I'm pretty sure the only way pixel based art will die entirely is of every possible medium for it goes extinct. Which would be difficult, as humans like grids.

Even if we somehow remove the computer element (either some cataclysm or we advance to graphics not using smaller building blocks(hard to imagine)) there will still be things like bead sprites, pixel painting, and post its.
Even food, Rubik's cubes, dice and graph paper can be used.

I believe that as long as there exists a medium, the art will continue.
Whether the form it takes can or will still be considered "pure", I don't know. But the essence of pixel based art will still be there.
Humans segregate things to easily understand them, and pixel art makes use of that.


As for video games, things with low res graphics are still enticing if done right. Look at Minecraft for that. Nothing there is overly mind blowing, but the usage of it makes it addictive.
Sprites are good place holder if noting else, something that a new game designer can use to show the possibilities of their work.
And handhelds, while getting more powerful, still don't have the power for full-on 3D rendered graphics.


So, yeah. tl;dr: Even if it dies as a gaming instrument (though nostalgia and ease of use deem this unlikely) for it to die as an art form entirely would likely take a world-wide change in human understanding, technology and/or interest.

{e} Also, is it becoming a trend that I am the first to answer your threads?

Edited by ekobor - 18 August 2011 at 4:24pm

i was thinking about Motoi Yamamoto....
he work with salt, not one grain at a time, but close enough to call it pixel-level-art i think.











link to his homesite: http://www.motoi.biz/english/e_top/e_top.html
and blog:  http://www.art-it.asia/u/ab_yamamotom/?y=&m=&d=&ca1=1&lang=en

It better not die, or my company, Underground Pixel, will surely die with it. xD

'retro' doesn't quite encapsulate all of pixel art. That represents only its most popular manifestations outside of the pixel community.

On the reinvigorated interest in retro art, pixel art and the demoscene

I dunno if it'll still be used for games (though it seems likely there will continue to be indie pixel titles, at least), but there's no reason it would stop being a viable medium for artistic expression. Or none that I can think of, anyway.

I think pixel art will dissapear as soon as pixels dissapear. When screens are developed that do not consist of square or RGB elements, pixel art makes no sense and when the pixel goes extinct nobody cares about pixel art anymore either. Before that moment it might rise or sink, but there will always be enthusiasts!

Whatever right? :D