2012-04-13

The Huge Nothing

Art is diverse, even or especially in Second Life.

There are the hard-working builders who spend countless hours creating the perfect sculpt or mesh with the perfect texture.

Then there are the aesthetes who want to create something beautiful and unusual or want to tell a story. They do not care whether they need to create textures and prims or rely on prefabs as long as the result is convincing.

When artists of these two groups have the opportunity to build on a parcel or an entire sim, then they sit tirelessly to build even into the last corner. Often a single sculpture has as much prims as the average SL resident uses for a furnished house with garden. At openings the artists tell me how they often for weeks or even months worked the whole nights. I think one feels the love and devotion to the work at the end. To me these builds have the dignified aura of a masterpiece in craftsmanship.

Then there are the artists who are more concerned with the content or the action. To an aesthete like me it hurts in the eyes when I look at prims, which certainly would have been a sensation in form and texture in the early days of SL. I often get the impression that some artists do not see that the general quality of buildings has left the Kindergarten level for a long time. But that does not matter to me when the action is well thought through and the statement ist straight to the point and perhaps even funny. I have great respect for works with a deep and important meaning.

Of course there are all kinds of combinations of these categories. I just wanted to list the criteria by which I personally judge the quality of art. And so I am always very keen on the exhibitions in the LEA sims. The artists are happy about the chance and give their best. I am grateful that they share it with us.
But of course there are always exceptions, and such opened yesterday: “One Fool's Uncharted Empire” by Athena Bedrosian. Her approach is high: "This installation is about one's internal kingdom, the territory he / she inhabits and treads daily. It is not necessarily a complete catalog, but tries to hit the highlights. My style is pretty straightforward and not particularly "pretty." I'm more interested in clarity and usability. The working title for this installation was "Mulligatawny Light," mulligatawny being a tasty, East Indian dish. The original meaning of the word Mulligatawny what pepper or pepper water soup. Essentially what this meant to build catalog various qualities of light from darkness to subdued relative to celestial. But other factors and meaning crept in, so we now have a catalog of internal concepts. "
Wow - great topic! But what do I see? A nearly empty sim. Barely five buildings are standing on the rocky desert. And with all due respect they are built in absolute beginners level. So I hoped for the content.

Let's have a look at the best building: 'The Cistern of Dreams'


Columns on water - that's all!

The worst to me was this building: "That which is past but haunts us"
More cliché than a pixelated Hitler is not possible!

I very much hope for Athena that her inner kingdom is not as poor as presented. I do not want to waste my time with such a loveless work and expect more efforts in a full sim installation. Athena is new in art, but not new to SL. I met a friend there who said that the best is the ground texture on the Sim. Unfortunately true!
Nevertheless, I think it is good that the LEA committee demonstrates courage and gives newcomers a chance, even when it can go badly wrong.


  

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