Since I lived most of my life without any type of video game in it, they’ve always amazed me from an outsider’s point of view. Too poor to have any type of gaming machines growing up, I’ve always stood back to watch others have a good time playing them, typically to great effect; if you ever needed an 8-bit cheerleader, here I (still) am.
That’s probably the reason why I was so immersed in the world of Oklahoma Contemporary’s Open World: Video Games and Contemporary Art mediation so much, just because I have spent my life viewing video games, desperately unable to mash those controller buttons; I feel that I was able to absorb the artistry of it all so much more.
Don’t get me wrong: when I entered the building, I was immediately drawn to the throwback Atari arcade machine that was firmly planted in the entryway but, not knowing what to do, I was immediately killed and given a “game over” screen, once the kiss of death for youth but, now, a soothing balm letting me know that, many years later, I’m still no good at it. It was a strange sort of relief.