Following The Path in Second Life

The Path - Bryn Oh  (moderate)

It took me a few days of trying to write this post because it's all about the images and the art and I couldn't take a half decent photograph no matter how hard I tried.  I finally decided that I was so caught up in the experience that I couldn't step back far enough just to observe.  This morning I put on my coolly dispassionate hat and tried again.  They aren't great but at least they shouldn't insult the artists.  Too much.

If you've been under a rock and missed it, The Path is a collaborative art project at the Linden Endowment for the Arts curated by Bryn Oh.

The Path - Colin Fizgig  (moderate)

I could try and explain what this is about but I think Bryn's own words would be more appropriate.

The Path is an immersive project based around the exquisite corpse concept sometimes used by the Surrealists.  Essentially, each chosen artist adds to a composition in sequence. Eight artists were invited to stand upon one of eight different coloured boxes I had set up. Once all had chosen a box to stand on, a chart was rezzed which listed the order of colours which would hten dictate the sequence of artists to compose the scenes for a narrative.

The Path - Marcus Inkpen  (moderate)

So if red was the first colour on the chart, then the artist standing on the red cube would begin the narrative.  If blue were next then the artist on the blue cube would continue the story after red had passed their part on to them.

The artist who goes first composes a short start to a story.  They then pass on this segment to the artist who is next on the list.  That artist would then write up a continuation of the narrative and pass it on to the third artist.  This would continue until reaching the eighth and final artist.

The Path - Desdemona Enfield/Douglas Story (moderate)

What those words don't convey is the magic and the wonder of an interactive experience created by eight immensely talented artists. Dali's head in a jar is just the starting point. You follow The Path created by them for a group of characters and for yourself.

There are mind games and puzzles and superb visuals.  Video is used and objects appear and disappear and the world changes suddenly and without explanation.

Much like our physical life paths.

The Path - Maya Paris  (moderate)

I've been thinking about life paths lately.  The choices we make or that others make and how they alter our intended course.

I'm neither egotistical enough nor insecure enough to think everything is always all about me. :)  Even if our lives are impacted by others - and, after all, it would be very sad if they weren't - it doesn't mean we were the focus.

Things would be a whole lot simpler though if we could have total command of our lives and what happens to us.  Yeah I know, I also wish for an unlimited supply of dark chocolate to suddenly appear with the same amount of success.

The Path - Claudia222 Jewell (moderate)

I should say something profound and inspirational about "paths" and the journeys we are on.  All I can think of though is "Don't Litter".  Make of that what you will.

A better idea would be for me to quote that great philosopher Douglas Adams' character Dirk Gently:  "I rarely end up where I was intending to go, but often I end up somewhere that I needed to be."

The Path - Scottius Polke (moderate)

Go see The Path.  Think your own thoughts as you explore and at some point give thanks to the Pixel Gods that the LEA exists and that Bryn Oh and Colin Fizgig and Marcus Inkpen and Desdemona Enfield and Douglas Story and Maya Paris and Claudia222 Jewell and Scottius Polke and Rosa Rochovski got together and created this fabulous surreal story for us.

PS.  One of my favourite machinamists (jjccc) has made a video of this great installation - go watch it!

The Path - Rose Borchovski (moderate)