I need a Dictionary of Synonyms for Tyrehl Byk's Catharsis in Second Life

Catharsis (moderate)

"Stunning" is the word most frequently used by audience members at the conclusion of a performance of Tyrehl Byk's show Catharsis yesterday on LEA6.  But that isn't adequate.

The dictionary tells me synonyms would include beauteous, brilliant, dazzling, devestating, excellent, famous, fine first-class, first-rate, gorgeous, great, heavenly, impressive, lovely, out of this world, pretty, ravishing , remarkable, royal, sensational, smashing, spectacular, striking, superior and wonderful. We're getting closer but this post isn't long enough to do it justice.

Catharsis (moderate)

I'd tell you some of the other comments but you wouldn't believe me.  It would all sound like hyperbole unless you had been there yourself.

You start at a landing spot in a high flying group of caves, wander a bit til you find the Event Horizon portal and then enter the theatre.  Sit yourself down, remove all of your huds and scripted objects (this is important!) then hit escape 6 or 7 times and let the chair control your camera.  One of the unique aspects of this show is that all of you in the audience (with some discrepancies for connections) are seeing the same thing at the same time.  The experience is truly shared.

Catharsis (moderate)

I should try and explain "what" this is and the closest I can come is a particle show.  But it's not like any particles I've ever seen. I know he's done something along these lines before and I'm kicking myself that I didn't see it.

You must go see this performance.  Tyrehl will take you on a journey that affects you emotionally as well as visually and the music not only adds to the trip but injects some humour at stages where it is most appreciated.

I took my "son" to the show yesterday because he's been in a funk.  I wasn't really sure how he'd react but he was as thrilled as everybody else, from the most jaded to the most ingenuous, and I am confident you will be as well.

Catharsis (moderate)

As somebody who likes to take photographs this was a little frustrating.  I couldn't move my camera and couldn't adjust any settings - so these images have nothing of "me" in them. This is more than satisfactory on this occasion because the images you will see are spectacular.  My "screen captures" don't however give you the sense of movement and creation that is inherent in this show.

Set your view distance to 250, move the particle slider as high as it will go, remove everything scripted, set your sun to midnight, make sure your room is dark and just give yourself over to Tyrehl for the duration.  You'll be glad you did.  The schedule is always being updated so find a time that works for you and please, please go see Catharsis!

Catharsis (moderate)

A Campus d'Art Milestone in Second Life

Campus d'Art  (moderate)

Things move quickly in the virtual world and time is exaggerated or accelerated so that what would be a relatively short period in the physical seems endless in the metaverse.  I dropped in on a 4 year anniversary party for a couple last week and, in our world of immediate commitments and almost as instantaneous "divorces", they've been together forever!

Imagine then what it must mean to be celebrating the continued existence of an art sim 5 years after it first opened!  Campus d'Art is owned and curated by Cecilia Delacroix  and includes somewhere around 20 galleries. "(W)orks by nearly 180 SL/RL artists are now displayed in a campus setting along with exhibits of 20th Century contemporary art; nearly 900 works in all."

Campus d'Art  (moderate)

I love this area not only because I can see pieces by SL artists such as Em Larsson and Sledge Roffo but also view and educate myself about real world topics such as Art Nouveau. You can literally spend hours exploring and enjoying and learning on this campus.

Cecilia hasn't had a party here since the day she opened 5 years ago this month.  This will change tomorrow, November 5th from 2 - 4pm SLT.  "There'll be drinks and food (no escargot this time!); right next door will be the recently opened exhibit "Contemporary Glass Art".  Nearby are 26 additional art exhibits including a kinetic sculpture plaza, a coffeehouse with chess board, a wine bar, a park, aerial gondola ride, hang gliding and -- hopefully lots of artists whose works (she) fell in love with these last 5 years.  There'll be music and free gifts, too."

Celebrating success is always a good idea and celebrating an endeavour which has survived for such an extended period of time seems like a must.  So go party and enjoy and congratulate her and the artists because this is a "good thing".  :)

Campus d'Art  (moderate)

A "Modest Proposal" for Art in Second Life

LEA Art Sandbox  (moderate)

There's a new bully in town.  That's right, the Linden Endowment for the Arts is wreaking havoc in the world of art sims.  Bad enough they provide a sandbox. They also have sims which highlight artists in a variety of categories (and of course let Crap and I loose on the world) but now they're giving out grants to individuals so they have an opportunity to create and share their vision with the rest of the grid.  Outrageous!

