques-Louis David, is truly among the greatest pieces of art in the world. First of all, the painting is absolutely HUGE – it’s 6 by 10 meters, putting even “Raft of the Medusa” to shame! It also features dozens upon dozens of characters attending the coronation, seventeen of which can be very clearly identified as historical figures which were truly present during the actual event. It’s honestly shocking that it took less than two years to complete this massive work of art, from the time it was commissioned to its finishing touches, which only further speaks of the artist’s talent. Regardless of how you feel about Napoleon, make sure you don’t ignore this masterpiece the next time you visit the Louvre!

Music is the Art that Speaks Louder than Any Words

Music is My Favourite Form of ArtMany things can be considered a work of art and usually true art requires a lot of work. Confused? Let me elaborate. Art can take many forms and it is usually in the eye of the beholder. Yes, I realize that the original saying is ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’, but for me art is beauty and vice versa. What do you think about movies? Can they be regarded as art? Of course. And what about music? Now that’s my favourite form of art, that speaks louder and clearer than all the words in all the languages and dialects all over the world.

Having said that, this is precisely what I want to talk to you about today – my favourite type of art, music! I crave it, love it, live it, any type, any genre – well, almost. But what I relate to most is rock and all its siblings, from heavy metal, to afro punk and all the way to rock and roll. When I listen to my favourite band, I close my eyes and all that surrounds me instantly disappears. I often find myself thinking about things I haven’t thought about in years, things that sometimes bring me joy, other times tears and many times both. This is how music can open your soul and dig up old wounds, only to help us make peace with what has hurt us and help us heal.

If you think about it, we all have some form of art in our life that we relate to, even if it is only art for us. See, another form of art for me is communication. It is art because only few of us are really good at it and the ongoing development of the Internet and all the social networks keeps crippling us, making it harder for us to talk to each other in person. Music is just that, if you ask me – communication at the highest levels because even songs with no lyrics can touch your heart and speak to you more than words.

Another form of art that I absolutely love is sculpting. If you know the work of some of the most renowned British sculptors such as Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth, you definitely understand where I am coming from. Henry Moore said ‘Art is the expression of imagination and not the imitation of life’ and I couldn’t agree more. Although one does not exclude the other, can you imagine life without imagination? Or can you imagine life without art? I couldn’t, just as I couldn’t imagine life without music – my favourite type of art.

High Rollers – a Trip to Luxury-land

Yep, I totally just made that word up, don’t rush to check in a dictionary, it’s not you. Luxury-land may not exist as a word in the Oxford dictionary, but it surely exists in real life. You know I was talking about free access to art in my previous post? So I thought for a change I can take you in the complete opposite direction for this post – let’s have a look at something that is not only far from free but sometimes a lifetime is not enough to earn the sort of money splashed over a game.

Casinos invest millions in lavish interiors to lure high rollers.You’re probably thinking in the right direction already – I am talking about gambling yes – one of the few ways to earn the sort of funds you will need to visit one of the places I’m gonna list in a minute. Let’s take a virtual walk through the top 3 suites for high rollers out there. In case you’ve never heard the term – it’s a gambler who puts large sums at stake. As you can imagine, casinos want to attract those players and so they are often treated with all sort of perks – limos, private jets and yachts and those fancy suits I’m about to get into (not literally…shame). Flights from as far as China, (valued at $20,000 and more) are on the house, along with expenses on the entourage of the player (often of up to 40 people!), so no surprise those state-of-art suits are so outstanding. Oh, don’t despair, you can be a high roller too! I know just the place to start you off with some good selection of places to play online, but let’s not digress, I’ll come back to that later. So, sit back, here we go.

Marcus Aurelius Villa

Situated in Caesars Palace in Vegas, this place has it all – exotic fish, double-sided fireplace, SPA and a great view. Oh, did I mention the spa is actually on the terrace?
Marcus Aurelius Villa suite in Caesars Palace.

Rio Presidential Suite

I’m including this one just for the view – you can’t really beat it and to top it all – there is a private rooftop pool. If that doesn’t make you feel god-like I don’t know what will.

The Barbie Suite

The Palms Casino Resort sure know how to make some jaws drop. They have a suit with a real-size bowling alley (in the suit, yes, you’re reading it right – The Kingpin Suite), but this is something else.

