This piece was created in 2023 for “Level Up”, an art exhibition celebrating video games and the life of Ralph Baer, the inventor of the joystick.

I grew up in basements like this, with smelly shag carpet and wood paneled walls. The chairs were always hand-me-downs, and the TV sets were giant wooden monoliths with questionable TV quality. But everything became magic when you plugged in the video game system. While not my first game system, the Nintendo Entertainment System became my favorite very quickly.

This piece was originally printed at a large 36 x 24 size and only two prints were made at that size. The piece has since been available to purchase at the standard 11 x 17 size and some smaller versions.

Final version:

Ralph Baer