Episode 72 - Art

This week, Norah joins Ben to talk about a subjective… subject.  The word is art, so prepare yourself for a more philosophical episode than you're used to.  The hosts share their love of observing, appreciating, making, and talking about art.  Ben tells a few stories, Norah brings her research, and they both drop many artist and architect names.  For details about the episode’s "video game bookends," see below! 

Video games mentioned or discussed (albeit briefly) in this episode include: 

• Mahjong Dimensions - by Arkadium
• Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! - GAME FREAK
• The Grand Theft Auto franchise - Rockstar Games
• World of Demons - PlatinumGames
• Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, and Dragon’s Crown - Vanillaware
• Jet Set Radio - Smilebit and Sega
• The Borderlands franchise - Gearbox Software

00:00:21 - Chicago snowstorms, gauntlets, removable hands, and one big wind tunnel

00:02:30 - What we are playing these days: Mahjong Dimensions and Pocket Card Jockey

00:05:27 - An impromptu endorsement of Apple services and products

00:06:40 - Art according to Oxford Languages, the 13 Bhutanese Arts, and the Art of War

00:10:30 - Subjectivity, relativity, no abbreviations, “art thou,” and ars 

00:12:20 - Personal meanings of the word, Ben’s arts of podcasting, and NFT-like episode titles

00:15:30 - Ben asks, “when you follow a pattern, are you creating art?”

00:17:42 - Norah’s “not normal people” when drawing and painting, and Ben’s modern art 

00:20:46 - Paint by numbers is so much easier with iPads, and representative art philosophy

00:26:28 - Impressionism, art as form, Norah loves Frank Gehry, and noisy mimes

00:33:32 - Architecture of Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe 

00:35:47 - Ben’s Mister 20 / POÄNG chair diversion, and an architect’s furniture designs 

00:38:51 - HEY GRAHAM!  Do you know what would make this podcast better?

00:40:42 - Norah’s experiences at this year’s International Puppet Festival in Chicago

00:43:19 - Bad puppet show criteria, Tony Scott, and thinking about what isn’t art

00:45:51 - Paul’s impressive latte art, art student Dread Scott, and the movie “So Fine”

00:50:38 - The use photorealism and other stylistic choices in video games

00:54:09 - Ben loves Vanillaware Ltd.  games, and talks about the company’s history

00:57:25 - Ben tries to explain hand painted images, RTS games, and pointless teasers 

01:00:01 - “Better Off Ted,” Jabberwocky, and Ben loses his train of thought

01:02:20 - Norah impressed by the art style of “World of Demons”

01:04:28 - The cel shading game art style, ne’er-do-wells, graffiti art, and Jean-Michel Basquiat 

01:08:40 - Perceptions of art, closing thoughts, the art of shame 

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