Editor's Note: Brett Bates sure has an eye -- and camera lens -- for all things geeky (see his Maker Faire's photo diary). Check out the artist's gallery if you want to see some construction shots. -Shoe

Sometimes I'm struck by just how much videogames have become a bona fide cultural institution, influencing everything from neckties to the President of the United States.

Take this sculpture by Jonathan Borofsky, installed at 555 Mission St. in San Francisco. It's constructed of 62 colorful steel figures bolted together to a height of 36 feet...and it looks like something straight out of an Atari game. Funny how we spend so much time arguing whether games are art -- it seems that the art world has already answered the question.

Check out some close-ups after the jump.