GRIMFIDDLE DOGPATCH

One central theme of my work deals with the concept of a “New Mythology”. As a matrix within which to fit some of my ideas, I have developed a synthesis of the ancient mythology of Gaia, and the modern scientific theory. I am interested in formulating a symbolic language that addresses individual psychology while also dealing with the concept of a global society. We can learn a great deal about ourselves by examining the strategies employed by peoples from different cultures which enable them to participate in the arena of world affairs while maintaining a connection to their cultural heritage. As technologies continue to accelerate, the resultant shock waves are shaking societies to their foundations. This work addresses the effects of technology upon culture.

I am interested in formulating a symbolic language that addresses individual psychology while also furthering the concept of a “global society”. We can learn a great deal about ourselves by examining the strategies employed by peoples from different cultures which enable them to participate in the arena of world affairs while they retain a connection to their cultural roots. As technologies continue to accelerate, the resultant shock waves are shaking societies to their foundations. My artwork addresses the effects of technology upon culture.

When the world changes, religions and mythologies struggle to respond. Myth today has much the same function it has always held; it teaches us how to live a human lifetime. My symbolic system is based on the same themes that have been presented by artists and mystics alike. The symbols I present are based upon the awakening of individuals to the knowledge of themselves as parts of the whole planetary system; and simultaneously as individuals without boundaries or horizons.

This series of works I have presented express a profound sense of irony that stems from the collision of traditional cultural communities with the juggernaut of global technological advancements. Communication technologies have made virtually any point of our planet accessible to an ever growing population. This technological growth brings information and with it, renewed pressure on both public and private lives. Will variations in customs and lifestyles gradually fade in the glare of a global monoculture? Can we retain some meaningful vestige of our cultural diversity?

I am intrigued with the notion that the internet and telecommunications, the two most ubiquitous representations of expanding globalization, may be responsible for erasing cultural distinctions. Ironically, it may also be our best hope of preserving those distinctions and passing them on to future generations. There is in my view, a great need today for systems of symbolization that can address an emerging world view of the individual’s place in the changing environment we are creating.

Demigods Playground:

My installation at the Artisan’s Galleria represents my first attempt at taking some of my artwork into a new dimension. With this installation I am not only bringing my 2-dimensional work into the world of Second Life but also utilizing the unique tools found here to allow visiters to step into the artwork itself.

I draw my inspiration from many cultural traditions. The common thread being that we are all passengers on “Spaceship Earth”. To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, ” If we do not hang together, we shall all certainly hang separately.”

What all of my work challenges us to do is to set aside our own local interpretations of what is the one true “WAY” and begin to come to an accommodation that when the world changes, religions and mythologies struggle to respond. One central theme of my work is the concept of a “New Mythology”, together with the realities of the emergent global society. As a matrix within which to fit some of my ideas, I have developed a synthesis of the ancient mythology of Gaia, and the modern scientific theory that the earth and all of its systems represent a new paradigm for understanding our place within the panorama of human evolution and our place within the universe. I am interested in formulating a symbolic language that addresses the incredible diversity of our vast cultural heritages while simultaneously embracing individual psychology.

REZAGO KOKORIN

Photography has been the primary form of artistic expression of my life and in recent years I’ve begun creating real world sculpture. My experiences in Second Life have introduced me to the idea of virtually created art as a serious artform.

I’ve been in SL since October 2006 and for the first few months most of my time and attention went into creating a sculpture park in the Blekinge sim to display the work of various artists. This project was inspired by a real world sculpture park in my hometown.

Landscaping and creating abstract sculpture within Second Life are my ongoing interests. It appeals to me as it is a way of creating environments which people can enjoy visiting and socializing in. Most recently I’ve taken a great interest in how virtual environments can be used to educate and inform, by creating spaces which spark curiosity and interest.

I live in northern Colorado, USA and my real world day job is in manufacturing. In my work I use 3d modeling software extensively and I’ve found building in Second Life to be a natural extension of that. The difference is the joy of being freed from the workday constraints and to be able to create whatever I can imagine and have the knowledge to do. What makes all of this truly worthwhile is working with others to brainstorm and create, and sharing those creations with the world.

Artist interview by Magellan Egoyan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPPQ0AlmO2Q

ELKO SCHUFANG

I am a german Woman,living in Berlin.
I working on a great Hospital as Studynurse.

I like art and the freedom is my greatest dream.
Here i can fly and speak with the Prims.
Here in SL I found a powerful buildingtool.
Here I found a dream.
Exhibit in a Gallery.
To be creative and tell my story with my soul.
Thanks to Jordan Morgenrote and Gracie Kendal.

I saw a lot, sad and nice things.
Here I have the chance to show my inside
and what I feel in my mind.
I think a lot about life and what it could be.
Every Art tells a story.
People and fates let me think.
I am exited to see other People happy.
I love selfless and helpfully People.
Lough and cry live together in life.
I believe in the undying soul
and life after death.

My Art is speaking —
listen………

The most Objects are like a Phantom.
Like a thought….

