I AM 8 BIT 2.007: And So It Went

Last night I went to the 2007 edition of I AM 8-BIT, the art show inspired by classic 8 bit games that many of my peers played as children, and now play again today, but with a new, retro-hipster confidence added to their button mashing. This is the third year in a row for I AM 8-BIT, and every year they seem to draw a bigger crowd. Me and my posse arrived at 7, the proclaimed start time for the art show. Apparently some artists were invited to come earlier, to be interviewed by G4TV... Maybe other non artists caught wind of this, seeing as how by the time that I got there, there was already a line stretching about half a block down the street.

This guy found the best part of the line to peek from...

Me and Kevin strutted our way past all the chumps in line, up to the table by the front door, and were issued two fancy wristbands, one green one for alcohol, and another with Megaman on it, that I haven't the slightest idea why it was issued. Once inside, there was a sea of people to wade through, not to mention a few camera crews, all squeezed into a space about the size of a studio apartment.

This is Gabe Swarr, being interviewed by some guy that I could've sworn was Jack Osborne, of The Osbournes fame. Possible thoughts running through Gabe's head:

1. Don't let hair grow out, might end up looking like that.

2. Glasses make me look smarter than this guy.

3. Cool, we both have brown shirts on...

4. I am SOOO taller than you, sucka...

I wanted toencapsulate the awkwardness of this moment by making sure not to crop out the Coach image floating above Gabe's head. Was that even a real game? I think Gabe was being interviewed and taped practically every time I spotted him at the show. And every time it was also blocking all the artwork behind them from my view.


And then...

it seemed like this dude was having more than his fair share of interview time, I wanted to scope out the art that was on the wall that he's standing in front of, but seein' as how he's sportin' a 'hawk, a crapload of tatts, piercings, and was talking about some metalic cobra snake he made, I figured I would just wait till he was done talkin' to the pretty lady.


This guy creeped me out, just by the mere fact that we were stuck next to each other at some point, and he said hi... Look, dude, as I recall, Mario was not bare-chested under his red overalls, he had a moustache, but that is much different than a 5 O'clock shadow, and last time I checked, Mario didn't wear any kind of velour jacket, draped over his delicate shoulders--

Oh come on...

This girl a) knows nothing about video games, and b) had this exact, "why the hell am I here in this sea of nerds when I'm so hot," look on her face the entire time she wasn't on camera.

I finally located my piece, and it was already sold! WOOOHOOO!!!

As a preface to this next section, I want to admit that I am going to start being a little more open about my personal opinions on my blog. I've tried to leave my opinions to a minimum for the most part, but lately I have been a little more than disappointed with the quality of work people have been trying to pass off as art, and I think it would do everyone a favor if artists start to realize that not everyone thinks their work is great merely by the fact that they have a piece hanging on the wall in a gallery. That said, I don't think people should feel limited and restricted, I'm just hoping for higher quality and less BS...

Here's a really cute Luigi painting that I liked a lot

Here's a guy taking a picture of a painting that is quite the opposite of the Luigi painting. I couldn't really believe that he was taking a picture of it... This was one of the suckiest pieces in the show. I hated it. It reminded me of something that somebody in my highschool art class might have been praised for... Hey, maybe the person that did it is a highschooler, but somehow I doubt it. To the artist: learn how to mix paints! Everything doesn't have to be at the same saturation level...



These were tiny, abundant, and well executed. Very cute, pacman inspired pieces... They remind me of Scott C... Oh..

my bad...

I just wish I had been able to see all of them, unobstructed.. but there was always someone right in front of them...






Again, why do I feel like I went back to high school. I mean come on... and then I found this mural outside that I thought could've been done by the same artist...

After I got tired of being crammed in a hot, crowded space, me and my friends went out back for some drinks and good times with a giant atari controller and

My friend Erin and... hey it's Roman Dirge!

