Saturday, June 9, 2012

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)

DJ Battle - Fundraiser Sunday

DJ BATTLE 
in support of 
Broadway Cares/Equity Fight Aids
featuring
CLUB SEVEN´s DJ Spike 
vs. 
TWINK HUNTER´s DJ Sora Bluebird

Sunday, June 10, 2012, 05:00 PM SLT

Sponsored by Gizza Creations

Both clubs have selected their DJ´s to set this event on FIRE as both DJs will hit the decks spinning the hottest tunes.


Kathy Griffin - Proud Straight Ally

Kathy Griffin
Photo by Mike Ruiz/Bravo
"One doesn't ask Kathy Griffin an opening question in an interview situation. She just starts.

And once off and running, Kathy Griffin doesn't stop. In fact, she barely takes a breath.


The fiercely outspoken, fiercely intelligent, all-around-fierce comedian has, for years, been a champion of the gay cause. Long before Lady Gaga was popping up at rallies in support of LGBT rights, Griffin was embedded in the trenches, stumping for DADT repeal and marriage equality in an impassioned, fever-pitched way that would put most campaigning politicians to shame."

That´s how Randy Shulman of Metro Weekly starts off his interviw with comedian and straight ally Kathy Griffin. Please take the time to read the full interview at Metro Weekly; Kathy Griffin Sees You!

Say It the Country Way


(via J.M.G.)

"Girls and Boys" an It Gets Better Country Song, written and performed by Richard Hefner.

I don´t really like country music that much, but to this song I might even learn the words and singalong sometimes.

Art Exhibition Opening at Solace Island

Yesterday I received the following message in-world:
"Kandinsky Beaumont invites all daring avatars with these words:


Uncomfortable invasion of Returned Resident into usually idyllic Place des Petits Bourgeois will be welcomed and celebrated this Saturday after 12.00 SL-time and 21.00 CET.


Solace Island: Place des Petits Bourgeois (SLurl)
/Apmel the messenger boy"
 ---
Intriguing huh? To boot there has already been some cat-scratching going on on the SecondLife art-blogs between the young Icelandic artist Returned Resident and the infamous SaveMe Oh, it seems the old gal has been giving the poor, innocent, young Icelander some unwanted attention of a sexual nature.

Don´t you know by now that you have to treat the country lads with delicacy and tact, SaveMe?

It may just be part of the build-up for the exhibition, but I will be there anyway and will be looking forward to a nice expose of Life as Drama, Drama as Art, Art as Life, ergo Life as Life, as Life, as Life ad infinitum and in all its colorful variations. Hope to see you there!

P.S. I just noticed on another blog that there is a clothing theme, "Icelandic outfit" whatever that may be... I am going to check on Google Images.

At Apollon´s Jetty

Apollon Allen had a party at his jetty around midnight yesterday. I suspect I arrived just moments after there had been a kerfuffle when one of the guests had been bothered by another unusually rude guest. As I understand it Apollon solved it splendidly by kicking the offensive woman off the sim.

That is the only way to handle bullies and people who do not know how to behave in politely and keep their drama in Instant Message. Way to go Apollon!

As always at Apollon´s sets we were entertained by good, solid, feelgood music with a touch of nostalgia from the late 80´s and early 90´s, perfect for a late Friday evening just before the Friday coma sets in and you have to crawl to bed.

I invited my cute and adventurous buddy Ziggy Starsmith to join me and we had a few good dances and some good chat before he sent me to bed, after my typos began getting worse, with a good night kiss.

As I could not get my camera working the picture in this post has been "quoted, borrowed or stolen" from Ziggy´s post Ziggy On the Edge Of Second Life; Dancing The Night Away with Bock.... You can find more great pictures there, including the goodnight kiss.

Friday, June 8, 2012

EURO 2012™

The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2012™ starts today, June 8, and goes on until July 1.

  • My mother will be watching it and talking about it all the time.
  • My father will be watching it and talking about it all the time.
  • My sister and my brother in-law in first life will be watching it and talking about it all the time.
  • Millimina Salamander will be watching it and talking about it all the time.
  • Apmel Goosson - and all his Apmels - will be watching it and talking about it all the time.
  • Anton Hysén will be watching it and talking about it all the time.
  • All of my friends and family, gay or straight and men or women, in first life will be watching it and talking about it all the time.
  • All of my workmates, gay or straight and men or women, will be watching it and talking about it all the time.
  • Every straight or gay man and almost every woman and child in Europe will be watching it and talking about it all the time-
  • Every gay or straight European male avatar and almost every European female avatar in SecondLife will be watching it and talking about it all the time
The only redeeming thing about this months of boring soccer matches will be the opportunity to look at the nice legs of the soccer players once in awhile.
Soccer Legs by A la Corey
Soccer Legs by Lawrenz Loh