This year marks the 30th
Anniversary of our favorite green tunic-wearing hero, Link. The Legend of Zelda
has filled gamers lives with so many moments of beauty and “The Legend of Zelda
30th Anniversary Art Celebration” at Hero Complex Gallery really
puts this on display.
I grossly underestimated either; how
popular the gallery or “The Legend of Zelda” was (probably both), because this
was definitely the healthiest attendance at an art show I’ve ever attended.
Even as I was leaving at 9pm people were still so excited to get in. For good
reason too, the art displayed on the walls of the gallery really spoke to me.
So many of the pieces really transported me to Hyrule and made me relive iconic
moments from the games (even the ones I never played).
There was a surprising amount of children in
attendance, though the variety of age groups taught me a few things. The first
being, I tend to associate Zelda with retro gaming, but this franchise is still
very much as popular today as it was 10-20 years ago. The second being, this
franchise is timeless, and we can thank the lack of continuity and the presence
of familiar themes throughout the franchise for that.
“ I love Zelda for its 30 year history”-Jason
I spoke with Jason, one of the
featured artists and a co-curator of the gallery, “ I love Zelda for its 30
year history”. We spoke about the long history and how the varying art styles of
this flagpole franchise gave the artists so much to pull from. This can be seen
through the diversity and high quality of the art hanging on the walls. “I
don’t consider myself an illustrator, I’m more of a designer” he said, as he
explained how, even though “Ocarina of
Time” is his favorite, “Majora’s Mask”
speaks to his current art style.
Chandler, another one of the
artists, was just happy to be in the show. She, like myself, hadn’t really
played a lot of Zelda but understood the importance and depth of the franchise.
She chose the possession of Princess Zelda because she “Loves the darker side
of things”.
So many of these prints are amazing
and should really be seen in person. If you want to see some amazing art
inspired by these dwellers of Hyrule head to the Hero Complex Gallery on
Robinson Blvd through March 13th.