He didn't have art in the show... and was waiting out back for a friend... I think I made him cringey and uncomfortable... at least that's what his expression seems to be saying... He was a lot nerdier than I ever imagined...

I'm tired of typing, here are more images of friends...

Mari and her cool skeleton-heart hoodie


Jeremy and Hugo...



Me and Kev (who looks like he can shoot lasers out of his eye)



Me and Mari


And our sour cream alien friend, who we met at El Coyote...

TOO CRAMMED!

I went to the I AM 8-BIT art show opening last night... I tried to look at all the art, but I think I'm gonna have to go back sometime in the next month to really get a good look. Amidst a sea of gamer-artsie-nerd types, and camera crews interviewing artists, it was really too hot and crowded inside the gallery to take a good look at any of the art. As far as parties go, it was a good time though... I mean who wouldn't have a good time with a ginormous Atari controller. I saw Aktrez doing a sexy pose on the controller...

I took some pictures, talked to some cool people, and wrote down some notes on the whole deal, but I'll have to post more later about the show. Unfortunately work beckons at the moment...

I AM 8-BIT 2.007 opens Tuesday 4.17.2007

Ok folks, so this is pretty late notice, but I figure this is already all over the internet... This Tuesday is the big, fancy opening for the 2007 version of I AM 8-BIT... the annual video game inspired art show. There will be a ginormous atari controller, and a crapload of art... including a piece by ME! Hooray!

Where Have I Been?

April Fools Day came and went, and thankfully I can say that no fool was made out of me this year... Yet...

I haven't had much time for posting lately- between moving, starting a new studio job, working on freelance, trying to start up my own, independently produced short film, trying to get a new toy designed and produced, and working on polishing up a couple pitches that a major studio has been interested in, I've found little time for moments of calm... but when I've found them, I've been more interested in using them for spending time with my boyfriend, friends, and family (sometimes only by phone, lately... sorry, family).

I've been meaning to post a photoblog of stuff I was up to when I was too busy to be a consistent blogger, and now I am gonna try winning you over with random posts of highlights of my fond memories of free time... Here are some photos of me and Kevin's drive from Kirkland, Washington to Pasadena, California.


Some really nice blossoming trees that I was able to somehow take a picture of from inside a moving, highway speed, Uhaul Mini-Mover. Maybe it's because of my new, fancy-pants camera... Thank you, fancypants Nikon!

These were... pretty much... the best clouds ever.

This was the creepiest bathroom I have ever used. First of all, it was at this tiny gas station in the middle of nowheresville. It was all by itself, off the 5, in the very most northern area of California. There were only two pumps, and they looked like the last time they were replaced was in the late 70s, maybe early 80s. It was raining when we got there... and if Psycho took place in a gas station, this would be the one... If you can see near the lady mannequin's right shoulder, there's a speaker. Upon entering the bathroom and closing the door, a blood curdling scream comes out of there, and lasts for way too long. Thanks for scaring the pee out of me... good thing I'm in the bathroom!

Here's me and Kevin at breakfast in the Black Bear Diner. The one we went to was in Yreka. No, that isn't a typo. And don't be fooled into thinking it's pronounced like Eureka, as in, "Eureka, I've found it!" There is another town called Eureka, and they will punch you in the nose for making that mistake. As far as I know, it's pronounced, "why"-reeka. At breakfast I overheard a man saying there was an "oriental lady" workin up the road... a really nice lady... As far as I know, I was the only oriental in the whole diner. I chose not to linger too long there...

As the sun went down one afternoon, it looked as if the clouds were lined with gold...

Kevin's a lot greener in the dark. I was surprised this came out all artsy and blurry... I think this was taken at another creepy place off the 5. We had intended to eat at some restaurant we spotted, but it turned out to be closing, and it was next to some creepy little market that had a plastic, lifesize white horse on the outside for no good reason. And a really friendly cat that kept meowing at me and coming up to be pet... I think cats can sense that I'm allergic... One day I'm gonna wake up and a gang of cats will be waiting to get me...

The End