Geek Chic: Underground Artists Remind Us Why We Love 8-Bit

by Danny Internets

March 4th, 2009 - 3:52 pm

Since the debut of the Atari 2600 in 1977, gaming has secured a unique niche in popular culture. Like those from our childhood stories, books, movies, and television programs, characters from video games can evoke powerful feelings of nostalgia as we think back on simpler times. I’ll bet most of us can still remember that Christmas morning when we unwrapped our first NES–I know I can.

Given the lengthy history of gaming and how it has blossomed into a multi-billion dollar industry, it should come as no surprise that video games have blended with a number of facets of everyday life. And with those who grew up on the 2600 and NES now in their mid-20’s and 30’s, gaming isn’t just for kids anymore. From Halloween costumes to military training exercises to physical fitness, gaming is an ever-present part of our culture.

There are many out there who take their gaming seriously and insist that video games an artistic form of expression equal to any other visual or story-telling medium. With gamer art gathering steam as a successful underground phenomenon, it’s hard to argue otherwise. Every summer, hundreds of people flock to the annual mixed media I Am 8-bit exhibit hosted in Hollywood, California. The exhibit features artists from around the world who have demonstrated a love of old school gaming through their choice of subject matter. While the I Am 8-bit exhibit gives the public a glimpse at some exceptionally geeky eye-candy, there are of course untold thousands of other talented artists out there who have not had the fortune of having their work put on display.

Below you can find some incredibly cool examples of some lesser known artists, most of which have not yet been featured in I Am 8-bit. And if you haven’t already seen the exhibit pieces from the past few years, you can check them out here (2006), here (2007), and here (2008).

On to the gallery…