Game Stylistics: Playing with Lowbrow by Hyein Lee a Thesis Supporting
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Game Stylistics: Playing with Lowbrow by Hyein Lee A thesis supporting paper and exhibition presented to the OCAD University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Design in the Interdisciplinary Master‘s in Art, Media and Design Program OCADU Graduate Gallery 205 Richmond Street Toronto, Ontario, Canada September 6th – September 9th, 2011 © Hyein Lee, August 2011 Author’s Declaration I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I authorize OCAD University to lend this thesis to other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. I further authorize OCAD University to reproduce this thesis by photocopying or by other means, in total or in part, at the request of other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research. Signature __________________________________________________ ii Game Stylistics: Playing with Lowbrow Hyein Lee, Masters of Design, 2011 Interdisciplinary Master‘s in Art, Media and Design OCAD University Abstract Playing with Lowbrow is an art game development/creation project that explores the application of Lowbrow aesthetics to game graphics. The resulting creation, Twinkling Stars Above, is a single-player platform PC game prototype. This paper describes the shared and distinct context of two contemporary art movements important to the creation of Twinkling Stars Above: Japan‘s Superflat and North America‘s Lowbrow. I propose that, given Superflat‘s influence on Japan‘s video game graphics, Lowbrow style could also be applied to video games. Through the theoretical background of the Superflat and Lowbrow movements, and practice-based research, Playing with Lowbrow suggests an opportunity to apply the aesthetics of Lowbrow to contemporary digital games in order to blend aesthetics and push against the conventional definitions of high and low art. iii Acknowledgements I would like to thank Ontario College of Art & Design University and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for their generous support of my graduate research; my principal advisor, Barbara Rauch and my committee (Paula Gardner, Emma Westecott); external advisors (Michael Prokopow, Caroline Langill and Michael Longford) for their great help; the Department of Graduate Studies office (Martha Ladly, Sarah Hildebrandt, Alice Brummell, Gale Allen and Helmut Reichenbacher); and a very special thank you to Dan Lee and Michael Daykin for their technical help and dedication to my project. iv Table of Contents Author’s Declaration ............................................................................................. ii Abstract ............................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................. iv List of Figures ...................................................................................................... vi Preface ............................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1: Introduction........................................................................................ 1 1.1 Definition of Superflat and Lowbrow ......................................................... 2 1.2 Definition of Independent Games and Art Games .................................... 6 1.3 Research Questions .................................................................................. 9 Chapter 2: Literature and Art Review ............................................................... 10 2.1 Independent Games and Art Games ...................................................... 10 2.2 Art and Literature of Superflat ................................................................. 16 2.3 Art of Lowbrow ......................................................................................... 20 2.4 Literature on Lowbrow ............................................................................. 27 Chapter 3: Body of Thesis ................................................................................ 31 3.1 Methodology ............................................................................................ 31 3.1.1 Reflective Practice and Action Research ............................................. 31 3.1.2 Iterative Design..................................................................................... 33 3.1.4 The Scrum Method ............................................................................... 40 3.2 Connections Between Superflat and Lowbrow ....................................... 42 3.3 Media Convergence ................................................................................ 48 3.5 Tactility, Lowbrow and Game Graphics .................................................. 63 Chapter 4: Conclusion and Contribution to the Field ....................................... 67 4.1 Conclusion ............................................................................................... 67 4.2 Contribution to the Field .............................................................................. 69 Chapter 5: Recommendations for Future Research......................................... 71 Works Cited ....................................................................................................... 72 Appendix A. Visual Reference .......................................................................... 78 Selected Videogame References ..................................................................... 82 Appendix B. DVD of Game Prototypes and Play Testing Data ........................ 85 v List of Figures Figure 2.3.1: I am Your Piñata, 2003, Acrylic on Canvas 18X18 inches, Gary Baseman p. 21 Figure 2.3.2: Felix the Cat, Screen Capture from Woos Whoopee, 1930, animation, Pat Sullivan p.21 Figure 2.3.3: Dokkaebi Motif from United Shilla (668 to 935AD), Scan from book Dokkaebi, 1988, Sang-soo Ahn p.23 Figure 2.3.4: Pieces of the Sun, 2008, mixed media, Hyein Lee p.26 Figure 3.2.1: Comparison between Lowbrow, Superflat and Video Game, Hyein Lee, 2011 p.44 Figure 3.2.2: Left - Wishing Toys, 2 X 3 inches, Friends with You, 2006 Right - Noby Noby Boy, Keita Takahashi, Namco, 2010 p.47 Figure 3.4.1: Toi, 2009, iPhone toy 480 X 320 pixels, Hyein Lee p.51 Figure 3.4.2: Eek, 2010, iPhone toy 480 X 320 pixels, Hyein Lee p.51 Figure 3.4.3: Loneliness Is I and Loneliness Is II, 2010, interactive digital installations 70 X 50 inches, Hyein Lee p.54 Figure 3.4.4: Loneness is II, 2010, interactive digital installations 70X50 inches, Hyein Lee p.54 Figure 3.4.5: Infection, 2010, PC video game 900 X 600 pixels, Hyein Lee and Louie Yabut p.57 Figure 3.4.6: Twinkling Stars Above, 2011, an excerpt from the opening sequence 1280 X 720 pixels, Hyein Lee p.63 Figure 3.5: Twinkling Stars Above, 2011, an excerpt from the opening sequence 1280 X 720 pixels, Hyein Lee p.66 vi Preface I have often been asked to discuss how my Korean background effects my work. I have been reluctant to do so because I have felt singled out. On the surface, I am a Korean: I look Korean and have a noticeable accent. However, it is a bit hard to comment as a Korean person living in Canada. I‘ve been educated in Canada since secondary school and my adult sense of thinking only formed within the Canadian education and cultural system. Also, because I grew up in a suburb of Toronto, I was rarely in contact with Koreans outside of my family. I feel more foreign to Korea than to Canada. Given such circumstances, can I comment as a Korean? I do not know. For these reasons, I get defensive when asked about my Korean perspective. However, I try to be true to myself and let go of defensive emotions. I must look into my background because it plays a vital role in my art. The truth of the matter is that I did live in Korea, watching Japanese anime and reading manga classics such as Astroboy. I did not know at the time that they were Japanese, but some of the visual cues have definitely left imprints in my art style – simplified characters, cute aesthetics, etc. This is not just me: Japanese animations like Astroboy were also aired in North America in the 1960‘s and 1970‘s, thus artists in North America must be influenced by them too. This is interesting because Astroboy creator vii Osamu Tezuka adapted Disney cartooning in his work (Napier 17). With globalized communication technologies, there is a mix of aesthetics. I believe that is the reason why Superflat and Lowbrow exhibit some similar aesthetics. Despite a hint of Japanese influence in my work, I get angry inside whenever someone assumes my work is Japanese. I have nothing against individual Japanese people. I just do not feel comfortable being perceived as Japanese. I rarely admit it, but my anger is due to the Japanese colonization of Korea between 1919 and 1931. Here is a personal paradox: I consider myself a Canadian, and not fully Korean, but I care about this history. If I were entirely Canadian, I would not get emotional over such a history. I know how outsiders might think: ‗why don‘t they get along? Why can‘t Koreans forgive?‘ It is hard to forget about something that happened less than a hundred years ago. My grandparents went through Japanese colonial rule and told me horrifying stories. Such trauma cannot