However, the real problem is much bigger than just the LEA.  I feel compelled to expose the full nature of this situation but please be comforted by the fact that I do have a solution. Falling back on the inspiration of my hero Jonathan Swift I propose to end this scourge permanently.

There are multiple components to the issue.  The first is that there are way too many artists in Second Life and their numbers are growing all the time.  People keep talking about the virtual world and its tools for creativity - this inevitably leads to people thinking they actually have the right to use them and try creating stuff.

The Great Fissure (moderate)

As a result we have a creative birthrate that cannot be sustained.  There just aren't enough outlets to handle the myriad of new and struggling "artists" which means we have a large population of artsy fartsy types living below the poverty line.  They squat in shacks and under bridges and generally make the metaverse look tawdry.

The second part of the problem involves those people who, for whatever reason, feel a need to open new art sims.  We already have enough art sims.  In fact we have too many. They're all competing with each other and to what purpose?  Why bother displaying the work of more than a few "artists"?  It's not like they're as valuable as a new mall or Zyngo parlour.

I propose that we limit the number of art sims to 3.  That seems like a reasonable number. To avoid the spectacle of unwashed painters and sculptors beating at the doors we round them all up.  You read that correctly, we incarcerate all the would be creative types.  (This will have the added benefit of bringing the whole bdsm subculture into the mainstream - we have to do something with these people once we have them.)

The London Dungeon  (moderate)

Stage Two will be to seize all the individuals who have opened art sims over and above the 3 we have designated as acceptable.  We can't have them drawing traffic away from our trio of approved destinations.  As part of this phase all of the Lindens who thought the LEA was a good idea will be included.

The best part of my proposal is Stage Three.  Each of the official art exhibitors will hold regular executions of the prisoners.  The frequency may have to be high initially, because there will be quite a backlog to get through, but it's doable.

Publically sanctioned terminations would give the 3 sims a chance to compete with each other while eradicating the excess artists and sponsors from Second Life.  They could try to outdo each other in style, efficacy and even, dare I say, artistry.

Ankh Morpork  (moderate)

Eventually the population of artists and art sim owners will be whittled away.  This process will also spread the message to any newcomers that they should not consider creativity as a worthwhile activity to pursue.

A terrific side benefit will be that we get a new source of entertainment.  It could be gamified and draw the right kind of residents inworld.

For any of you who do not believe this is a real problem you have not been paying attention. There is a limit to the amount of help and support that should be provided to a seemingly endless number of artists.  Particularly if you believe that only the same two dozen creative types should be indulged at all.  In addition, the whole idea of having both "public" and private sponsorship is an anathema. Really, what were people thinking?

My proposal is an efficacious approach to both deleting the problem and erasing the drama and we'll get a new game out of it.  My hero would be proud.  

Image from A Tale of Two Cities (1935)

Dante, Virgil & Hell in Second Life

Rebeca Bashly's Inferno on LEA 6  (moderate)

It's the time of year when "dark" becomes attractive to most of the population - not just those who indulge all of the time.  This is not my favourite time of year to be honest but it's growing on me.  I realized that people assume around now that my weird look is just a halloween costume and don't think anything of it. :)

If you really want to get in the mood for horror then visit a realization of Dante's vision of hell in Rebeca Bashly's Inferno on LEA 6.

Rebeca Bashly's Inferno on LEA 6  (moderate)

The Roman poet Virgil is your guide through the nine levels of suffering.  He's the one who glows - I guess since he's been granted visiting privileges they want to ensure he doesn't get caught up in some of the gruesome drama.

When you've had enough of the pain and torture on any level just touch him to get his attention and he'll move you along to the next.

Rebeca Bashly's Inferno on LEA 6  (moderate)

I don't subscribe to the notion of "hell" and certainly not the medieval view that Dante examined.  I guess if I had to pick a description I could accept it would be Jean Paul Sartre's "Hell is other people" from Huis Clos.  There's less brimstone that way.

