The surreal Nintendo artwork of Jimi Benedict

by Griffin McElroy { Feb 9th 2008 at 11:00AM }

We love unique, video game inspired artwork just as much as the next guy -- our weary-spined copy of "i am 8-bit" can vouch for that. However, we also love our preserved, cherished memories of our NES era heroes. These two feelings conflict when looking at Jimi Benedict's surreal video game art -- our inner Andy Warhol loves Benedict's incredibly unique and lovingly detailed portraits, but the traditionalist in us prefers not to think of Link as a gap-toothed, Sloth-faced dwarf.

You can see both full portraits after the jump, but to see the rest of Benedict's art (including what appears to be a mock-up title screen to the lesser known NES game Obama: Take the Power Back), you'll have to go to his website -- a swirling vortex of complete madness and totally rad drawings.

[Via DSF]

Tags: Art, Iam8bit, JimiBenedict, Jimiyo, link, mario, painting, surreal, zelda

Related From Joystiq

Smithsonian exhibit 'The Art of Video Games' opens in 2012
2 days ago
Jay Cohen answers 10 Questions from the Academy
20 days ago
8-bit Left 4 Dead leaves modernity behind
24 days ago

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

A-Troll-Named-Slickback (Yes the A Troll Named part, and yes every time!) @ Feb 9th 2008 11:05AM

I am honestly tired of Mario mods... I hope that that isn't sacrilegious to say

http://digg.com/search?section=all&s=mario

A-Troll-Named-Slickback (Yes the A Troll Named part, and yes every time!) @ Feb 9th 2008 7:22PM

I guess it is sacrilegious

Joe @ Feb 10th 2008 1:44AM

You said it, Slickback.

Chris @ Feb 9th 2008 11:13AM

Links looks like hes on something other than a picture.

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Feb 9th 2008 1:42PM

@gender

Either your the most wittiest person here, or you the dumbest person I have ever met on Joystiq.

Seriously just stop.

Hey, Hey, Hey @ Feb 9th 2008 11:21AM

Crappy art is crappy art. Mario is for kids. As is Link.

I'm of to play Halo.

Live Account: rulezno1

Smuglittleman @ Feb 9th 2008 11:31AM

"Mario is for kids. As is Link."

If you are the typical Halo player on XBOX Live you are a foul mouthed, twelve year old...in other words a kid.

Brian @ Feb 9th 2008 11:39AM

yo 'gunna be shanked Link!

Center For Social Cohesion @ Feb 9th 2008 11:44AM

Hey, Smuglittleman. Stand down.

We all know there hasn't been a good Mario game since Mario Bros 3. What was that, over a decade ago. The majority of this readership wasn't even alive.

LMAO.

Fernando Rocker @ Feb 9th 2008 11:51AM

Since Mario 3? How about Super Mario RPG, Super Mario World, New Super Mario... and Super Mario Galaxy?

=)

But I guess you are right... I bet a lot of readers/haters are teens that they first console was from last gen.

Fernando Rocker @ Feb 9th 2008 11:53AM

Center? You are the same as Hey, Hey, Hey impostor!

Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams @ Feb 9th 2008 12:04PM

Galaxy.

Bah.

I completed that game in three days in less than 15 hours. Rachet and Clank on my PSP is better. Not in graphics, it's just more inventive. .

But I'm moving away from those games to more mature content.

I'm getting GTA4 at launch.

:/

Mr Khan @ Feb 9th 2008 12:13PM

Oh yeah? I've got GTAIV ALREADY

My e-penis is bigger than yours...

O_O

Geist @ Feb 9th 2008 12:33PM

Hahahahah oh man I totally thought you were joking at first, then I saw you weren't and it made me sad inside. You don't even say that these things are using the same formulaic approach, you just say 'they're for kids'. Wow. Good luck playing your 'mature' titles, too bad you're 13.

gender politics are dead - long live gender politics @ Feb 9th 2008 12:35PM

Your lying. You don't have GTA4. Don't lie. Please don't lie.

