The games we play say a lot about who we are as a society. The artists featured in "Learn to Play," the current exhibit at De Anza College's Euphrat Museum of Art, explore this idea in depth and from multiple angles.

The exhibit opened in the fall and has been extended through De Anza's winter quarter, Jan. 4 through Feb. 2, 2011.

Given that the museum has partnered with San Jose State University's CADRE Laboratory for New Media and with ZER01: the Art and Technology Network , the show is heavy on video and computer games. Euphrat's executive director Jan Rindfleisch says this is largely due to her two co-curators, James Morgan and John Bruneau.

"Games were something they really wanted to do," Rindfleisch says. "That's their forte, not mine."

While many video games are designed to take players out of their everyday lives, the online games in the exhibit have them address how their actions affect the environment, as well as how their environment affects their actions.

"Everyone wants to have control over their lives," Rindfleisch says. "Games allow some control."

Jeff Kam, who visited the exhibit in September, wrote in his blog that the games he played were "brilliant" depictions of life.

"I had high hopes for this exhibition, and I was glad that my hopes were fulfilled," Kam added. 

Rindfleisch did find works in other media that touch on the larger themes around playing games. She contacted Oakland-based conceptual artist April Banks after seeing her photo series, "We Love to Watch," in another show. "Milk Bath," an image from that series, is featured in "Learn to Play."

The image shows DeQawn Mobley, a former collegiate and NFL player, putting on his football gear amid the stereotypical  symbols of milk and watermelon.

"My piece in the show is about how we all take part in organized sports as voyeurs," Banks says. "We assume roles and have expectations and demands. We all watch or play games. All communities have this in common."

Initially, Banks says, she wasn't sure how her work would resonate with the gaming community. But then a game designer whose work is also in the show told Banks she wanted to convey the same level of emotion she saw in the photo in her own game designs.

"At the opening of the show, I had several in-depth discussions about 'Milk Bath' and answered questions about the symbolism in the photo as well as the larger series," Banks adds.

Rindfleisch says the goal of the exhibit is to generate this level of discussion. She points out that besides reflecting a historic moment in US-China relations—and allowing players to re-enact a moment—Yunan Cao's "Ping pong Diplomacy" broaches the larger question of how to start difficult conversations.

"Train," an award-winning game by Brenda Brathwaite, challenges players to explore their reactions to rules and directions. The seemingly simple task of moving game pieces onto toy boxcars becomes more complex as players come to understand the game's goal.

"The person who goes first in this game is the person least likely to admit to something," Rindfleisch says. "The rules are so unusual that they stick in your head. You get to look at why you do the things you do."

The idea behind "Train" and the other games in the exhibit is to translate the game-playing experience into real-world interactions.

"You can see yourself in different roles, and the rules keep changing," Rindfleisch says. "It's just like life."

For more information or to schedule a special viewing of "Learn to Play," contact Jan Rindfleisch at 408.864.8836 or rindfleischjanet@fhda.edu.