Video games are more than just a form of entertainment — they are a form of art.

“The Art of Video Games,” a traveling exhibit that began at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, is now showing at the Everson Museum of Art. It features 80 games, each of which were voted to be included in the show by the public. The purpose for displaying these games is to demonstrate how the art has changed during the years, further showing advancements in technology. The exhibit will be on display until Jan. 19.

Many events will be held in conjunction with the exhibit during the exhibit’s stay, including an interactive painting day called “Paint by Numbers BYOC(olor): Video Game Characters,” and Cosplay Family Day. There will also be a concert at the Landmark Theatre on Nov. 9 called “Video Games Live Concert.”

“Viewers get a sample of the games that were available during each era,” said Brian Atwood, a Syracuse University alumnus of ’94 who created voiceovers for the exhibit.

There are many aesthetically appealing and interactive displays within the exhibit, including sketches of numerous characters and concepts for video games. One particular item shown is a concept sketch for World of Warcraft, drawn in 2000.

One exhibit takes a look inside the actual experience of gaming. A sign reads: “This conversation among the game, the artist and the player is critical to understanding video games as an art.” This quotation accompanies three screens displaying the reactions of gamers of various ages playing video games.

In another part of the museum, visitors can learn some history of games from featured video footage of an interview of the exhibit curator Chris Melissinos, who also authored “The Art of Video Games: From Pac-Man to Mass Effect.”

Sarah Massett, Everson Museum of Art’s assistant director, believes it is important for people  — gamers and non-gamers alike — to see video games through an artistic perspective. She said video games are interesting because they combine an assortment of artistic mediums, including storytelling, visual art and music.

“This is an art form that has not been showcased traditionally,” Massett said.

Quotes throughout the exhibit highlight the artistic nature of video games, including “Programming is like poetry.” And as visitors continue into the next room, down a passageway shining with red, blue and green lights, they are led to even more gaming pleasure.

This room features a number of interactive demonstrations of different games. This rare museum experience even allows viewers to play five classic arcade games, including Pac-Man and Super Mario Bros.

There are stations featuring a variety of consoles and games. Each one is fitted with a video screen, a console, a telephone and four  buttons, each button meant for the action, target, adventure and tactics of a particular video game. At the station, viewers pick up the telephone, press one of the four buttons and then learn about the technical and artistic elements of the game.

The voiceover after pressing these four buttons is of SU alumnus Brian Atwood. His role in this exhibit is to explain the importance of games from a technical point of view.

Atwood, a former member of the Oratorio Society at SU who graduated with a degree in public relations and music history, has done voiceovers for numerous companies, including Crayola, Yellowstone National Park and General Electric.

On the wall of the other half of the exhibit hang five different flat screen televisions. Each of these screens shows the evolution and stages of the mechanics of video games from past to present.

The museum’s assistant director Massett said this exhibit is not solely geared toward the gamer novice, but to everyone. She believes that video games were an essential part of growing up, and will bring a wave of happy nostalgia to those who view the exhibit.

 

 

SU alumnus spotlight: Voiceover expert helps narrate “The Art of Video Games” exhibit.

From a very young age, Brian Atwood developed a love for doing voiceovers.

The SU alumnus impersonated former president Ronald Reagan as a child. In high school, Atwood read the morning announcements and was heavily involved in theater. So, it came as no surprise that today, Atwood has found himself doing voiceovers for a living.

Atwood is currently the owner of Brian S. Atwood Voice-Overs, a company that does voiceovers for commercials, radio ads and jingles. Atwood himself boasts an impressive list of characters he can perform, including George W. Bush, Cookie Monster and Mickey Mouse.

Published on November 6, 2013 at 1:19 am