i made this. you play this. we are enemies, a game by Jason Nelson. The still image doesn't begin to capture the animation and noise!

Nelson’s originally from Oklahoma, is a poet, and has a variety of what he calls “art games.” They are word heavy, frenetic and hilarious–with an anti-high tech, DIY look that deceives as it charms. He also has poems, songs and stories that have fun with the interactive quality of internet technology. It’s a perfect way to waste a snowy afternoon.

John Karel's Wii™ avatar

John Karel, on the Rocky steps of the PMA during his lunch break

In the animation which he made using the open source 3D animation software Blender, John’s avatar scoots around a Wii™-ified version of his own South Philadelphia row home kitchen. As he fills the pot with water and lights the stove with his round, fingerless Wii™ hands, the score in the upper left-hand corner of the screen spins higher. Then you and John wait for about five minutes for the water to boil. John’s avatar restlessly bobs around, kicks at the Wii™ linoleum, and even goes off screen for awhile. You wait too. It’s drudgery at its best. Soon a pop-up box congratulates us on the successfully boiled water. It is now time for “Part II: Cooking noodles.” John’s interpretation of a misinformed translation reminded me of the occasional Japanese-English translation error my brothers and I would encounter on the original Nintendo.

"A Winner is You" a congratulatory message from the creators of Pro Wrestling (NES system, 1986)

The overall feeling of the animation is rather sad. It’s comparable to watching an inexperienced gamer play Wii™ Tennis by himself: both lonely and pathetic. A very existential piece. You can watch Wii™ Macaroni and Cheese here.

John’s show also includes avatar portraits (including a portrait of this article’s author) painted brightly in acrylic on both sides of sheets of plexiglass. They remind me of Northern European Renaissance portraits, which is not surprising considering that John has worked a part-time job in Gallery Maintenance (artwork dusting) at the PMA for over two years. Some of the avatars exude austere serenity against their colorfully pixelated backgrounds.

Portrait of a Man Praying by Ludovico Portinari. Photo from the Philadelphia Museum of Art website.

A portrait of Gavin Riley, by John Karel

A Donor Praying by Jan Provost. Photo from the Philadelphia Museum of Art website

A portrait of Richard Davis, by John Karel

Another challenge/joy for John was to come up with a show title. He and a friend schemed show names to rival those unfortunately generic show titles at cultural institutions in Philadelphia (ahem, Cezanne and Beyond). Some were as follows: “John Karel: Himself.” “John Karel: Color as Structure” “John Karel: Tradition and Innovation” and “John Karel: Portrait of a Man.” Ultimately he settled on the Macaroni and Cheese title, he tells me with a straight face, but I know there’s something wry boiling underneath.

Wii™ Macaroni and Cheese has a closing reception on Saturday, October 2nd at the Philadelphia Institute For Advanced Study (PIFAS) 1712 N. 2nd St. 8:00 PM. Otherwise you can see the work by appointment (717) 413-6951 www.pifas.net. I will be delivering a lecture in conjunction with the exhibit and this article about user creativity (including a discussion of avatars) in The Sims 3™ on Wednesday, September 30 at 9:00 pm.