24 of 52 - Art with a sting

Kick a noob - or a griefer?

Is this art? Very often, Second Life art are beautiful, but rather uncontroversial. When visiting Shamen Galleries the other day, I found that Miso Susanowa have created a few items that raised my eyebrows a bit.

Be advised - you don't want to make your confession here

[2010/05/12 12:16] Cristopher Lefavre: Now you are supposed to say "father forgive me, for I have sinned...."
[2010/05/12 12:16] [
(this converstation I really can't share with you...)
]
[2010/05/12 12:22] Cristopher Lefavre: You did WHAT?
[2010/05/12 12:25] Cristopher Lefavre really wanted to be part of that fun
[2010/05/12 12:27] Cristopher Lefavre: That will be 5 ave Lindens
[2010/05/12 12:27] Cristopher Lefavre: every night
[2010/05/12 12:27] Cristopher Lefavre: in a week
[2010/05/12 12:28] Cristopher Lefavre drops hustler on the floor and picks up playboy

The things you hear when taking confessions in SL!

Building this kind of installation IRL would be a much bigger hassle, so in practice the RL artworld is kind of lacking in this type of art. Its more Not Practical In RL that Not Possible.... Again, SL makes a huge possibility to create new kinds of expressions.

I'd better take my own advise...

... or I might end up here?

"Foundation of guilt"

This work really got to me; at first the dark red colour theme drew attention, but it's more than that. It's like it contains a vision, something I don't really understand. Why make such a lively depiction of the catholic teaching of hell? In the midst of installations that somehow makes fun of the church? But I guess these are just my interpretations. Go see for yourselves!

Miso has an installation called State of Mind. You can see it at the Excalibur Studios. Be warned though, I was TP-ed home by some script, maybe because I did not enter my social security number at the keypad? LOL, jokes aside, State of Mind is worth going through, there are lots of pokes at the modern internet based society, kind of thought provoking.

@Palais Orleans Photo Studio

Coming online tonight I got an invite from Cat Boccaccio, offering champagne and a chance to look at some new works. I took the taxi to Tasogare, and was greeted by Cat and a nice lady called Chasity that looked anything but:-) The wonders of SL!

Cat showed some pieces that was new to me, and that I really liked. Stunning effects of water distortion on the detailed tattooed body:-)

madison Arnahan is not only the owner of this nice gallery, she is also an artist, and I really liked her work:

The combination of the B&W wood background and the delicate skin and lace colours was something new in avatar art (at least for me). I just love to spot creativity!


Again, one thing so great with SL is the possibility to meet the artist and talk about their work and emotions, even if they live on the other side of the world. This will certainly not be my last visit to her place.

I got to meet Peoney Feld, an artist that "...enjoy a little humor in my work...." Indeed she does, "postcard from SL" hit me right on target:-) Hmm this was a dangerous evening for my L$ account:-)


She had some sharp observations about peoples sexuality that I quite liked. I am looking forward to touring her main gallery.

Also on display by Cat was "Pnigalion", "...a scripted work that was entered (and won) in the then Perspectives 2010 competition.".


During my years in SL, I have seen several artists explore the possibilities of scripted art. It's often fancy to look at pictures with wheels turning around, clocks ticking, water flowing or blood dripping. But too often, it's effects for the sake of the effects. That does not make great art. But here, Cat has made great art. The work tells a story in a subtle way, so subtle indeed that I overlooked the effect first time I saw it.

This is truly where classic art meets modern virtual world technique in a novel and irresisteble combination (at least for me; I have a copy on order LOL) . If you have not seen this piece yet, go have a look. And if someone ever doubts that virtual worlds are a serious tool, show them this piece. In all its artistery, its also truly NPIRL, and shows us the way art is evolving.

12 of 52 - Gallery visit

I am a long-time fan of the art of Fuschia Nightfire (flickr, SL Facebook) in SL. So when I got a group message about a new exhibit of hers in Shamen Galleries, I just had to go look at it.


This time, she has made incredibly beautiful sculpt-based sculptures (sic), and sell them both as sculptures and pictures of sculptures. On first sighting I just saw the pictures (the models are outside LOL), and I was convinced she had made them by using avatar with poses and various skins. But next time I visited I looked around in the garden and saw the originals... omg, what a great work of art!


But this gallery holds a lot more. In fact, it's been a while since I have visited such a varied and high-quality exhibit anywhere. This incredible statue by CHUCKMATRIX Clip for instance (who sadly says in his profile that he's left SL).

If you have 222-odd free prims and three thousand L$ you too could have this piece in your hall

Some very colourful and exciting works

After a few visits here my living room is kind of "flowing over", I need more space for my art. Luxury problem I guess, maybe I should get a Linden home too?