(As a side note, when I was much younger at University, a group of us drove across the border to see a pron movie - very daring at the time.  I realized part way into it that the script was based on Sartre's book and decided to consider it just a field trip for my french literature class.  I can rationalize a lot of things.)

Rebeca Bashly's Inferno on LEA 6  (moderate)

If you survive the sight of all the trials, tribulations and tortures you will find yourself in the ninth circle.  As gruesome as I found everything else this section affected me the most and it was because of the big guy.

Yes Satan is here, with all three of his heads, but what really really bothered me were his wings.  They are the creepiest things I've encountered in SL.  The texture, the movement and the sheer menace in them both surprised and intimidated me.  Go visit Inferno for yourself and see what I mean.

Rebeca Bashly's Inferno on LEA 6  (moderate)

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)

A Very Windy Aerie in Second Life

The Aerie by Cherry Manga (moderate)

One of the exhibits I missed recently was Maya Paris' installation at Per4mance MetaLES and I feel terrible and apologize to her and to you that I didn't share it.  I was determined not to miss the current work by Cherry Manga.

The Aerie is situated on a windswept marsh at the rocky edge of the ocean.  Almost everything seems to be in motion from the huge number of birds to the marsh grasses.

The Aerie by Cherry Manga (moderate)

The sim suggests you use the Torley windlight setting of Midday Touch o' Purple which I did.  Normally I mess around with my settings but I was obedient today. :)

The landscape is very dominant when you first start to explore.  But look closely. There are a myriad of details and every object has more to it than you might realize with a cursory glance.

The Aerie by Cherry Manga (moderate)

The colours are pale - and not just as a result of your environment settings.  But there are colours and there are surprises.

It's very soothing somehow to stand in the moving grass with birds swirling in the wind around you.  It doesn't feel warm here but it's not cold or unfeeling and there is great beauty.  It is, as have been all the works I've seen at Per4mance MetaLES, exquisitely done and a departure from what I've seen before.

The Aerie by Cherry Manga (moderate)

I had trouble capturing the feeling of  The Aerie in these photos.  Luckily for you  jjcccc has made a video of the installation.  Watch this and then go visit for yourself.   Take a sweater though - the wind is relentless.

Through The Lens of Dreams & Being Boswell in Second Life

Through the Lens of Dreams at Art Screamer (moderate)

I'm gradually surfacing from the past few weeks and months of focus elsewhere and I'm determined to go around and find some of the things I've missed so that I can share them with you.

My first outing was to Art Screamer which is a very cool sim offering different artists' installations over time. The current one is by two of my favourites  - Madcow Cosmos with sound by Lorin Tone.  Called Through the Lens of Dreams it's a fabulous landscape you complete as you explore.  In their own words:

(it) is an exploration of the transformative nature of dreams, where each new setting may emerge from the last and seems continuous while we're experiencing them.  The only truly consistent part of a dream is the viewer, that's you.  Thus as you walk through the installation you help complete the piece, good work.  The piece is more a series of doodles that flow from each other than a single large composition so it seems somewhat sprawling and busy.  Just relax and enjoy your own little piece of the whole.

Through the Lens of Dreams at Art Screamer (moderate)

While I poked and clicked and circled around some of these wonderous objects I was thinking about a conversation I had yesterday with a dear friend.  I care about him a lot which makes it easier not to be shallow and hate him for being unreasonably talented in far too many areas.

It made me think about this world and how it attracts wonderful artists and musicians and builders and designers and fashionistas and storytellers.  It wouldn't be the same without them and I appreciate what they do for me.  I mean I can't do what they do so I'll just take advantage of the fact they do it to be entertained and inspired and provoked and touched. But there's a tiny little bit of me that's jealous.  I think most of us want to contribute not just consume, certainly I would like to feel like I was adding to the world somehow.

Through the Lens of Dreams at Art Screamer (moderate)

I convince myself that my photography is getting better.  I'm out of practice as these pictures clearly demonstrate but I'm a great believer in continuous improvement.