Back on topic, this art has no concept, no thought process, no worth. Art is so devalued now and it's thanks to contributions such as this. Mario is not art. Neither are games. Will the painter please stop.

This is nothing to Voltaire or Yu Suzuki.

I'm of to view Peter Doig at the Tate.

ssuk @ Feb 9th 2008 12:57PM

Shouldn't you kids be writing your Facebook or MySpace entries about how life sucks for you and one day you'll kill yourselves? Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part...

Shignami @ Feb 9th 2008 2:44PM

Wow.... 10/10 for you.

do you have a jewel in your belly too?

A @ Feb 9th 2008 4:53PM

Mario is for kids...I'm of to play Halo.

hahahahahha Who do you think Halo is for? Everytime a grunt screams (in english wtf?) like a little girl, just remind yourself how mature that game is. I mean, it has sci fi fiction out there man! You KNOW that makes it legit. Because nothing says 'I wear big boy pants now' like browsing the graphic novels section of barnes and nobles.

Good grief- Halo is all about as sophisticated as the art at a van convention.

bm @ Feb 10th 2008 7:29AM

I know you love to pretend you're not 12 by going on the internet and saying totally cool things to people, but take a look at yourself. Is this really making you happy? Shouldn't you be out playing with your friends?

Shignami @ Feb 9th 2008 11:26AM

Spoiler alert: 8-bit mario was tan and red, not blue.

Dauragon88 @ Feb 9th 2008 11:40AM

hahha I've seen these. His stuff is friggen awesome

dsub @ Feb 9th 2008 12:12PM

I'm not trying to come off like a dick, but this isn't Surrealism. It's Cubism.

Geist @ Feb 9th 2008 12:34PM

Surrealism would be Mario's face melting off. There's always melty stuff.

B1gC72 - PSN: KillaKornbread @ Feb 9th 2008 5:00PM

not to be a dick, but it is surrealism. cubism is more abstract. think Picasso stuff with a broken puzzle like feel to it. surrealism are works that are abstract but usually feature real world or believable subjects in grotesque situations, usually high in symbolism. melting clocks, symbolizing a loss of time, is a common feature in surrealism like the other guy mentioned.

i think you got it confused because Mario is pixel (cube) based. sorry, but im an art major so they drill this stuff into us.

dsub @ Feb 10th 2008 2:09AM

not to be a dick, but I was an art major, but I graduated and now I'm a High School art teacher.

This work has much, much more in common with cubism than it does surrealism. Cubism can essentially be described as breaking down a subject into geometric shapes and either arranging or rearranging them into different orders, or keeping them in order but using different view points and angles.

Surrealism is almost like creating art from a dream world, in which all is possible, and there is no real or unreal. Most Surrealist artwork came from pure automatism, which can basically be summed up as artwork with no rules or boundaries. Surrealism is essentially the ultimate examples of creating artwork from the most extreme reaches of the human imagination.

Take five seconds and compare Dali's work to Picasso's and tell me this is Surrealism. It's not exactly a clear cut example of Cubism either, but it has much more in common with it than it does Surrealism.

Have at it...

http://www.imageviper.com/displayimage/111325/0/11-cubism_Picasso_Woman-Playing-Mandolin.jpg

http://www.imageviper.com/displayimage/111324/0/SalvadorDali-SoftConstructionWithBeans.jpg

B1gC72 - PSN: KillaKornbread @ Feb 10th 2008 9:55AM

burned lol. but seriously, im going to stick to my guns on this one cause i think it is too much in the gray area. it certainly displays attributes of both cubism and surrealism so im going to say we are both right. i mean the background of the work is surreal as is the squeezing of realistic attributes into the pixelated Mario. that being said, i really dont think its all that great of a work anyway since any meaning is going to be lost in the "oh it's Mario" factor.

so i guess im saying, i respect your pedigree and views but im sticking to my guns.

