Monday, September 18, 2017

The Aesthetics of Play

Pearce, Celia The Aesthetics of Play, Visible Language 40:1 (Jan 2006) (two special issues on Fluxus, the first being 39:3).


Article on parallels between computer games and Fluxus-related game pieces.


The selection of games as an art medium involves suspension of certain artistic prerogatives. In the worlds of John Cage, it requires you as the artist to "give yourself up." This does not mean abdicating either control or even aesthetic direction; indeed the craft of game-making lies in the ability to create a balance, to locate the "sweet spot" between constraints and freedom. The game artist makes a conscious choice to share the art-making process, putting at least a part of the creative act in the hands of the player/participant.