Iono Captures SaveMe

When I watch this machinima I understand what straight men see when they look at women. My profound respect and gratitude goes to Iono Allen for this exceptional piece of art.

I would like to add that my former client Ms. SaveMe Oh has never looked more beautiful, even if she is always stunning!

"Ben in Farmland: An Homage to Tom"

Benjamin Glendale was kind enough to send me this press release for his upcoming exhibition.

"Commencing from May 18th 12 noon SLT at Gallery Assis is hosting Benjamin Glendale's new collection of images "Ben in Farmland: An Homage to Tom".

A long time resident of Second Life, Benjamin is rediscovering exploration in Second Life and taking snaps of his adventures, primarily for his own enjoyment but also to be shared with others. Ben doesn't confine himself to one form of image over another, he takes photographs of people and/or places, landscapes or buildings, as inspired by his surroundings and the events taking place.

The collection at Gallery Assis is entitled "Ben in Farmland: An Homage to Tom". Comprising five pictures, it hopes to capture the spirit of Tom of Finland imagery. All in a monochromatic retro style, it features scenes of overt masculinity, fun and plain hot sexiness, as it shows Ben's adventures working the farm and the men he meets there. Thanks go to the guys who own and run The Stud Farm, which was used as location for the images.

The exhibition (...) exhibits together with new collections by Erik Bayn and Joseph Nussbaum. To launch the event there is a 1950's party at the Gallery, hosted by gallery owner Eli Wallace (dress code Jailhouse Rock - 1950s)."

Your bucking bronco to Gallery Assis (SLurl)

One Man Guy

"Commencing from April 13th 12 noon SLT at Gallery Assis is hosting Benjamin Glendale's new collection of images "One Man Guy".

A long time resident of Second Life, Benjamin is rediscovering exploration in SL and taking snaps of his adventures, primarily for his own enjoyment but also to be shared with others. Ben doesn't confine himself to one form of image over another, he takes photographs of people and/or places, landscapes or buildings, as inspired by his surroundings and the events taking place.

The collection at Gallery Assis is entitled "One Man Guy". It is inspired by the song written by Loudon Wainwright III of the same title, exploring the ramifications of "being your own one and only". Thanks go to the guys who own and run The Stud Farm, which was used as location for the images. 

The exhibition is sponsored by Lumipro, and exhibits together with new collections by Maloe Vasant, Capcat Ragu and Sydney Garnet".

Benjamin Glendale at Gallery Assis (SLurl)

Je Suis Là Aussi

My bosom buddy Apmel Goosson tipped me about this new virtual world in his post For this party you have to join a new world!

At the landing place

The new world is called "AIRE Mille Flux" (webpage url), and you are rezzed even uglier than you did in SecondLife in March of 2007. It seems to be a French artsy world and not that exciting yet... 8 sims and at least three are private.

Perhaps the artworld is hoping that they can convince the annoying Ms. SaveMe Oh to emigrate there so they don't have to bounce her off their sims and ban her all the time.

The Laird Is Banned From Burn2

The Much Honored Bock McMillan, laird of Southern Charm and prince of Cascade Falls, today took it upon himself to make a manifestation for the artists rights to freely express their opinions at Burn2.

Suddenly and without even a word of warning - which is usually common practise everywhere else in SecondLife - the laird found himself at home. He had been banned from Burn2 and could no longer return.

This is outrageous! The organizers are dictatorial and totally undemocratic.

Avatars Creating Art from Art

"I love to leave the interpretation of my music up to the listener. It's fun to see what they'll say it is."
Erykah Badu

The artist, SaveMe Oh

I don´t know how the artist SaveMe Oh feels about the quote above, neither do I care, because to me experiencing art has to be what it does to me, emotionally or intellectually whether that is what the artist intended or not. What the artist intended is not really - or not always - of any interest to me, more important is how the art affects me or if it leaves me indifferent.

So yesterday I ventured out from Southern Charm to experience the adventure that is SaveMe and the art she had created for me. Let me start off by telling you all that no anchovy, olives or even Dry Martini´s were served. 

My dearest sister Millimina was there which made me very happy, because I have not seen her in a long time. Even if we were both busy running around in SaveMe´s installations and did not speak as much as we usually do it was a great comfort to have her there.

Now, without further ado, here is my interpretation. I am going to show you parts of the exhibition yesterday. I have chosen to give you a series of pictures I took in random order. In the captions to each picture I have written a few words, thoughts or statements. By stepping into the installations we became part of it and changed it, for ourselves and for the onlookers.

For more pictures - and a different experience - please visit my buddy Apmel Goosson´s blog post Min avatar heter Apmel; Oh: Confusion is the healthy soil on which creativity grows

Afterthought. Rereading what I have written I am stuck by the gloominess, but I actually had a great time and lots of fun yesterday!

"I want a divorce!"

The mother in-law arrives

Alone in a room full of people

"How did we get here?"

Poison or despair?

The harbinger of death

"I have nothing to say"

"It is time to leave"

Booze helps - sometimes

Blue 

Out on the town

Alone, at last

"My life could be better"
Photo by Millimina Salamander

"What a wonderful day, I am happy but tired"

At dawn after a sleepless night

"I will always love her" he thinks to himself

Hop On Hop Oh

Yesterday I got an invitation to "join a daring art walk into exclusive goals" by my friend Kandinsky Beaumont, the famous SecondLife artist and art curator. For your information, Kandinsky recently received a well deserved invitation to participate with her art in this years Burning Man event.