B1gC72 - PSN: KillaKornbread @ Feb 10th 2008 10:02AM

oh and with your definition "Surrealism is almost like creating art from a dream world, in which all is possible, and there is no real or unreal. Most Surrealist artwork came from pure automatism, which can basically be summed up as artwork with no rules or boundaries. Surrealism is essentially the ultimate examples of creating artwork from the most extreme reaches of the human imagination."

what better example of extreme reaches of the human imagination than a fantasy world filled with plumbers, flying turtles, and magical mushrooms? video games seem pretty boundless to me in terms of creative imagination. plus a dream world is certainly present in those works. and again, just saying.

Rob Accomando @ Feb 9th 2008 12:31PM

this is cool but retro video game art is getting way to overdone.

playwhutyalike @ Feb 9th 2008 12:46PM

Note to self: Don't get high then come to Joystiq's webpage again.

playwhutyalike @ Feb 9th 2008 12:47PM

again high that is......

ssuk @ Feb 9th 2008 12:58PM

No, just don't come back. Ever.

playwhutyalike @ Feb 9th 2008 2:12PM

If only your mom felt the same way.

shi @ Feb 9th 2008 12:56PM

andy warhol celebrates mass produced consummerism and capitalism. not "incredibly unique and lovingly detailed". 1 out of 5 for you.

Flakundenga @ Feb 9th 2008 1:43PM

Link looks like he's on drugs

Hilarious @ Feb 9th 2008 2:04PM

Oh wow I'm so impressed he came up with this...realistic textures WHOOPDEE FREAKING DOO!! Whoever said(too lazy to check) pixel art is getting over done is beyond right. Stop trying to make a name for yourself jimi benedict. Being original just to be original is annoying.

Exo @ Feb 9th 2008 6:50PM

and acting like you are above some one else is even worse. get a life

i know the guy, and he only posted it onhissite and an art forum, he didnt plaster it all over the blogs to try and show off.

JakubK666 @ Feb 9th 2008 2:06PM

Maybe Zelda was hiding in his pants, sucking him off?

jorojoserojas @ Feb 9th 2008 2:30PM

Best power-up ever.

Draken Stark @ Feb 9th 2008 3:03PM

Damn I wish I could draw and do textures that well. And dudes, just because you dont like it doesn't mean it isn't art. A fuck'n toilet seat is art! Go google "toilet seat art show".

Burnt Meatloaf @ Feb 9th 2008 10:48PM

Everything is art, but especially your avatar. :)

Draken Stark @ Feb 10th 2008 2:23AM

I tried to make it a Robocop Mario, but I'm not sure it's obvious. Thought it'd be unique either way.

madatoman @ Feb 9th 2008 4:34PM

Frankly I'm sick of mario and zelda art.

There are other classic games you know...

Diskoboy @ Feb 9th 2008 5:43PM

Oh goody...

More Mario art.

Seriously, can you people not draw/paint/sculpt anything else? Every time you see video game art, it's either Mario or Pac-Man. Try something different for a change, people....

Batzarro @ Feb 9th 2008 5:59PM

Cautious agreement: It WOULD be nice if Mutant League or Shenmue got some art.

eldee @ Feb 9th 2008 6:28PM

hmm

eldee @ Feb 9th 2008 6:37PM

And a new avatar was born.

ThornedVenom @ Feb 9th 2008 7:49PM

Next-gen textures can only bring you so far concerning ingame realism. xD

Jeff @ Feb 10th 2008 12:14PM

This guy's art is pretty awesome. I've been finding a lot of it using StumbleUpon. I assumed it was just coincidence, but I guess not.

As for the people posting comments (specifically Vegeta Ska Oreo), nice your and you're error and double superlative. You're point...well, it's meaning is the most noblest, best, and yet angry; I can see the meaning your making your argument with. Nice grammarz!