A few of my posts recently explore the return of analog in a world of digital design.
Indeed, everything old is new again. This weekend Silas was introduced to a pinball machine. Perhaps it wasn’t his first introduction, but it was the first time he had a cup full of tokens and time to play.
It was loud! The snap, whir, thud, clank, ding, Ding, DIng, DINg, DING! Covered by the rumble and roar of a Corvette, the evil laugh of the Warlock, and pulsing power-cords of AC/DC, Metallica and Iron Maiden. All enveloped by the signature bright, flashing lights!
It fits with the little reminders of my past that have been progressively re-appearing. A phone book, a vinyl record-player and the ancient stories of my W̱SÁNEĆ relatives.
Back to the future…
My latest analog experience was the pinball machine.
Quazar’s Arcade in Trounce Alley delivered the experience. A reminder of my youth spent wasting time and money at Johnny Zee’s. The best time wasted!
Quazar’s walls lined with rudimentary video games. Marble Madness, Super Sprint, Mortal Combat 2, Toobin’ and of course, Tetris. Each providing a window back to the future.
It’s a good trend. You can play a stranger in Fortnite, locked alone in your room. The neighbours hear the grunts, growls and irrational outbursts. Not at the arcade! You step up beside them, your token next in line.
And then, the nostalgia all came crashing down with a Sunday afternoon visit to the Bateman Centre. Paint on canvas. It does not get much more analog than that. And, it stands the test of time!
Mr. Bateman’s view of nature is captivating. And, he encourages each of us to capture it for ourselves.
“I’m fired up about getting children back into nature,” he says in his introduction video.
So, what are the gridiron gladiators and pinball machines distracting us from?
Nature. I remember Johnny Zee’s, but I also have the hours of memories I spent on the docks tempting perch with mussel bait, climbing the fir trees out front or digging mud baths.
Spring can’t come soon enough!
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