SOD
Jodi, 1999

Links
download Wolfenstein 3D Mod
Leonardo gallery

Granted, mobs of 31337 doodz were modding Wolfenstein 3D way back in the early nineties when the WolfEdit software was first made available. I certainly recollect my adolescent enthusiasm for a version in which all the walls were replaced with pornographic images. Sure, I never asked myself if it was art but I bet I could make that argument now. Anyway, Jodi's version of Wolfenstein 3D was unquestionably art. Every piece of the game was redrawn in black and white geometric forms, with enemies pulsating and shifting shape with every step. As with most Jodi pieces, epileptics deserved warning.

Nowadays, everyone's crazy about artist game hacks but I feel like Jodi had the first word here. Chronology may not back me up on that claim but SOD was the first piece to get real "Art World" attention. It set off that process of legitimization that makes video game art the super-hyped commodity it is these days.

Submitted by
Brett Schultz

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