BOSS RUSH! Opening Recap

A huge thanks to everyone who made it out to the BOSS RUSH! opening reception! We had a packed house, great company, and a fun night recounting our favorite bad guys! It was an epic celebration of the 100+ pieces of artwork on the walls!



All night, guests proclaimed their love, hatred, and favorite memories from some of their cherished video games. You could hear the shock, excitement, and enthusiasm throughout the gallery! Pieces included topics from games such as Pokémon, Shadow of the Colossus, Pac Man, Street Fighter and more!

In additional to all of the physical pieces, we had an extra special interactive component, designed and created by artist Chris Schons. He displayed a Mega Man II inspired game filled with shrapnel, falling mechanical parts, and hidden details! Details and an online version will be available soon!



We also highlighted the favorites from our guest jurors to be displayed and recognized as the top ten pieces from the show! We asked Tim Turi and Ben Hanson (Game Informer), Adam May (Gearbox), and Claire Hummel (HBO) to select their top pieces from the exhibition. They selected the artwork of Miranda Meeks, Matt Rockefeller, Leonard Peng, Lydia Guadagnoli, Audrey Gonzalez, Ricardo Alvilés, Victor Maury, Chris Schons, Paul Reinwand, and Richie Pope.



If you were unable to celebrate with us in person, no problem! You can always check out the entire collection of artwork on the Light Grey website. Prints are also available on the Light Grey Shop through April 10th! To view more photographs of the opening reception and artwork, you can also see our flickr gallery here.


Here is a detail of Chris Schon's work displayed at the opening reception

Thanks again, everyone! We will see you on April 17th for the opening reception of GUTS!

Artist Interview: Victor Maury

Meet Victor Maury. Victor is a French artist, living and working in Sarasota, Florida. Victor is known for his fantasy characters, concept art backgrounds, and video game inspired digital paintings. His work has been recognized and celebrated by art magazines, gaming companies, and publishers such as Fantasy Flight Games, Riot Games, and Bifront Entertainment. Victor has also participated in several Light Grey Art Lab exhibitions and publications including In Place, Rolemodels: Battle for Vyk' Tornaahl, and the current BOSS RUSH! project.

We are thrilled to work with Victor on the BOSS RUSH! Exhibition and celebrate his process and artwork. Below, you can read more about his thoughts on illustration, participation in the community, and goals. You can also view more of his work at victorymaury.com



Hi Victor. Can you tell us more about yourself, your background, and where you are headed?

I was born in small-town France and moved to the US when I was seven years old. A lot of my work is influenced by my visits to the French countryside and the Pyrenees as a kid with my family. I've always loved to draw, but only began studying art seriously about four years ago, starting with animation and now illustration. I've been freelancing for about two years and expect to graduate from the Ringling College of Art and Design this May. After graduation, I plan to move out to California. My priority in life is to go on adventures and experience new things- art simply allows me to explore that in a personal way and share it with others.

What is your studio setup like? What materials do you most enjoy?

I try to keep my workspace clean and tidy, just the essentials: A semi-powerful PC + monitor and my trusty Cintiq 21 that I've had for about 4 years. Oh, and my speakers, cos jams are super important! My room is decorated with artwork from some of my incredibly talented friends. This is where I'll do most of my finalized paintings. When I'm brainstorming or sketching, I like to leave the house and go outside, any excuse to go exploring!



What is your creative process? Do you prepare yourself mentally for art creation, or do you dive right in? And if so, how?

When I get an assignment or an idea, I like to let it simmer for a bit in my head (if time permits). I find that once I start thinking about a project, random things in my life will coincide with or inform the finished piece. This allows me to integrate real life into every painting in a way that feels organic and natural. I also thoroughly research my topic. I scribble a thumbnail here and there, I stay loose but draw with intention. Once I have the essence captured in the thumbnail and all necessary reference collected, I move on to painting. The painting process is usually pretty fast because at that point I have everything mostly figured out and it's just execution. I like to paint in a couple of sittings so I don't overwork a piece if I can help it.



What inspires you? What imagery you are drawn towards using in your artwork, and what about it excites you?

A healthy mix of contemporary and deceased artists, photos, fashion, film, the natural world, and most importantly my own experiences! As far as recurring imagery, I don't think it's any secret that I'm obsessed with giants and clouds. I'm also fascinated by roots, moss, rust, fungus, rocks, mountains, gnarly old man faces, knobbly hands and various other rough, weathered, or organic shapes. I love riding my bike and going hiking, where I often see faces in the trees, sleeping giants in the mountains or kingdoms in the clouds.

What are your favorite creative resources, whatever they may be?

I follow a couple art blogs like Muddy Colors, and sometimes take the time to listen to a podcast here and there. My facebook feed is almost exclusively professional artists, and we're pretty good about sharing interesting resources (and distractions).


Run for Your Buns

What are your favorite video games or video game moments? What significance do games have to you?

I have played more hours of Fire Emblem, Advanced Wars, and League of Legends than I'd like to admit, but the single most influential game I've ever played is definitely Shadow of the Colossus. The scale, simplicity, score, design, and mood are unmatched. It feels like a game that was made specifically for me. If you ever wanted to understand how my brain works, the closest you could get would be playing Shadow.

Can you talk about your idea and process for creating your piece for Light Grey Art Lab's BOSS RUSH!?

I'm surprised I haven't made Shadow art before (though some might consider most of my portfolio to be Shadow fanart anyway haha). I just wanted to make a very simple piece that captures the mood and scale I felt in the game. Another thing I really wanted to play with in this painting was texture and surface. I intentionally used artifacting and layer mode glitchiness to add a gritty quality to the painting.


