PBS: ‘Mario is the world’s greatest piece of surrealist art’

I've thought about the video games as art argument for a very long time. A few years ago I came to the conclusion that, for me, video games are indeed art. Not only is there a ton of craftsmanship and artistry poured into the creation process of games, but a lot of games actually look like art pieces.

PBS recently presented an interesting video on the Super Mario franchise and its state as an art form. According to the network, "Super Mario Bros. is the world's greatest piece of surrealist art."

Let that statement sink in for a bit, and think about all of the great surrealist pieces in the history of the art medium. Those pieces are fantastical, unreal, and even a bit eerie. Mario is the same way, and whether you're talking about walking mushroom men, a giant horned turtle with spikes on its shell, or a raccoon suit-wearing Italian plumber, there's no denying that there's a ton of surrealist charm within the confines of Shigeru Miyamoto's pleasant little creation.

So are video games art? I certainly think so. And when you take into account PBS's argument, it's really hard to disagree. More importantly, it's also really cool to see a TV station like PBS putting such attention on our favorite medium. Not only does it raise awareness, but it argues in favor of gaming, and that's always a good thing.