Student Spotlight: Chris Bryant

Chris Bryant, a second year Intermedia MFA student, has focused much of his work on the intersection between art and video games. His research has led him on a path towards distinguishing the difference between video games as entertainment and video games as a mechanism for creating a commentary on political and social issues. With BAs in both Psychology and New Media, Bryant’s work within the MFA program offers a unique look at the untapped potential of video games.

Born and raised in Camden, Maine, Bryant was drawn to New Media, and eventually Intermedia, because of a strong interest in game design. That interest continued to expand as he learned more about the relational effects between psychology, perspective, and technology. The ability to alter an individual’s perspective by using new technology created an opportunity to explore not only how people saw themselves, but the space around them as well. In order to further study these effects, Bryant constructed a device that allowed the user to view themselves from a third person perspective, thereby creating the sensation of being within a video game

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Bryant’s most recent work, however, has less to do with perspective and more to do with topical issues such as the military and terrorism. Currently working on developing an “Art Game,” Bryant is reusing one of the first video games ever designed, Pong, and restructuring it to have a deeper commentary on the war on terror. One of the main changes Bryant has incorporated into the game is a no win condition. The goal is to have users associate the futility of gameplay with the futility of waging a war that has no discernible end. The work will hopefully inspire a conversation around the current strategy taken against all forms of terrorism.

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Bryant’s work is currently in-process and undergoing a series of prototypes. He hopes to have some of his work ready for display by the end of the semester.

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