Outstanding design job in The Barbie Suite at The Palms Casino Resort.So there, hope that was fun, I had hard time picking my favourites! Well, I wish you all someday to experience one of those in person, but in the meantime here it is, as promised – casinoroulette.co.uk – go have a look at what’s out there to pick from and good luck! Make sure you still come back to read my blog, even if it’s from some private jet or fancy rooftop pool, hey.

Getting Some Fresh Art for Free in London

istanbul-168774_640I thought it’d be nice to start out this new year and my new blog with a little something that may make you want and love art even more. I chose to feature two great exhibitions that are on in town right now and that ask not a high entrance fee, but no fee at all. Let’s spend a minute or two reflecting on fees. On the one hand, galleries survive thanks to the revenue they generate from their business. That includes entrance fees, too. On the other hand, if that source becomes the main leg of sustenance, the gallery is done for.

In my opinion, galleries with high entrance fees are either ones of great reputation or establishments that struggle to survive. In the first case, which is definitely predominant, they set the price as a means to restrict access for the average visitor. They target high-end connoisseurs and experts with no focus on the financial dimension of works of art. In the latter case, however, high prices especially when combined with even slightly battered look and less than perfectly arranged items, speaks of a place that’d do anything to stay in the market.

Let’s move a bit further in our speculations. What’s wrong with wanting to stay in the game? Such places can still feature amazing works of art and enlighten lots of “innocents”. Just imagine the hosts of poor art students who roam the cold London streets and pubs. Saying all that with a smile on my face, I still believe in free exhibitions. If it wasn’t for them, I would have hardly ended up in this profession myself. I preferred to spend a couple of hours in the warm galleries to wasting time in the café bars around the college.

There is no need to put those two approaches to exhibitions in a direct opposition. I’m just giving you various points of view. It is very often that one and the same gallery sets different prices for its events, depending on the season, the participants, the targeted audience and many other factors. That means that one shouldn’t judge for a place by its entrance fee for a particular event. But, let me get to action at last.

During these past holidays, I visited several of the free exhibitions in London. First, I went to see the photographs by Julia Margaret Cameron. They were made over 150 years ago and brought me back to the magic of sepia, to the vastness of expression despite the lack of colours and nuances. Although Cameron was 48 when she developed her taste for the art, she reached such summits that still impress today. You can view her work in the V&A Museum before 14th February.

Another favourite of mine is the remarkable exhibition opening Damien Hirst’s new gallery, showing works by the late John Hoyland. Since abstract art is, at best, controversial, I refrain from recommending it too often. These “Power Stations”, however, will please even uneducated eyes. Admission is free, again, and you can attend the collection at the Newport Street Gallery all the way until 3rd April.

Which exhibitions or art events did you attend during the holidays? Are any of them still open? Did you like what you saw? Are they free to visit? Do you believe in free access to art? Share your view with us.

Welcome to My Personal Art Corner on the Web

galleryHello, World! I know this is a corny way to start my thrilling journey in the world-wide web presenting myself and my art queries and findings, but come on – that’s the beauty of having a “personal” space: you can get as dull on it as you like and no one can tell you how to go about it. But, I may be getting slightly ahead of myself. Calm down, start over.

Welcome to my blog. My name is Nicky, short for Nicole, of course, and I live in London. It’s correct to say “I’m living in London” as this is temporary. I came here a fortnight ago to pursue a career in art management. As part of my professional development, and because I’m truly in love with art, I decided to start my first art and gallery blog. I’m not quite sure how it will develop and what will become of it. I surely hope people will flock to it, comment and interact. I plan to share meaningful articles and news, all concerning new art events, exhibitions and trends, but also some meditated theoretical pieces, either mine or written by guest bloggers. I want this site to turn into a network where art lovers can discuss and exchange ideas.

There must be thousands of places that already do that. I guess so. That’s why I’m not sure how this one will thrive. It may remain just my own space for writing things that I care about and converse with any, even few, readers who share my views. Time will show. I want you to know that I’m open to all paths. What I want from this blog is to give me enjoyment. Not entertainment or publicity, not fame or money, but I want to enjoy what I do. When I stop enjoying, I’ll change the “do”.

Welcome and make yourself at home!
Yours, Nicky