Using real life contemporary art for in-game loot

[vozka]

What the title says - I thought it might be interesting to use actual contemporary art pieces from living artists in the game as some important loot. The reason is mainly that I very much value games with attention to details that you don't notice at first, making them even cooler when you do. Using actual art pieces that are unique and have some value is one of those things from my point of view.

I realize this idea will be all about what fits the games setting and what does not. I'm not able to properly judge it as I haven't been around for long, but since it's not really a historical game, merely one inspired some historical period and containing some anachronisms, it seems possible to find stuff that would work.

Naturally I'm not coming here empty handed. But I don't know anyone who's doing art that looks like it's from the 1600s, best I could do is abstract art with no specific modern features, that could be made in the victorian era. I can imagine stealing it from a rich eccentric merchant or perhaps a weird cult, but it's no portrait or bust that would fit in a standard hallway. 

This is the sort of painting that I'm talking about: 

 

And there are also some small ceramic statues: 

 

These are both from an actual local artist and I could easily get permision to use them. The second one I already tried 3D scanning and retopologizing to see if it's possible with my equipment, and it is.

What do you say?

[Springheel]

Quote

I thought it might be interesting to use actual contemporary art pieces from living artists in the game as some important loot. The reason is mainly that I very much value games with attention to details that you don't notice at first, making them even cooler when you do. Using actual art pieces that are unique and have some value is one of those things from my point of view.

The game already uses plenty of real-world historical paintings.  Why would you use contemporary art in a setting this is obviously not contemporary ?

[vozka]

Firstly because it's lesser known and therefore more unique to the game and secondly because it's a fictional world inspired by history, not a historical setting. Abstract art started in the victorian era. But I'm not pushing it, just answering why I thought it might be a good idea.

Edited July 24, 2020 by vozka

[Bienie]

I think it works, as you said, in the home of some eccentric collector or artist, but I think in general we should keep to the classical styles. There are some anachronisms in the game, but they are mostly steampunk elements, and often gameplay-related, not exactly modern art. Could be an easter egg as well I suppose.

[Geep]

Related: For a WIP FM, I've been gathering additional 2D art images, and NOT seeking obscure art, but trying to restrict it to originals with either CC or public domain sources. The latter is satisfied (in the case of paintings or prints) by using only artists that were dead by 1920 (100 years ago), and images that are not high-resolution (having to do with potential copyrights on the scans or digital photos). To fit in with the TDM epoch, I prefer images painted no later than 1870... I may crop or (in special cases) retouch out more-modern anachronisms. Some preference for European (including UK) art as well, fitting with the generalized TDM locale. As opposed to, say, US or Asian art.

[demagogue]

Custom art like this is pretty much the textbook case for using custom assets for a specific FM and not standard.

I think this kind of art would work well in a non-standard FM, so I would be happy to see an author use it, but not outside of that.