8-Bit and Beyond

Opening reception Fri,. Aug. 7, 6-10 p.m., free, through Aug. 31, Brave New Worlds, 45 N. Second St., 215-925-6525, bravenewworldscomics.com.

by Kristen Humbert

[ visual art/pop ]

At some point in the recent past, it became hip to be a geek.

Judging by the exhibit "8-Bit and Beyond," the nerd's comeuppance has even infiltrated the art scene. Curated by local illustrators' collective The Autumn Society, the show features more than 50 pieces inspired by early video games. Joseph Game, one of the Society's founders, created wood-mounted paintings that showcase prominent video game characters, like Link in Zelda: A Link to the Past (pictured). Similarly, Pat Kinsella's digital works cleverly depict Mario's day job — fixing bathroom sinks. And Tim Durning illustrated a parody of N.C. Wyeth's The Giant, placing one of the Colossi from Shadow of the Colossus in the clouds.

This is the fifth exhibit The Autumn Society has put on since May, but it's the first devoted entirely to video games. DJ Doctor Octoroc will even be on hand to play chiptunes — music inspired by '80s and '90s video game melodies. So why all the fuss over games that are more than two decades old? Since most of the artists are in their early to mid-20s, the evolution of the video game coincided with their own evolution into adulthood. "We grew up with these games as part of our genes," says Game. "They shaped our generation."

Opening reception Fri,. Aug. 7, 6-10 p.m., free, through Aug. 31, Brave New Worlds, 45 N. Second St., 215-925-6525, bravenewworldscomics.com.