My photos aren't art though.  I'm not creating anything new and when people like them they are responding to the content.  Don't get me wrong - I don't have a problem with that. If people like my images it means I've captured something I was trying to share about something I saw. That's really all I can hope for. The wonderful photographers who use lighting or special effects or post processing to tell a story or create something new are artists.  I'm just recording moments.

Through the Lens of Dreams at Art Screamer (moderate)

Someday maybe a fairy godfather (cause I'd rather look at great abs than boobs) will appear and I'll suddenly create something magical.  In the meantime I'll photograph what I find and share it with you.  This world needs Boswell's too - and it's certainly easier than what people like Madcow and Lorin are doing. :)

Go visit Art Screamers and walk Through the Lens of Dreams.  Make your own memories and take your own photos.  Feel like a participant in this process.

I'm heading out to find some more products of the amazing talents we live with in a virtual world.

Through the Lens of Dreams at Art Screamer (moderate)

Up in the Air with Art & Cuckoos in Second Life

Aire Ville Spatiale (general)

I love the art you can find in Second Life.  I love the fact that, unlike many of us who resort to drama or emo hissy fits, artists channel their "crazy" into something often amazing and give the rest of us a journey to experience.  What my two readers have learned though is that I'm not knowledgeable about "art" and its metaphors or symbolism.  In other words - I can't explain it, I can just point you towards what I've found and suggest you go visit.  Today is a very good example.  :)

There is a new group of exhibits at Aire Ville Spaciale by Oberon Onmura, Marc Moana (his rl avatar is Marc Blieux) and Marc in collaboration with Maya Paris & Typote Beck. When you land at the main landing spot you'll see an installation by Yona Friedman and receive a notecard with teleport locations for the newer works.

Aire Ville Spatiale (general)

As a photographer I'm very slow - I have no future capturing "action" shots because by the time I have all the sliders and settings where I want them the image is long gone.  That weakness was brought home to me while I visited SynchroniCity because it keeps changing dammit!  I'd see this fabulous construct and work to try and get what might be a reasonable photo only to have it vanish before I could click on the camera.

There's a giant planet and then there isn't.  There's a phenomenally large tower and it disappears to be gradually replaced by a variety of cool builds (that's technical art terminology, really!) and then they vanish.

Aire Ville Spatiale (general)

I admit I got confused about where I was and in which exhibit at some points.  Figuring out what to look at and when made me feel like I was always a step behind where I was meant to be but, and it's a big but, I loved it.

I can't sound like I know what I'm talking about when I describe the art, because I don't.  However, I have travelled a lot in this fair world and there are many places which don't make me feel like I want to stay and see everything and experience all that I can.  The works I found on Aire Ville Spatiale captured my attention completely - trying to see everything was somehow absurd but compelling.

Aire Ville Spatiale (general)

Having said all of this I did have a favourite exhibit.  Marc's Cuckoo (which is actually built in The Aviary by Dekka Raymaker) is magical and The Aviary itself is fabulous (and I reached this conclusion before I discovered a free gift avatar by alpha.tribe!). 

There's a lot to see and absorb.  I did a great deal of the former and I'm still working on the latter.  I recommend that you go visit these exhibits - I'm not bad a finding things but I'll leave it to you to grasp their meaning. :)

By the time I found myself reclining on top of a giant bird's perch I was exhausted.  Go forth and see what you can discover at Aire Ville Spatiale.

Aire Ville Spatiale (general)

Second Life has a Solemn Beauty in Ravens Mist

When Birds Fall  Katz Jupiter

Two sims full of art on a fantasy landscape, I couldn't resist. Ravens Mist is Katz Jupiter's gift to those who love to poke around and find great art in a completely unnatural setting - well it's unnatural if you think art has to be in a walled gallery or organized in nice neat display areas.  We on the grid know better and this is a wonderful place to explore.

The name of the group Katz has created will give you a hint of what's to be found.  Slightly Twisted is well named.  The plan is to change the exhibits regularly so, assuming you actually manage to see everything and feel like you're done, there will be a reason to return often.

The Hope Beyond the Door  Nessuno Myoo

Katz' own works are on display as well as many pieces by others.  This is a very large display area and will take time to explore and digest, each of the pieces I saw deserve attention and focus.

