On Friday, 21 April 2006, Horsecross is delighted to unveil the world premiere of First Person by Beverley Hood – a playful take on the centuries long tradition of self-portraiture in art and the contemporary world of video games, with their stylised characters such as Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. First Person is the latest Horsecross commission to be added to the growing Threshold artspace collection of digital public art. It is showing as part of Players – Horsecross’ year long celebration of computer games and toys by contemporary artists.

Players launched in November 05 and has already premiered nine interactive titles and art games by six British and Belgian artists. For Players, Threshold artspace has been transformed into a digital playground for young and old to engage with some of the best art games around. These are artists’ works, which challenge our views of the commercial game culture; visualise the invisible and ask questions about the future of gaming.

‘We associate computer games with young people and big budget entertainment, with sedentary lifestyle and stereotypes, said Iliyana Nedkova, Horsecross Creative Director (New Media). ‘Most of us, however, are not aware that nowadays a lot of independent artists who take interest in the gaming world use the format of gameplay to comment on these associations. They often attack the bad taste, sexual roles and simple competitive or violent confrontations of games. It is in these terms that we can think of First Person as Beverley’s statement on the representation of women in some of the most popular video games’.

Beverley’s First Person is a timely reminder that nowadays the vast percentage of people playing games are adults and increasingly women. In South Korea 69% of the gamers are female. It is partly this generational and gender shift that has prompted the artist to create her lead female character with a different appeal, as an antithesis of the ridiculously proportioned bodies of Lara Croft and even Barbie. The protagonist of First Person is modelled after the full-size self-portrait of the artist. It breathes realism and doesn’t embody the super powers of the wonder woman. The sense of her character’s subtle photorealism is complemented by the documentary approach in depicting the surroundings. The fictional rooms populated by Buffy and her buddies are replaced with outline drawings inspired by the architectural 3D models of a real place - the Threshold artspace and the Perth Concert Hall.

First Person also breaks new technological ground which very few art games have ventured into. On programming level Beverley’s work displays all the characteristics of a 3D real-time commercial game. The artist has made creative use of the Torque gaming platform and has written new scripts for its open source software released by GarageGames. As part of the exhibition at the Threshold artspace visitors aka players will be invited to use the gamepad while sitting in a sumptuous ‘orange-peel’ chair. They can make Beverley’s alter ego jump up and down, run around or find her way while exploring the crooks and nooks of the building.

First Person by Beverley Hood - exclusive Horsecross commission in partnership with edinburgh college of art and Gillies

Exhibition
22-30 April and 1-31 August 2006
part of Players – Horsecross’ celebration of artists’ computer games
Open daily up to 14 hours Admission FREE

Related Events
Friday, 21 April 2006
6-7pm Reflections on Creativity: a keynote talk by Sean Cubitt, UK/New Zealand: free: by invitation only
7-8pm First Person: private view and reception with Beverley Hood: free: by invitation only
8.30pm to late Salt Lick: DJ special by Mylo, Linus Loves and Kevin Kennedy: Tickets £15: 0845 612 6322

Threshold artspace Perth Concert Hall, Horsecross, Mill Street, Perth, PH1 5HZ, UK
0044 (0) 845 612 6320 info@horsecross.co.uk  www.horsecross.co.uk  

Threshold artspace is Scotland’s first dedicated gallery for digital public art, with nine unique spaces presenting a varied programme of artists’ films, videos, games, text, photography, performance, light, sound and software art.