The 3rd Colossus

Are you working on any exciting projects? What are some of your "dream projects" that'd you'd really like to work on?

I am! I'm currently wrapped up in a project I'm really excited about, a sort of reinventing of the Little Prince. I am focusing on character design and pushing my shapes and understanding of how to communicate personality visually. It's a project that's very dear to me and I can't wait to share it when it's done! I'm not sure what my dream project would be, maybe a collaboration with friends to make a game would be fun. I just want to keep learning and see what comes my way!

Thanks, Victor, for sharing your thoughts and process!

Again, you can see more of Victor's artwork on his website and tumblr here. You can also find his piece for the BOSS RUSH! Exhibition on the Light Grey Shop and website! His work will be available on the Light Grey Shop through April 10th. Victor's Shadow of the Colossus piece was nominated as one of the top ten in the exhibition by our guest jurors from Microsoft, Game Informer, Gearbox, and Glitch.

BOSS RUSH! Opens next week!

We are one week away from the release of BOSS RUSH!
Join us next Friday, March 20th from 7-10pm for the opening reception and celebration!


Preview of Lara Paulussen's work of Kuja from Final Fantasy IX

BOSS RUSH! includes new artwork by over 100 illustrators and concept artists who have made work commemorating their favorite bad guys, villains, and bosses from video game history! The exhibition explores the love/hate relationship we have with these undeniably evil, challenging, and memorable characters!

You can find more information about the opening reception, invite friends, and check out other sneak peeks on the facbeook event page here! We hope to see you next week!


Preview of Rob Chandler's Lord of Sunlight, Lord of Cinder from Dark Souls

If you would like to participate in some amazing local conversations about gaming, game art, and get to know the community, Join us at GlitchCon, March 28th + 29th! You can see details on the GlitchCon website. At the event, we will be announcing the top ten pieces from the BOSS RUSH! Exhibition, as selected by our guest jurors. Light Grey Art Lab will also be teaching a workshop on making artwork, spite animations, and platformer video games!

BOSS RUSH! is sponsored in part by the Minneapolis branch of Yelp! and GlitchCon 2015.

BOSS RUSH! Sneak Peek!

We are just weeks away from the opening of BOSS RUSH! Join us on March 20th from 7-10pm for the opening reception, featuring 100+ illustrations of our favorite video game bosses!


Preview image of Phalanx by Audrey Gonzalez

Over the last few months, artists, illustrators, and designers have been making new artwork inspired by the most memorable, love/hated bad guys and villains from video game history! Artwork includes characters such as Griever from Final Fantasy 8, Barba from Shadow of the Colossus, Volvagia from Zelda Ocarina of Time, and so many more! Here are a couple great sneak peeks to give you a taste of the great artwork on the way!


Preview of Delita Heiral by Ciel Bahena

The opening reception will feature all of the bosses, a special interactive piece by local illustrator Chris Schons, 8-bit chip tunes, refreshments and more. Come support the project and relive your most beloved video games moments! You can let us know you are coming and invite friends on the facebook event page here!

The top ten works will be selected by our guest jurors and displayed on March 28th at GlitchCON 2015! If you want to find out more information about the convention, see all of the panelists, and register, you can find tickets on the GlichCon website here!


Preview of Jack of Blades by Britney Winthrope

BOSS RUSH! Opening March 20th

We are just one month away from the opening reception of BOSS RUSH!


Preview of The Basilisk Leviathan by Marianne Vincent

Join us on March 20th from 7-10pm for a video game-inspired exhibition, including new illustrations and epic artwork made by 100+ illustrators and designers from around the globe.

Years after the closing credits roll on our favorite video games, memories of classic boss battles live on in in infamy. This large group exhibition showcases new work by each artist as they come to grips with their love/hate relationship with the villain of their choosing from video gaming’s deep history.


Preview of Perk up, loser Prince by Shermaine Tan

Are you ready for the BOSS RUSH!?

Artists have payed homage to a variety of bad guys such as Kerrigan of Starcraft, Mother Brain from Super Metroid, Hogger from World of Warcarft, Barbara from Shadow of the Colossus, and so many more! Come relish in victories, celebrate your triumphs, and relive your favorite battles during the BOSS RUSH! Exhibition!


Preview of We Are All Beasts by Doug Lobo

As we lead up to the opening reception, we will be sharing sneak peeks and previews of artwork. Keep your eyes out for your favorite bad guys, video games, and artists, as well as additional artist interviews and features! You can find more information about the opening reception, see the list of participating artists, and invite friends on the facebook event page here.

Glitchon 2015!

This past week, we announced the 115+ artists that will be joining us for a large-scale print exhibition, BOSS RUSH, featuring some of the most epic battles, bosses, and bad guys! Each artist is taking on their favorite boss and depicting them for the exhibition, online shop, and traveling show that will be displayed at this year's Minneapolis Glitchcon!

Glitchcon is March 28th +29th, and is a weekend-long event full of workshops, lectures, panels, hands-on demonstrations, and fun events celebrating gamers, game culture, and the makers behind some of our favorite projects! Special guests include directors of Rainmaker Games, Galaxy Studios, Game Informer, Gearbox, Intropy Games and many more.



During the convention, Light Grey Art Lab will be hosting one of the hands-on workshops, sharing some of the behind-the-scenes assets and programming for projects such as Dream Arcade and Great Personality, and teaching attendees how to create their own platformer games using sprite animations and artwork assets.

Saturday, the the 28th, we will also be presenting the works from BOSS RUSH for a special reception and award ceremony! If you are interested in joining us for a weekend full of gaming, check out the Glitch. Tickets are currently available directly through the webpage here.

We hope to see you there!