Continuing the previous conversation, Dr. Erwin Warkentin and I explore the subjective experience of art, the impact of technological tools on creation, and global storytelling differences.
Key Topics:
Nuance and Subtlety: Finding hidden details in art, comparing Beethoven’s “false cadences” and Rembrandt’s framing to the environmental storytelling in games like Myst and The Last of Us.
The Definition of Art: The idea that art only exists in the moment it is experienced and interpreted by the audience.
Effort vs. Value: A discussion on whether the physical effort of creation defines art, comparing modern game development to the assembly-line nature of Renaissance painting studios.
Technology Driving Art: How the tools of the time dictate the art produced, comparing historical paint pigments (Lapis Lazuli, Prussian Blue) to the adoption of CD-ROMs and 3D graphics.
Western vs. Eastern Narratives: Contrasting goal-oriented Western RPGs with journey-oriented Japanese RPGs (JRPGs).
A Global Medium: The conclusion that video games represent the first truly globally shared art form, utilizing technology and narratives from across the world.
Listen to the first part of this series:
