An Interview with Eric Klug: Magic & Art History

Left: Eric Klug Tatyova Benthic Druid after Chagall 2018, Right: Marc Chagall La Baie de Anges 1962

“A new category of artworks.” 

This is the phrase used by NYC Museum of Modern Art’s senior curator Paolo Antonelli as video games entered MoMA’s prestigious collection. 

Alongside Picasso and Warhol, MoMA now houses Pong, Sim City, and Street Fighter.

Left: Henri Matisse Dance (I) 1909 Right: Yoshiki Okamoto, Akira Yusada Hyper Street Fighter II: The Anniversary Edition 1991

For the doubters, Antonelli asks, “Are video games art?” And answers, “They sure are, but they are also design, and a design approach is what we chose for this new foray into this universe. The games are selected as outstanding examples of interaction design… one of the most important and oft-discussed expressions of contemporary design creativity.”

Hmm, games are an expression of contemporary design creativity, you say…

Most important, you say…

In rebuke, Critic Jonathon Jones claims, “The worlds created by electronic games are more like playgrounds where experience is created by the interaction between a player and a program. The player cannot claim to impose a personal vision of life on the game, while the creator of the game has ceded that responsibility. No one ‘owns’ the game, so there is no artist, and therefore no work of art.”

A tenuous argument of art and ownership about which Marina Abromovic and Felix Gonzalez-Torres would have something to say, not to mention the scores of Magic deck builders who appreciate the twin arts of making—and playing—games. 

Left: Keita Takahashi Katamari Damacy 2004 Right: Jackson Pollock Mask 1941

Antonelli and MoMA knew there was mind-changing work here. But further still, Antonelli and MoMA were brave enough to understand that many of the lessons of art are lessons of appreciation. As we learn to see, we learn to understand. As we learn to understand, we learn to appreciate. 

Lovely as it is, as we learn to appreciate, we learn to respect. 

But not all of the curatorial art world practices Antonelli’s brand of open-minded appreciation. Not all of the curatorial art world is so ready to cast-off notions of high art, superiority, or exclusivity.

And this is where Klug, a once young art student at Corcoran College of Art and Design, comes in. 

Left: Eric Klug Edric After Schiele 2015 Right: Egon Schiele Self Portrait with Physalis 1912

Klug describes, “I was in a fine art program, so I was drawing and painting because that was what I was primarily interested in. But, from an early mindset, I wanted to be an illustrator. I wanted to go into some sort of commercial arts setting. I wanted to produce work for print.”

“The professors were largely gallery artists, so they were kinda pushing everyone to, you know, get into the gallery scene, move up to New York, get an agent representing you, get a solo show.”

At this point in Klug’s academic career, MoMA doesn’t have video games yet. The world of art is firmly in a place where ‘high art’ is often in opposition to ‘low art’ or ‘artless’ activities of design, crafts, and games.

(This is despite the best efforts of artists who sought to either ‘lower’ art or democratize art making. To start, see: Vito Acconci, Marcel Duchamp, Keith Haring, and Sol Lewitt.)

Pushing against gallery art sophomore year, Klug published The Monster in My Closet

“It was an interesting dynamic because I kinda railed against that. I was like, ‘That’s not exactly what I want to do. I want to become a more proficient draftsman and I want someone to pay me to tell me what to do.’”

Rail as Klug may, there is no doubt that the defiance was, in fact, respectful defiance. Defiance borne of curiosity, education, and reverence. If Klug’s art historical alters don’t speak for themselves, here it from Klug directly: “Art and artists. That’s a sacred space for me.”

Moxen after Van Gogh, Hokusai, Monet, Bierstadt, and Durand, all 2020

“I remember taking on altering as a hobby in 2008 right after I graduated. My then girlfriend, now wife, said, ‘Do you think you can make a living doing this?’ And I kinda laughed and said, ‘There’s no way.’” 

As a contemporary audience of Klug’s work, we know there was a way. As Klug’s confidence grew, he stepped up from spending four to five hours on alter and making two alters a day to his current pace of spending one to two weeks. “Back then, I hadn’t seen the potential for altering, that alters could be as elaborate as they are now. Alters started as quickly little sharpie doodles from the original artist on their cards.”

A timeline of Klug’s progression, 2001, 2008, 2013, and 2024

And so, we have a young Klug enamored with art and artists, developing his dream freelance illustration career, working with clients, and being told what to make—just as he desired in college. Klug had a few rules summed as: projects needed to align with Klug’s interests and values.

Little surprise, then, that after a short period—and right around the span of years MoMA developed their video game collection—Klug followed his audience into a world of blended fine art and games. 

