Video Games Get Arty asks: 'What if games got arty?'

With millions of fans worldwide, art is a billion-dollar industry. Mentions in magazines, films and TV series clearly indicate that art is gaining increasing mainstream acceptance. But the question remains: can art aspire to the level of games?One websiteasks that question, inserting characters from the beloved milieu of games into several popular works of art. The results aren't just thought-provoking: some are works of beauty almost worthy of games themselves.

With art's notorious history of graphically portraying sexuality and violence, works like Botticelli's Birth of Venus have to be toned down a little before they're classy enough to incorporate gaming icons like Soul Calibur's Ivy. And those who complain that much art is all drab grays and browns will be disappointed to see the visually dynamic Shadow of the Colossus reduced to such a palette. However, the results of Photoshop-maestro Guillaume Colomb's efforts show that indeed, much art is almost ready to be exhibited alongside videogames.

See the full collection at Colomb's site, Video Games Get Arty, then head back here and let us know which one you like best. Warning: this is art we're talking about, so some images are a bit NSFW.

May 18, 2011


National Endowment for the Arts now accepting game proposals


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