ESCH SNOATS

ABOUT THE ARTIST: I joined Second Life back in May of 2006 and a week after joining I
created the art gallery, “The Art Loft.” After 7 months I sold it and
worked in conjunction with Filthy Fluno to create one of the top artist
colonies in world called Artropolis. Filthy and I also co-curated the art exhibit that
took place at this year’s Second Life Community Convention in Chicago as
well as having our own art shown there. I also designed the cover art
for the program that everyone received at the convention. I’m a stay at
home dad living in the midwest and currently I’ve been focusing on
digital abstract mixed-media art. I’m in the process of getting my work
into real life galleries and have a website that shows everything I’ve
done at http://strikingsolid.com/sl/

ABOUT THE ART: Much of my art is focused on the internal struggles that take place
under the surface of consciousness. Aspects of yourself that you don’t
notice, or refuse to acknowledge. By creating this environment within my
art, I attempt to bring a more cerebral point of view that is not just
eye candy on a wall. I intentionally incorporate several layers into my
art, allowing you to find something new with each viewing. A casual
glance won’t reveal much, but the longer you study the art, the more
you’ll get out of it. I never spoon feed the message, which allows you to
get something out of it based on your own experiences. Currently I am
focusing on limited edition digital mixed-media art that incorporates my
photography and digital manipulation techniques.

ABOUT THE INSTALLATION: To carry on with the cerebral aspects of my artwork, I decided to build
an immersive interactive exhibit entitled “What’s Inside Esch’s Head?”
Using many of my pieces of art, I created a walk through experience
that envelops you and throws your senses into overdrive. It’s best to
experience this exhibit walking a slow casual pace, otherwise you’ll miss
a lot of what is there. Many have claimed that upon exiting the
installation, that they’ve come to realize how screwed up Esch truly is, and
that what’s inside his head is remarkably like going through a car wash
with the windows down and your ham sandwich getting soggy.

DOUGLAS STORY

Technique: My technique involves the scientific approach of jamming the lens into the flower and tripping the shutter. Oh, alright….a little more than that. I use a good tripod, a camera with a LCD screen that swivels (good for unusual camera positions,) and sometimes diffusers or reflectors – but the light is all natural. Most images I produce have not been altered with Photoshop; that’s the picture as it came right out of the camera.

Pretentious Statement: At first I had some doubts about flowers being a suitable subject for (ahem) Art. But then I thought, “Hey, if flowers were good enough for Georgia O’Keefe, they’re good enough for me.”
If you were to put a gun to my head, I could probably think hard about my photographs, and come up with some claptrap about the mystery and sanctity of nature, and the power of the moment when the puzzled viewer realizes the true nature of what he or she is looking at. Luckily, you do not have a firearm. You don’t, do you?

Acquisition: Photos are available in that old-fashioned Real World – and they look just grand blown up big. I do most at 28 x 21 inches, and some as big as 3 x 4 feet. If interested, send a note to douglas.story@gmail.com.
All images can be resized as needed to fit your space.

Bio: I was born in Wisconsin, where I developed the love of deep-fried cheese curds and bratwurst which continues to enrich my life to this day. Later, my family moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. Later still, I went off to college at UC San Diego, then moved to L.A. to Make Movies!
I quickly discovered that working on movie shoots is both grueling and boring, and ended up as a videotape editor. From there it was a gradual descent to my present position of Television Promotion Writer/Producer.
As far as photography goes, when I was in high school and college, I was rarely seen without a 35mm camera around my neck. I finally ruined that Pentax when I leaned too far over a bowl of Albondigas soup, and the camera plopped in. After that my interest waned, only to wax again in the last few years with the advent of digital photography. When I learned that my spiffy new Nikon could focus as close as 3/4″, I was off to the races.
My hero is Edward Weston.

BLUE TSUKI

Blue Tsuki is both a Second Life artist/builder and a RL fine artist. He has worked for many years in a variety of mediums. Trained as a painter and printmaker he has a history of experimentation and unique process art-making. He has shown paper pulp paintings, mixed media sculpture installations, unique process photography, interactive electronic music sculpture and traditional graphite drawings.

Blue has worked with computers in one form or another for 20 years with a concentration on computer graphics. For the past several years he has focused on high resolution archival digital prints. These are shown here along with sculpture created in and for Second Life. Blue has also worked as an artist, designer, illustrator and animator for companies such as Microsoft, Dreamworks and McGraw-Hill.

FINNY YATES

You might called me “extensively focused.” My work tends towards 3 types: “Abstracts,” “Actuals” (these are portraits and common still lifes), and “Abstractuals.” Abstractual paintings are of actual objects that look odd and abstract in and of themselves or contain found images.

The paintings in my Rubber Glove show at Bellatrix are a form of abstractuals. They are a series of paintings composed of forms found in photocopies taken of 100 rubber gloves placed randomly on a xerox machine. The original xerox appears as a cubist landscape. An image of the Virgin Mary was the first to appear, followed by other images such as Shakespeare, Lady in fur coat, as well as other portraits of people and birds. The images were slightly enhanced with color and then transferred to canvas paper with an acrylic transfer process. A final acrylic wash or glaze was then applied. The “Latex Virgin” also includes a number of gel transfers in the lower left flower area.