The art is solemn.  It's not depressing but the art I managed to have time to consider was serious and definitely not frivolous.  The pieces are beautiful but the subject matter is not light.   I did find hope only partially buried on a hill top - so I took that as a positive sign. :)  I recommend you go visit Ravens Mist - it's a very cool place to spend some quality time inworld.

Burning Monk Tribute  Luke Enoch

Now allow me to share something I learned about Viewer2 this weekend that you have probably already figured out. I admit I'm slow.  If you want to follow a slurl from a website, drag it down to the Second Life tab at the bottom of your screen - when the viewer opens drop the link onto the screen.  The map sidebar opens to that location and you can teleport.  Dragging and dropping slurl's is much easier than the alternative.  Try it with the Ravens Mist link and see what happens.  It makes me wonder how many other little things I've not discovered. 

The next shot isn't great but I thought at least one photo of a larger area should be included. :)

Ravens Mist  (moderate)

Exploring Moya: the Name, the Artist & a Physical Connection with Second Life

Moya Museum (general)

I had a conversation the other day in which it was suggested that I go visit a group of islands owned by Moya Janus.  I'm going to encourage you to do this excursion as well but you will have the advantage of some background and information first.  :)

Patrick Moya is a french artist, living in Nice,  whose works are based on "the obsessive diffusion and transformation of his name and image".  By the time you have explored even a small portion of one of the islands you will know his name and will be able to identify him in a real life street encounter. 

Moya Museum (general)

You'll notice above I said he lives in Nice - beautiful, sun soaked Nice.  The Côte d'Azur influences his art and the manner in which he designs his sims at least from the perspective of "light".  This was enjoyable for me because my little corner of the world has forgotten about summer however I found it very difficult to take photos because it's very bright.  So you'll see that the images I've included are taken at dusk or at midnight.

I made it to three of the four islands - Moya Museum, Moya and Moya Land.  Unfortunately the Studio Moya was offline during my visit but I can show you a glimpse of what you might see because he livestreams it on his website - there is a real life connection as well (at least until October) with a physical Studio Moya at La Malmaison Cannes. 

Moya Land (general)

I have to admit to sensory overload during my visit.  There was point at which I was afraid to move my camera because there would be a whole new area full of images and objects I would then have to digest.  This is not a bad thing - just an observation that "OMG he's prolific".

I found myself relaxing when I reached Moya Land.  As much as I can enjoy the circus and the overwhelming amount of movement and light and images on the other islands, I found the environment on this site easier or less stressful to absorb.

Moya Land (general)

I love Patrick's art - even when I find it hard to take in the sheer volume of images. There's humour and self-deprecation and a fabulous "atmosphere" created in his work.  I'm also very impressed with his conscious effort to link both his first and second life art together and make it immersive for both avatars and carbon-based life forms.  If Studio Moya had been online I could confirm my assumption that the two worlds can communicate - you'll have to discover that for yourself.

Check out the tourists' guide to the 4 islands before you go in preparation.  There is a lot to see and it will help you get prepared and oriented.  There is a tram tour once you arrive - at least I saw one on Moya.  But if you're like me you'll just wander and see what an artistic mind living on the Mediterranean can accomplish.  Wonderful!

Moya Land (general)

Sex with Trees, Just Another in the Long List of Reasons Tabloids Love Second Life

Porto (moderate)

So I, as the intrepid explorer, had one of those experiences that jolted me out of my comfort zone and made me confront one of those areas of life I prefer to pretend doesn't exist.  It did, however, give me an advance warning of the new rash of stories that will start appearing about our beloved grid.

I was flying around Porto and saw a flock crows suddenly jump up and circle a tree which up to then had provided a quiet resting place.  I went to see what had startled them and well, let's just say I got an eyeful.

You may or may not know that there is a sub-culture in the physical world that finds itself drawn to sex with inanimate objects.  There's the man who has loved more than 1000 cars, another who's terribly fond of vacuum cleaners and the one who lusts after bicycles.  And in case you think it's just men - think again.

You just know there's going to be a headline about going inworld to have sex with trees now.  Particularly since it would appear that she's not giving him a lot of choice.  He may be made out of wood but he should still have some rights.  sigh

Porto (moderate)