Natalie Bookchin, gameart.

By mikealpiccinin on September 14th, 2009, 1:14 am 0 Comments

Natalie Bookchin used video games as a form of art, creating The Intruder which is both a comment on the violent nature of video games, and based on a short story by Jorge Luis Borges of two brothers love for the same women, and the harsh treatment that is given to her. This story is retold as both brothers sharing her at the beginning, then ending up selling her to a brothel leading to her death, and the brother’s reconciliation after her passing.  

Bookchin’s description of the art game is, “looks like a game but in fact is a critical commentary on computer games and patriarchy.”

The Intruder is a video game of ten different smaller games. Shown throughout the video game are the alternate paths is which a women is bombarded with various forms of abuse expressed through narrative passages. In one of many of Bookchin’s renditions of video games, she incorporates the game of Pong  a game where shown is a replica of a two dimensional  ping pong table is displayed on screen. Each player must hit the ball back and forth, defending one side of the screen. The ball symbolizes the women being exchanged that from brother to brother.

Brookchin brings forth the relationship between literature and video games, and  the question of  the womens’ role in the story. There is an obvious parallel between violence towards women within the short story written by Borges, displaying the sexism contained in most video games, being directed towards males.  From this it is clear that there is a direct correlation that coincides in the art that Natalie Bookchin portrays between women abuse and violence within video games.

 

 

-Make sure to check out the game yo, at 

http://bookchin.net/intruder/ .

Category: blog | Tags: artgame Natalie Bookchin video game violence women | Permalink: Natalie Bookchin, gameart.