Is Super-Mario Clouds considered as a work of Art?
The Super-Mario Clouds by Cory Arcangel is a ‘hacked’ or modification of a
famous worldwide game Super-Mario. Super-Mario is the game that the main
character Mario who trying to survive in the danger environment. All the objects
included in Super-Mario are in pixel-based, even the trees, mountains and clouds.
Cory Arcangel modified the game and cut out all the game rules, main character
and scenery except the blue-sky and clouds. in the foreground In Super-Mario Clouds,
the clouds from the game Super-Mario keep moving from right to left slowly.
For the work of Super-Mario Clouds, although the viewers can be easily recogised that is the clouds from Super-Mario, it can not considered as a work of art. There are several reasons to explain why Cory Arcangel's Super-Mario Clouds is not an artwork.
First, Super-Mario Clouds have no narrative elements. According to Adam's reading, artwork should contain narrative elements and video-games require too. The art of video-game should allow players to experience under the particular situation and meet the target or goal. With the narrative elements, ideas or messages from the artists could be easily conveyed. However, there are no any narrative elements in Super-Mario Clouds, it tells nothing in the 'game' but just showing the clouds' movement.
Second, a work of art should try to break the new ground. An artwork should not simply created for no purpose, but should try to create something new and not to be formulaic. I think that the presenting idea in Super-Mario Clouds cant bring the viewers to explore a new kind of understanding. It is not necessary for an artwork to achieve something but to obtain a brand new perspective to the players.
Third, the work of Super-Mario Clouds cannot represent the popular culture. Although the game of Super-Mario is the classic and world-known video-games, once the game cut off the scene, characters and other game structures, its no longer to be classified as the classic Super-Mario game anymore, people would not link up Super-Mario Clouds with Super-Mario game unless the title of the work is called 'Super-Mario Clouds'. Thus, Super-Mario Clouds cannot identify as art because it is unable to show the features of popular culture art.
Lastly, artwork should be able to communicate or interact with the audience, but Super-Mario Clouds cannot. There is no interaction with the viewers when watching Super-Mario Clouds and no messages can be received from it.
Vivian says : Hi, Rice. I can see your point through your description after I watch the video. I agree with you that it is a classical video game and we can recognize it is Mario while we just saw the clouds, since it just show the moving clouds, it didn't deliver any new message for the audience, I think innovation is important for a video games in somehow level.
ReplyDeleteKaren: I have different opinion towards the 'Super-Mario's Cloud'. I do think this is an artwork. It's mainly because I believe some messages are narrated in it, which makes it an art.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the author is trying to give us an opportunity to appreciate something we usually ignore when we are focusing on overcoming the stumbling stones in the game or even the author do this work for interest. Moreover, I think this work is a breakthrough as well as no one had this idea to create this before.