Into the Pixel Highlights 17 Pieces of Video Game Art

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences and the Entertainment Software Association have announced that their joint project Into the Pixel has selected 17 pieces of video game art that will be added to its collection, widely seen as being the greatest recognition that a video game artist can get.

Those who are interested in seeing the 2011 Into the Pixel collection need to go to the E3 show at the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 7 to 9.

Into the Pixel is relevant because it takes video games art and allows its quality to be judged by a number of experts that are selected from the world of traditional art.

The jurors this year include:
- Glenn Phillips, who is the senior project specialist and consulting curator at the Department of Architecture and Contemporary Art of the Getty Research Institute;
- Nora Dolan – an independent curator;
- Ryan Wilkerson, the senior art director at Microsoft Game Studios;
- Matt Hall, the senior partner production designer at Timbuk2 Studios;
- Brian Moore, an art director at Microsoft Game Studios.

The works inducted this year include:

- Amorphous Drake by Lucas Graciano for Legends of Norrath
- The Bridge by Erik Zaring & Anders Gustafsson for The Dream Machine
- The Cottage by Hamzah Kasom Osman for Drawn 3
- Cronos Battle by Tyler Breon for God of War III
- Dead Walking by Chris Moffitt, Brad Crow, Nathan Stefan, Bart Tiongson for Orcs Must Die!
- The Dragon Play by Brian Thompson and Hamzah Kasom Osman for Drawn: Dark Flight
- Flemmeth by Matt Rhodes for Dragon Age 2
- Good Friends by Matthew Halpin, Andrew Matthews, Matthew Preece, Radek Walachnia, John Laws for Kinectimals
- Grim Exploits by Colin Foran, Claire Hummel, Ryan Wilkerson for Trenched
- Incident at the Workshop by Ivan Simoncini for Alien Swarm
- Market Fire, Columbia (Shop Sweeper) by Ben Lo for BioShock Infinite
- Normandy by Mikko Kinnunen for Mass Effect 2
- Oktonok Cay Cannery by David Guertin for Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One
- Paper World by Say Oh and Damian Kim for Paper World
- The Pelican Inn (Pub) by Andrew Kim for Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
- Stahl Arms by Jesse van Dijk for Killzone 3
- Swamp Skull by Jeff Haynie for Mystery Case Files: 13th Skull.

Martin Rae, president, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, has stated when the announcement was made, “Now that public institutions have accepted video games as a legitimate form of art, there is no question that video game art has and will continue to have a place in the contemporary art scene. The AIAS is pleased to partner with the ESA in this celebration, and is looking forward to continue pushing the recognition of our artist members’ efforts.”

Michael D. Gallagher, the president and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association, added, “Into the Pixel is the industry’s premier showcase for the art of computer and video games and celebration of the artists whose talent creates these stunning images.”