On August 7th, the Autumn Society of Philadelphia will be hosting its first video game themed show, entitled "8-Bit and Beyond." Over 50 area artists will be presenting gaming themed art, from classic 80's titles to much more recent entries.

In the time leading up to the show, we'll be presenting a few selections and conducting short interviews with the artists, getting a better look at what gaming fans have to look forward to. This week, we talk to Doctor Octoroc, Carlos Araujo, and Tim Durning about their pieces, ranging from Shadow of the Colossus to Yar.

Give a little introduction to yourself.

My name is Tim Durning, I'm an illustrator and designer living in Philadelphia. I graduated from the University of the Arts in Illustration. I'm a big fan of fantasy novels, art deco artists, and coffee. (www.timdurning.com)

What is the name of your piece and what medium was it done in?

The piece is called N.C.'s Shadow, it's done in red pencil & photoshop.

Why did you choose the game you did for this piece?

When I played Shadow of the Colossus, I thought it was a beautiful game full of mystery and atmosphere. Those are aspects I try to instill in a lot of my work, and so I was pretty excited when the chance came up to create a piece in the world of the game.

Did you play games growing up?

I did. I felt like I was always a system behind because we never had the "newest stuff," but my types of games were role playing/strategy games like The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, etc.

Are you playing any video games right now?

I don't have a TV or any systems, so right now I'm not playing anything. Sometimes I wish I could play something like the new Zelda games or the beautiful games that are coming out for the next generation of systems, but then again, I may never get any work done.

Were there any other games/compositions you considered? 

Not really, as a matter of fact, this was the first thing to pop into my head and I got so excited by the prospect I didn't stop to consider anything else.

Do you think that games can be seen as art? Why?

The best types of games are those that not only present to the player a world where they can delve into, but characters, story, and an element of challenge- much like a comic, a book, or any other piece of art work. The only difference between the former and the latter examples, is that a game in more directly interactive between the people that make the game and those playing it. So, yes.

Give a little introduction to yourself.

I'm Doctor Octoroc, I'm 27, i live just outside of Philadelphia in a town called Media, and I've been creating art and music inspired by video games since I first played Coleco Vision. (www.doctoroctoroc.com)

What is the name of your piece and what medium was it done in?

The name of my piece is "Fire-Wall" and I used fuse beads.

Why did you choose the game you did for this piece?

While the isn't based on any one game, I chose heroes from Nintendo's original lineup of lasting series'. Zelda especially has always been a favorite, as anyone can tell from the tattoo sleeve-in-progress on my left arm, shoulder and chest. Although I was never big into RPG's, the scene in my piece is based on Final Fantasy IV, which is one of my favorite games for the music, composed by Nobuo Uematsu.

Did you play games growing up?

Too many to count. I've followed every system made by Nintendo and most of the others since the early days of gaming and video games were definitely a large part of my early years.

Are you playing any video games right now?

Much to the surprise of many who have seen or heard my work, I rarely play video games. The extent of my current gaming is Wii Fit and an occasional stroll down memory-lane with the good old NES.

Were there any other games/compositions you considered?

While working on "Fire-Wall" I considered using other characters, such as Mega Man, but I stuck with the three classics characters that stuck with Nintendo through to the Wii.

Do you think that games can be seen as art? Why?

Games themselves, I would consider to be productions, so much like any production, be it theater, film, TV, etc., many forms of art come together to create video games. From design and modeling to musical arrangements, sound effects and voice acting, if it weren't for a plethora of talented artists in all fields, video games would not be possible, so on a whole, I would say yes, video games cannot only be seen as art - they are an artform all to their own.

Give a little introduction to yourself.

My name is Carlos Araujo and I’m an illustrator currently located in Brazil, where I live with my wife and two pet spiders (Phobos and Deimos). I have done work for the editorial market and for the web as well. I like to use silhouettes and high contrasted figures when creating my illustrations. This year, three of my illustrations where chosen to be part of the upcoming Luerzer Special: 200 Best Illustrators Worldwide.  I don't have a driving license, a car or tattoos.

What is the name of your piece and what medium was it done in?

My piece is called "Yar's Revenge" and was done in digital medium.

Why did you choose the game you did for this piece?

I always thought that the Yar was some kind of mechanic housefly (because of that illustration on the cover of the Atari 2600 version) so I went with this concept. I also was inspired by those  school assignments where you have to pin and label an insect inside a box. The all-white design is to make a bridge between the old Atari console and the new ones, in particular the Nintendo Wii. And I like the name "Yar's Revenge"... It sounds cool and it is a little mysterious (at least to me).

Did you play games growing up?

Yes. I played a lot of Atari games as a kid. A lot.

Are you playing any video games right now?

I bought a Nintendo Wii not long ago... But unfortunately I don't have much of free time to play! When I get a chance, I usually play Mario Kart or House Of The Dead: Overkill with my wife. She is quite good at killing zombies...

Were there any other games/compositions you considered?

Legend Of Zelda: A Link to the Past is one of the finest games I ever played so at first I considered to draw Link. But then I remembered some of the old Atari games and thought they could offer me more freedom in the way of how to draw their characters. So I chose Yar's Revenge, a game, I must confess, I played only once when I was 9 or 10 years old. My piece is influenced more by those childhood memories and less by the game itself.

Do you think that games can be seen as art? Why?

Yes. If you consider art as self-expression and self-discovery. A lot of recent games offer ways to self-expression and self-discovery not only for the game creator but specially to the player. And that is what makes games so interesting as an art form.