Yeah, I know, I am probably not supposed to sit on the whip, but it was just too tempting:-)

I briefly met with Cierra Loxely and Rune Shamen who runs this gallery; they where both very welcoming and knowledgeable. (As for the welcoming bit: I find it a bit sad that as a visitor to various places one usually never gets as much attention as one does in the SL red light district; Shamen Galleries was a welcoming exception to this!).

And they have a nice coach for a tired blogger too:-)

Do take the time to visit this place. Highly recommended!

Updated: Carriage ride through Old York

RL work being crazily busy these weeks, I barely had time to pop into SL yesterday to pay tier for my small booth in Old York. (some of you know my history in this beautiful city goes a long way back; I opened up my first photo gallery there more than 2 years ago... ah, those old happy memories!)

Anyway, outside I met a nice horse that offered me a "free" carriage ride around the city. Sounded fun enough, so I got seated and had a few laughing moments of being guided through the streets and the forest.


Very unfortunately, I forgot to note down the name of this fun-loving SL-er playing horse for tips :-(


Anyway, so long, and thanks for a very nice ride!

Update: Fortunately, being the generous passenger I am, I did feed the horse some Linden love, and since that shows on the transaction history, I can tell you that the name of this great avatar is Cathartes Medina.

Mirrors

Notice anything strange in this pic? As you may or may not have thought about, there are no mirrors in SL. This mirrored floor is actually created artificially, by building mirrored duplicates of the posters (including mirrored textures!) beneath a transparent floor. The idea is just so good, and it's done so incredibly well, that the illusion works perfectly. This ground floor alone is a must-see if you are at all interested in SL building techniques and what is possible to do.

But the rest of the current exhibition in her main gallery is also just as great:

Oops, think I annoyed this guy! Maybe he does like to be fed anyway?

Watch out for these scary Matrix-inspired creations....

Fuschia Nightfire (aka Nina Camplin) has become my all-time favourite artist in SL with her ability to create works that blows away the boundaries of her RL art (murals) and show what an incredible medium a virtual world can be.

If you have not seen her art yet, get off that dance ball and take this tour!

Fuschia Nightfire has done it again

"Dance like no one is watching,
Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like no one is listening,
and live like it's heaven on earth."

-- William Purkey

An amazing exhibit by an amazing artist. I have no words. Just go. The S&S Gallery of Fine Arts.

My Invisible Love

When driving to work today, I decided to ditch the usual commercial radio and instead I put my favourite CD into the slot: Anne-Sophie Mutter and NY Philarmonic playing Beethovens Violin Concerto.

Beethovens music is beauty incarnated, and when performed with almost delusional perfection by this talented German artist it never fails to move me. Starting with a tender theme it grows to an almost unbearable race between the lead violin and the orchestra, and when the drums hits the end of the third movement I feel almost shaken, and needs silence for the 10 minutes left of the drive.

Small drifts of fog blows above the green fields in the sunrise, and apart from the asphalt the world is beauty too!

Gleman Jun has an exhibition here called .:Italian Art:. Convey depth through lightness that gives me some of the same feelings as Beethovens music. Out of square building blocks he have made a "gallery" like I have never seen before: Simplicity raised to its own form of beauty. And filled with art that I think I will spend a long time looking at this weekend.

Its not a large build, but there are surprises around every corner. Walking over seas of frozen blue liquied you encounter living prims grouping to pictures or just floating around, like colorful fog in the morning.

Oops: Someone has broken Philip's image of the world. /me wonder who pushed this frame over the edge:

Why all this talk about beauty? Honour's rant yesterday made me think a lot.

There is much I don't know. Invisible friends are hard to grasp. But if the world is made on purpose by such a one, at least I know she loves beauty. Why else would she have given us ears and eyes that not only convey us information about what's going on around us, but gives us pure joy from music and art?

In fact, if she exist, she is not just a friend. She is the love of my life.

And I need no one to tell me about the love of my life. I will know her deep in my heart. And if you come to my place and try to tell me you know her better, I will laugh in your face. And if you tell me I must behave so and so for her to love me, I will bury your sorry ass under a 256 Megaprim cube.

So instead of preaching to everyone: Put on some Beethoven, take a ride around the art schene of SL, and try to find the love of your live. She may be weeping because you have actually forgotten her.

In memory of Brooks Wharf

Ayam Merlin had a great place with lots of galleries and exciting artists. His own photo exhibition was also well worth a visit. I had a lot of nice moments when I rented a gallery space there a year ago; working with photos, meeting people that has since become close friends.

Now the place is all gone; there is a shop selling glasses instead. Ayam (a very nice guy btw) says in his pics that he has plans to rebuild the place in another sim; I hope he succeeds in whatever he is doing.



So long, and thanks for all the fish!