I think the additional analysis on Super Mario Clouds actuallys adds a lot of context and depth to the artpiece. I feel like it calls authenticity into the question and whether or not the actual creation process and methodology is more or less important than the symbolic meaning behind an art piece.

When I first saw this Super Mario Clouds piece at the Whitney Museum, I didn’t think much of it, and I took it for granted that the piece was a genuine deconstruction of the Super Mario game. The clouds are pixelated and are almost identical to the original clouds, and the piece is displayed on an old, bulky tv connected to a retro gaming console. Nothing would lead you to think that this piece of art is anything other than it says it is.

However, after watching the documentary and getting a closer look at the comparison between Arcangel’s Super Mario Clouds and the original Super Mario Brothers game graphics, it becomes almost obvious to see that the two are slightly different. The tail shape of the cloud and the saturation of the color of the sky are both slightly different from the game and the art piece. Looking at the code also reveals that the art piece was created separately from the game.