Sundays event starts at 1 PM SLT at Solace Island (SLurl to the event)

The curators wish to make the general public (and especially all overly sensitive art lovers) aware of the fact that Ms SaveMe Oh is the exhibiting artist and also hosts tonight's event so they cannot ban her from the event today.

(As those who follow the art scene in SecondLife already know, my client the notorious Ms. SaveMe Oh is the most banned and kicked-out avatar in existence in SecondLife today, with the possible exception of my bosom buddy Mr. Apmel Goosson.) 

RECOMMENDED READING

The curators recommend the honored guests to read and bear in mind the following three things before attending this adventure:

1. Dry Martini – “The Elixir of Quietude”
2. La primera anchoa cantábrica de 2012, en la XX edición de Eating Madrid
3. The Good Food, Glossary - Olive

This should be a lot of fun, I hope to see you all there!

GIFT 2012

My friend Garth Raleigh, who kindly keeps me informed with all that is happening on the Gay Archipelago sims, sent me this invitation a while back, but I didn't pick it up until I re-immersed myself into SecondLife very early this morning.

Please keep sending me the information, Garth! (I promise to publish sooner next time)

"The Gay Archipelago proudly announces the Grid-wide Opening of the 'GA International FineArts Tour (GIFT), 2012' as of Saturday, September 1st.

  

The largest multi-sim Arts event currently in Second Life, GIFT encompasses 19 GA Estates and features the works of 47 talented artists.  Each GA Estate is outfitted with a TelePort board, allowing the visitor to choose destinations throughout the exhibition.

We invite you to begin your GIFT Tour at the official  "Start Point (SLurl)"  on the GA Estate of Gay Island Resort – the rest of the direction your tour takes is up to you!

Take your time and return often to see each and every installation as these artists are exhibiting all unique, original works in a variety of media.  Feel free to explore each Host Estate to take in the sights as well.  GIFT will be open to the entire Second Life population through September 22, 2012."

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This should be fun and interesting, I am most definitely going to check it out!

Experiencing Returned

How we feel about art or artistic experiences is something deeply personal and is sometimes difficult to explain. I am not at all an art connoisseur, one who understands the details, technique, or principles of an art and neither am I competent to judge it, other than on my very own personal behalf. However, I know if I like it or if I don´t, if it talks to me in my present mood or if it leaves completely numb and unmoved. 

My esteem of the art may vary to some degree with my own personal circumstances, with the music played or sometimes even with my thoughts before going to the exhibition.

I met with the gallery owner, my friend, Kandinsky Beaumont and my buddy Apmel Goosson at the entrance to the gallery. We exchanged a few niceties but then I wanted to go inside, so I walked away from them into the gallery.

My first sight was baffling, there was art on every wall, all the floor and in the ceiling also.

Everything was covered with Returned´s art, and when I walked into the gallery the music hit me also, a strange primordial thumping with a calming effect. I started feeling a thrill deep down inside and knew I was going to have a good time.

The first thing that caught my eyes immediately after that was a group of avatars consisting of the artist Returned himself and "his family" on display, their bodies naked and their positions frozen in time. The woman has her head in her hands and is obviously weeping.

Although I had taken more pictures at this event than on an other I have been to in SecondLife (more than 50) when I started writing this post I decided that I would include only a few of the artwork here, just enough so that you might also get interested and go there to see it and experience it all.

At an exhibition it is all about oneself and the art work, I don´t worry about what the artist may and may not want me to think. I found the exhibition extremely touching and with a childlike quality that moved me. It was a childish egomaniac with a very fragmented view of himself and his experiences in life and with his relatives, alone with his own actions, reactions, thoughts and feelings. He sees no connections, it´s all random for him and inscrutable. He also shows a very childlike honesty and has no defenses, what you see is what you get. There is beauty in his ugliness, in his huge eyes, and long limbs with enormous hands and feet. No pretense , no airs, no disguise or clothes, he lays it all bare for the on-looker and asks only for kindness.

Towards the end, the artist and "his family" joined us on and danced, surrounded bu the rest of the artwork everywhere.

A big part of the glitterati of the SecondLife art establishment was there, among them the infamous SaveMe Oh. I enjoy trying to tease her a lot but the woman gives and takes abuse with the same humor. It is quite impossible not to respect someone who can do that.

Lastly I show you a picture of Millimina Salamander and myself dancing. The naughty woman had put on a soccer top to tease me, but she looked lovely so I did not care.

I left the opening happy and grateful for the experience when a few of the other artists started doing their own thing, probably with the acceptance of Returned and Kandinsky but it irritated me and spoiled some of the experience for me. I wonder what they themselves would have felt if another artist had started doing his thing at their opening. 

It is most likely something they usually do because no one else seemed to mind, I guess I was just feeling overprotective of Returned.

Your personal shoal of walruses to escort you to the gallery Solace Island: Place des Petits Bourgeois (SLurl)

Artists and Other Animals

"Bock" by Chade Dagger

Here is a bonus poster for all my fans to put up over their beds or in their living rooms. Those who aren't one of my fans can use it to throw darts at or on the shooting range if they bother.

I have been thinking about the word "artist" and who can - rightfully - claim to "be an artist". As it turns out artist is not a well-defined or protected title. Anyone can at any point in time decide call themselves an artist if they wish to do so, but that does by no means mean that others must accept their claim.

For me an artist would be involved with art forms concerned with pure visual or performing arts for the purpose of aesthetics or concept rather than practical application.

Designing household appliances, skins or clothes are indeed important creative activities but do not usually count as fine art in my book. However, there are exceptional instances when I would consider items of these activities as art. Only to mention one example I will point at my own creation "The Jesters Hat - only for the most daring of fashionistas" which is sublime.