Artists Team Up To Interpret The World Of Deus Ex

The jury may still be out on the subject of whether games are or aren't art, but one thing's undeniable: Art is art. To celebrate the setting of the upcoming game Deus Ex: Human Revolution, publisher Square Enix has enlisted help from some prominent names in the street art and photography scenes. The results will be shown in a New York City gallery at the end of July.

The artists were commissioned to create original art based on the game's setting, where humans are dealing with the fallout from cybernetic augmentation. The pieces will be on display at the Wooster Street Social Club for two weeks, starting July 28, and proceeds from all sales will go toward funding arts education.

“Creating the right visual look and feel for Deus Ex: Human Revolution was of critical importance to help set the tone of the incredibly rich storyline and enhance the game’s universe,” said Jonathan Jacques-Belletête, art director of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Eidos-Montreal. “The art direction in the game is extremely distinctive, with its main elements being a polished blend of cyberpunk flavor and aesthetics from the Renaissance, and super slick contemporary designs such as modern architecture and geometrical art installations. It’s exciting to bring more focus to video game inspired art and it will be really interesting to see how the theme of transhumanism in Deus Ex: Human Revolution is interpreted by the unique group of artists participating in this project.”

Here are brief bios of the participating artists, from Square Enix:

•    3rassiere – comprised of Justin Metros and Alex Tarrant who is the editor of New Media/Technology at JUXTAPOZ magazine, as well as a designer at Upper Playground and 900bats. They live and work in San Francisco.
•    Estevan Oriol - is a veteran Los Angeles-based photographer whose work focuses on LA culture and lifestyles. His work his currently on display at the “Art in the Streets” exhibition at the MOCA.
•    Eyeone - is a Los Angeles-based artist with a body of work ranging from street art to graphic design. His work is currently on display at Pasadena Museum of California Art.
•    Jeremy Fish - hails from San Francisco, and acts as both a fine artist—exhibiting his work in domestic and international galleries— and a commercial illustrator and designer, creating murals, vinyl toys, apparel, and more.
•    Jorge Alderete – is a Mexico-based artist known for his explosive international collection of contemporary and custom art.
•    N8 Van Dyke - is an artist and illustrator whose work spans a wide variety of mediums, from pencil and ink to acrylic and oil pants. His uniquely detailed work has been featured in galleries around the world.
•    Rico Deniro - exhibited his first solo show earlier this year at the FIFTY24SF Gallery in San Francisco. His art direction resulted in a collection of pop culture icons, hand-carved into mask form, by rural Mexican villagers who had no idea who these icons were.
•    Robert Abeyta, Jr. - having served as art director for brands like Stussy and Nike, Rob Abeyta, Jr. is renowned for his many skills in the fields of graphic design, painting, street art, and founder of the creative applications group, DualForces.
•    Sam Flores- is a graphic designer, street artist, and fine artist in San Francisco, California. His work has been displayed in many galleries and art publications.