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Forums - Gaming - My girlfriend's art teacher said video games are not art. Do you agree?

mysticwolf on 19 February 2014

Most 'art' isn't interactive, so it might not be art in the traditional sense



 Been away for a bit, but sneaking back in.

Gaming on: PS4, PC, 3DS. Got a Switch! Mainly to play Smash

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Mummelmann on 19 February 2014

Shocking attitude by a College teacher, to be expected. Most people underestimate the gaming medium and see it as immature and mostly worthless and base. A grave mistake.
If splotches of paint thrown onto a canvas is art, then games like "To The Moon" are as well. Not to mention "The Banner Saga", now that's art!



DJEVOLVE on 19 February 2014
Wright said:

Videogames are art, as art is a form of cultural expression itself.

 

That being said, if you consider videogames art, you just can't say "art games are the artsy ones", like Flower. No, if videogames are art, then a game like Call of Duty must be considered as well.


This^



generic-user-1 on 19 February 2014

what an idiot. sure not every game is art(cod...) but the same goes for movies(transformers, starwars episode 1...).
but there are games that are clearly art (ff9, zelda ww...).

and suda 51 is the Quentin Tarantino of gaming.



DJEVOLVE on 19 February 2014
allenmaher said:
The dictionary definition is:
art
ärt/
noun
noun: art; plural noun: arts; plural noun: the arts

1.
the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.
"the art of the Renaissance"
synonyms: fine art, artwork More
"he studied art"
works produced by human creative skill and imagination.
"his collection of modern art"
synonyms: fine art, artwork More
"he studied art"
creative activity resulting in the production of paintings, drawings, or sculpture.
"she's good at art"
2.
the various branches of creative activity, such as painting, music, literature, and dance.
"the visual arts"

Do video games meet this definition?
"the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination" absolutely
"typically in a visual form" check
"producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power." still works here
They often include music, dance, story and other branches of the arts... so frankly unless the person is claiming another definition of the word art than the one the rest of us use...

Probably just another art snob. Thankfully the term is not limited by one person's personal taste.

And this^ Copy and paste this to your ladies wall. LOL



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Rafux on 19 February 2014
rolltide101x said:
Rafux said:
rolltide101x said:
Rafux said:
rolltide101x said:
Rafux said:
Rogerioandrade said:
Videogames are not essentially art. They are basically just games, challenges for the player, they´re closer to board games in their essence than to art itself. But videogames are a form of entertainment that uses art to be produced, be it visual arts, music or interpretation.


Yes! Finally someone who gets it, the rest are just bashing the art teacher.


If it uses art that makes it art.....


No, baby diapers tv ads use art and they are not art, potatoes snacks use art and they are not art, my house uses art on its walls yet I would not consider my particular house art.


The design on the baby's diapers were created by artist, artist created the designs on the chips, the way you have your house layed out could be considered art

 

Anything can be art. I agree with a good bit of people. If something was created with art in mind it is art. If I take a pencil and draw a picture it is art (crappy art mind you)


Thats exactly what I said, the designs in the diaper are art, the music in the jingle for the tv ad is art but the tv ad itself is not art neither is the diaper.

Games have art in them but that doesnt make them art because games are chained by the fact that they have to be fun and challenging first and then they can have artistic merits.

For example a painting can be sad, nostalgic, fun, enraging, inspiring, etc. It can be anything the artist wants it to be is not chained to anything  but a video game is chained to be always a fun challenging product first and foremost then it can convey other emotions.

An artist can expose a painting which is just a black canvas and say that it represents the afterlife but Hideo Kojima can't release a game which is just a black screen and call the game Afterlife, even a movie director can release a short film which is just a black screen for 5 minutes and call it afterlife.

And if Hideo Kojima decides that he actually wants to release a game which is just a black screen for 5 minutes called Afterlife for free on IOS and Android then people would say "Its not a videogame"

I assume you have never played Journey, Flower, Okami, etc......... There is no way to deny those are art

http://hypercritical.co/2012/11/27/images/journey.jpg

http://techgeekgamers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/flower_screenshot37.jpg

http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2012/262/674775_20120919_screen001.jpg

 

So if somebody painted/drew those they are art but since they are in a game they are not? That sounds like non-sense to me.

I have played all of them, just because something is beautiful it doesn't make it art, art doesn't even have to be beautiful by the way.

Please read again my post. A video game uses art in them, it contains art but a video game in itself is not art, if you want to paint Super Mario that is art even the little sprite in Super Mario Bros is art BUT the game itself is not art like baby diapers contains designs that are artistic but the diaper itself is not art.

The most important part about why video games are not art is because at their most basic function video games have to be fun and challenging, Art isn't chained to anything it can be anything the artist wants it to be it can be an ugly painting yet it can express something deep, Video games on the other hand first and foremost have to be fun and challenging they can't just be an expression.

I'll repeat myself here: if Hideo Kojima decides that he wants to release a game which is just a black screen for 5 minutes called Afterlife for free on IOS and Android then people would say "Its not a videogame" but a painter can release a painting that is just a black canvas called Afterlife and a movie director can release a short film  which is just a black screen for 5 minutes and call it afterlife.

EDIT: Back to your example a sunset in itself is not art is just Earth spinning but if an artist decides to paint that sunset and convey nostalgic feelings that is art.



Hynad on 19 February 2014

My art teachers are more progressive people. I've asked them all what they think of the medium, and they all said it depends on the game itself. And that, just like movies, they have the power to move people, express ideas, deliver great visual arts, etc...

I love my teachers.



fatslob-:O on 19 February 2014

That's one foolish art teacher ... Art is always being redefined by the market. Just because some critics hate modern music that doesn't make it any less of an art. A form of cultural expression is not supposed to appeal to the ones in the grave but rather the ones that are alive.



Aldro on 19 February 2014

Clearly she never played The Last of Us


XD



Gilgamesh on 19 February 2014

Team ICO would poop on that teacher.