“The way this whole pulling from art history started was pretty early on I was asked to do some Warhol inspired pieces or Picasso. I think of Picasso as one of the first artists someone asked me, ‘Hey can you do this piece in the style of Picasso?’ And I really liked the puzzle aspect of it. If Picasso was to illustrate this character, how would he go about it? Looking at his existing works and his brush strokes and his compositions and sussing out some of the decisions he may have made if he was illustrating this Magic card for real.”

Klug working after Picasso in 2014 and 2026

“And I think I go back to that core memory of working on Picasso any time I’m doing something in the style of an artist. I want to channel that artist as closely as possible ‘cause I think it also just kinda sells the concept, too. It’s a service to the overall piece, if I do my job and it looks like you know Picasso or Mucha or Warhol produced these pieces then I’ve done my job successfully.”

Alters, here, work as a stepping stone of appreciation. As a Magic player, we can sit comfortably at a table, happy just to be playing the game. Our opponent plays Picasso Jace and perhaps we find that fine art fits Magic. We notice how not-jarring it is to see these worlds blended. 

Is it fair to say Klug expands his audience’s appreciation of the arts? Even a brief review of Klug’s work shows Klug as a guide through art and art history for an audience primed to appreciate. 

Take Chuck Close, for example.

“Most people are not familiar with Chuck Close. I mean, I think if you’re an artist, he’s a big name. He’s definitely not as big as a Warhol, but the Chuck Close Jace was an immensely successful piece and I think part of it was because I adapted the Jace image so there’s some level of recognizability in there still even if you don’t know Chuck Close. If you’re a Magic player, you know who Jace is.” 

Right: Eric Klug Jace the Mind Sculptor after Chuck Close 2026 Left: Chuck Close Alex 1987

“I wanted a really iconic image to bridge that gap—hold the hand of, so to speak—the people who aren’t familiar with Chuck Close. Here’s a way to get a foot inside the door, and maybe you find a rabbit hole, and read about Chuck Close and look at his style.”

Looking at the alters, here is what we see: 

Jace? Check. 

Chuck Close? Check. 

Klug? Check? 

Where is Klug in these pieces?

“Any time I’m paying homage to a specific piece or a specific artist I want to do it in the most accurate way possible I want to represent their work as it was intended so it feels intuitive and obvious. I don’t want to put too much of myself into it, if that makes sense.”

Klug working after Warhol in 2024 and 2026

“Trying to add my own influence or style does disservice to the piece because it no longer is a ‘Chuck Close Jace.’ It’s a ‘Chuck Close Klug Jace.’ Or instead of a ‘Schiele Edric’ or a ‘Chagall Tatyova,’ it’s a ‘Schiele Klug Edric’ or a ‘Chagall Klug Tatyova.’ People already know I painted the piece. I don’t have to insert myself too much.”

We can think of Klug as, yes, a painter, but also a curator. Combining ideas and images so that we, the audience, can experience them like new. To take the recognizable and make it new.

Imagine it as analogous to seeing Street Fighter in MoMA. Our attention is drawn to a new angle of appreciation. New aspects are highlighted through curation.

“The part of me that is the part of the work is mostly the pairing. Pairing a specific piece with a specific card and then compositionally choosing how they’re cropped. Or, I’m choosing whether to keep the rules text or change the title in some way.”

Above: Hieronymus Bosch The Garden of Earthly Delights 1490-1510 Below: Klug Damnation after Bosch 2022

“There’s a lot of design decisions that I’m making, so it’s not as if I don’t already get to make a lot of choices. So, it just made sense to me to try to be as accurate as possible to the original piece.” 

Left: Klug Mystic Remora after Escher 2026 Right: M.C. Escher Three Worlds 1955

“I have always thought of making art in general but also making alters as just bringing happiness and beauty to someone. You know, at a very base level, I feel like alters revolve around Magic, they revolve around a game, which is about entertainment, which is about fun, alters should have that same tone. They should be fun. To really simplify things.”

Klug Mind’s Eye after The Simpsons 2026

Back at MoMA, Antonelli claims, “A purposefully designed video game can be used to train and educate, to induce emotions, to test new experiences, or to question the way things are and envision how they might be.” 

The same can be said for Klug’s alters. We can take Klug’s guidance toward art and art history as a step toward broad appreciation. We see consistency of respect for source materials. 

The Simpsons, for example, receive the same care and respect as Sargent and Mucha. 

Left: Klug Chromatic Lantern after Sargent 2024 Right: Klug Emrakul after Mucha 2023

Art and appreciation are empowered by the context in which they’re viewed. Klug offers us an opportunity to see both the game and the artists we love anew.

For budding illustrators, artists, and alterists, Klug offers videos and a word of advice:

“I think you have to do it for you. Like, you need to concept in a way that you’re making something that excites you—that you’re interested in—because and I think that kind of excitement comes through the work.”