Theme Research - Grim Fandango Art

"The art of The Land of the Living is presented in a surreal dadaist style, clashing with the relatively realistic aesthetic of the Land of the Dead. All of the living models are asymmetrical, with most displaying this trait in the depiction of their head and faces, though a minority show disproportionately large hands as well. On the other hand, inanimate objects are distinctly realistic when compared to their Land of the Dead counterparts, featuring sophisticated lighting and textures. In general, the Land of the Living reflects the 1930s, featuring car models and clothing reminiscent of the era where the noir film genre was at its peak." - http://grim-fandango.wikia.com/wiki/Land_of_the_Living

"There is a mention of a "thin wrapper of mortality" somewhere in the game. As for the living world, it is supposed to resemble more the Pop Art collages than Cubism, in particular Richard Hamilton's work: Just what is it that makes today's home so different, so appealing? (1956) Pop Art as an art movement ridicules the artificial, one-dimensional, pointless, materialistic, consumerist, unfulfilling goals that are thrust upon mankind through advertising and like mind control. In the context of the game, using Hamilton's style is a very subtle and brilliant way to say something (namely that the living live in a fake world) without saying it outright and being banal about it. Adventure games and, well, all games, have the potential of doing these sorts of conceptual, strong, subtle things, but they do not. Instead they exist cosily in their comfort zone, throwing out into the market derivative garbage. Seriously, there hasn't been an adventure worth liking since Grim Fandango. " - https://adventuregamers.com/archive/forums/adventure/8398-grim-fandangos-storyline.html