If someone owns a machine or a part of a machine, and they want to turn it into a piece of art that is their business. I have some machines that I will NEVER sell. That is one less example of that game that would be available to the rest of the world. If I wanted to turn one of those machines into a coffee table it would not matter because no one else would have a chance to own it anyway. I do not think it should be thought of as sacrilegious. I have seen everything under the sun turned into something else. When some people cringe at this form of art, others see it for the imagination and creativity that can define us as a species.

nice topic- btw

and its a question that each person need to answer for them self....

imo- i really, really try to keep fully functional- but sometimes "projects found are missing so many parts its not practal to make them whole again.

example, found a couple heads some guy was gonna sell for scrap on craigslist----

so some pinball realated "wall art" is better than nothing- i am going the direction as your second pic - i kinda like heads with glass on the wall for decore, and i even find if there less than perfect itmakes them more interesting- as pin art
jmo

I think many of them are functional art. They may not have been designed that way, but I'm sure the artists that worked on them, have pride in their work.

light box pics

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I love the light box ideas, not so much on the coffee table but I'm all for it!

Solid oak boxes that I built for old translites

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For the record, the Williams Blue Chip does not have the proper score reel font. I love that backglass and it is nice to see it displayed with a cut down backbox.

Anyone here familiar with the Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham or Bethlehem Steel in Bethlehem, PA? One of the bg scenes reminds me of those no longer operating facilities.

You can't play art. The thing that bothers me about good parts used as art is I feel bad for that someone somewhere out there who could possibly use that piece to fix a game.

For me, complete machines are art and I buy them as art in the same way that I buy paintings as art. I don't just mean the translites or the playfields - I think they're wonderful objects overall. Maybe someday they will end up in "real" museums to be admired. I do think of them foremost as art - the fact that they're functional just makes them even more desirable. Truly the definition of kinetic art.

I think it's OK to chop them up and make them into other things, but really only if they're unsalvageable as full machines. Translites and backglasses are great to display on walls.

There's a lot of art in pinball machines already. I would say that they can stand as an art form all on their own. This is reminiscent of the debate as to whether video games can be considered a form of art. Roger Ebert said no. Many others say yes. And anyone who has played Braid or other games would agree that there is much art in the gaming world. Same too with pins.

ya- i keep wantting to play the coffie table ones- and it seems they seldom work-

I'm all for everyone doing what they want to anything they own. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and if someone thinks a lighted backbox looks terrific on a wall, then bully for them. I may not agree that it looks nice, but that's fine too.

As far as how the pinball machine table looks? While I love the concept, it doesn't seem to look as cool as the the concept. I think the playfields built in an actual table looks much better.

I do have a few of my old custom made mylar arcade machines hanging on an office wall, but only because what else was I going to do with them? Also saved MAME arcade sideart that I removed from an empty cabinet I bought and adhered it to the side of a bookcase in the office.

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Here's what I did:IMG_0787.JPG

Thnaks! Got a sample set of colored plexi and went to town. LOTS of openings to cover! Had merely slivers of leftovers. Boxed it in and used self-stick Sylvania LED kit on the inside perimeter. More pics:IMG_0713.JPGIMG_0716.JPG