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I am a nerd. I paint. This is the result:
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<center><a href="http://www.softcom.net/users/randlystan/art/samus.jpg" target=_blank><img border=0 src="http://www.softcom.net/users/randlystan/art/samus_thmb.jpg" height=200></a></center>
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<b><i>Portrait of a Hero (16bit): Samus Aryan</i>. 2003. Acrylics on canvas, 24" x 12"</b>
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From the long-lived Metroid series, Samus Aryan is perhaps the greatest heroine in the history of video games. Although her feminine form was masked by her suit (unless, of course, one used the infamous "JUSTIN BAILEY" code), she was, and continues to be, a valiant slayer of many a space-borne menace. More than just a video game character, she can be seen as a symbol of the future of female empowerment.
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<center><a href="http://www.softcom.net/users/randlystan/art/blackmage.jpg" target=_blank><img border=0 src="http://www.softcom.net/users/randlystan/art/blackmage_thmb.jpg" height=200></center></a>
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<b><i>Portrait of a Hero (8bit): Black Mage</i>. 2003. Acrylics on canvas, 24" x 16"</b>
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From the most popular RPG series in existence, Black Mage is a character we see introduced in the very first "Final Fantasy" game. An unlikely presence amongst the "light warriors", Black Mage is a mysterious manifestation of dark power. We never see his true face, only glowing eyes from the inside of a shadow. Can something that seems so inherently evil truly be on the side of good?
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<center><a href="http://www.softcom.net/users/randlystan/art/belmont.jpg" target=_blank><img border=0 src="http://www.softcom.net/users/randlystan/art/belmont_thmb.jpg" height=200></a></center>
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<b><i>Portrait of a Hero (8bit): Trevor Belmont</i>. 2003. Acrylics on canvas, 30" x 24"</b>
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Vampire slaying is very popular these days, but Trevor Belmont did it before it was so trendy. Father of the long-hailed Simon Belmont, Trevor was among the first to battle Dracula, as we saw in the prequel to the original "Castlevania" games, "Castlevania III". A hero in the most classic sense, Trevor is a man endowed with no super powers, simply a few meager weapons he uses to fend off an onslaught of demonic horrors. Striking a strong pose, Trevor is ever-diligent, a symbol of the staying power of virtue.
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So what do you think? Is this cool from a nostaligic point of view? Is appropriating characters from a video game acceptable as art? Can video game characters have deep, artistic meaning?
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Check out <a href="http://tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18016">Part Two</a>.
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