Opening on November 12th at a gallery space provided by the United Artists of Second Life is a fascinating and highly engaging exhibition that offers a small insight into the work of two artists from the physical world whose work is simply remarkable.
Presented by Bijoux (BijouxBarr – herself an artist), Samaniego Art is a collection of paintings by her mother and grandmother, which is being presented in Second Life with the artists’ full permission. The art on offer is primarily presented as digital prints of watercolours that art startling in their realism and accuracy whilst simultaneously presenting the journeys of the artists to the Middle East and within their home country, and starling life studies.
Most of the images are offered in pairs in around the gallery that have clearly be set out as such, allowing us to visit Manila and witness the beauty of its architecture (San Agustin Church and the El Hogar Building) or appreciate a more distant view of the city’s skyline before travelling onwards to enjoy the pools of the Estrella Falls on the island of Palawan and / or further afield to explore the streets of old Jaffa (Yafa) in Tel Aviv, Israel.
UASL: Samaniego Art
Also to be found are the vibrant richness of life studies that bring the power of dance, the serenity of a lake and the beauty of a bird to life, while rounding out the exhibition is a selection of oil paintings, one paired with the bird the other three hanging together as a eye-catching trio among a hall of eye-catching pieces that carry with them a depth of realism that is genuinely exquisite.
Drawing on a variety of influences such as the great Romantic painter Joseph Mallord William Turner through to modern artists such as Andrew Tischler, these are pieces that will genuinely grace any Second Life home. In this regard, while the pieces at UASL are not offered for sale, prints can be obtained via the Samaniego Art Gallery at Campbell Coast.
UASL: Samaniego Art
The UASL exhibition formally opens at 11:00 SLT on Friday, November 12th, with music by Bsukmet.
There can be very few of us who do not have at least one Linden Bear sitting in Inventory somewhere – and most likely more than one (I have a good handful tucked away, and I’ve not been a major collector). Primarily created by the staff at the Lab (together with the Moles of the Linden Department of Public Works), they are one of the Great Staples of Second Life, much sought-after by many, and held as prized possessions.
Linden Bears were, alongside of Linden Collector Cards, the brainchild of Nicole Linden, who joined Linden Lab as the first female international liaison, and the first female Linden from Australia, far back in the mists of time. I have no idea if she ever realised how popular they would be, but Linden Bears have become something of a rite of passage for Lab employees, who are expected to create one (with those at senior level being asked at virtually every public appearance they make if they have one available to give to collectors!), with special in-house courses being given in their construction.
Bear Castle, November 2021At one time, Linden Bears used to all be made to the original template developed by Nicole Linden – but I have absolutely no idea if that is still the case today. What I do know is that, as well as individual bears being produced by Lab staff, there has also been a long tradition of creating celebratory bears to mark events and occasions – such as the “1,000,0000th Bear” produced to mark the 1,000,000th user entering SL (at precisely, for those interested at precisely 8:05:45 SLT, October 18th, 2008).
All of this is by way of introducing the fact that for the bear minded, Claire Atheria has opened the Bear Castle, an incredible display of 497 Linden (and Mole!) bears, 281 of which are from her personal collection(!), with the rest being provided by Maryposa Paine, Michael Takakura, Nicci Pond, Melvin Starbrook and Prokofy Neva.
Bear Castle, November 2021
Located alongside Route 8A within the continent of Satori, Bear Castle sits on a table of rock overlooking the road (and so hard to miss when casually travelling through lower Satori) and is brimming forth with bears from Lindens and past and present, Moles and from Claire and other residents. So many in fact, that they call cannot fit inside the main building or its courtyard, but can instead be found gathered in the pavilion alongside the museum proper and also lining the road (so be sure to cam around / descend the steps from the landing point and have a good look around). Such is the collection that, look long enough and you’ll find some of Nicole’s original bears as well as some more recent creations such as Magic Mole’s Ebbe Linden Bear, as offered to help raise funds for RFL of SL, and various “Team” bears offered on behalf of different Linden working teams, and more.
Of course, not all Linden Bears are bears, so within the collection might be found Leo Linden’s lion, Blue Linden’s dragon, one of April Linden’s bunnies, Terrance Linden’s Monkey, Torley Linden’s … abstract art (no-one could create a bear quite like Torley!), and several of Alexa Linden’s annual bears, to name but a few. Not all bears are of the same approximate size either – so be prepared to zoom in at times – and also zoom out!
Bear Castle, November 2021
For those wishing to start their own Linden Bear collection, Claire also offers some hints and tips on where to find them through a note card giver, and even a “starter pack” of 50 sharable bears by LL staff and members of the LDPW! All of which makes for a pleasing visit / trip down memory lane.
Given this is all about the bears, I cannot help but close by “borrowing” a song from Disney’s version of Baloo Bear and tweaking the lyrics a little:
Look for the bear necessities The Linden Bear necessities. Forget about your worries and your strife; Our Linden Bear necessities Are why avies can rest with ease Collecting bears right here in Second Life!
Bear Castle, November 2021
With thanks to Claire and all involved in this project.
Bamboo Barnes opened her latest exhibition, entitled Drawer, at the Hannington Arts Foundation, owned and operated by Hannington Xeltentat. It also marks my own overdue resumption if covering art exhibitions at HAF.
A self-taught digital artist from Japan, Bamboo has used Second Life as a means of both refining her talent and displaying her work, growing from producing avatar studies to creating intricate pieces that both engage and challenge the eye and mind. Her work, generally vibrant in colour, and also evocative, provocative, and emotive, is among the most striking and unique in Second Life – and has also made the transition into the physical world.
Drawer features 20 images that appear to be self-portraits that – as is Bamboo’s style – lean towards the abstract, whilst using various techniques – collage, overlay, and so on – such that individual pieces can also touch upon the likes of impressionism and surrealism. Each image is perfectly capable of holding the attention in and of itself, but when taken together, how might they relate to the exhibition’s title and the poem Bamboo presents within its introductory notes:
Drawer that don’t close properly. Drawer that you no longer use. A faded picture stuck in the back, ton messed wrinkled one. You’ve forgotten what was like but the smell comes back. For the days you have loved close your eyes, close the drawer.
– Bamboo Barnes
Hannington Art Foundation: Bamboo Barnes – Drawer
To me, these lines suggest two potential interpretations. The first is on the theme of introspection; something Bamboo has dwelt upon through exhibitions such as Receding Reality and Mindstorm. However, here it is perhaps more layered, referencing that spark of joy when finding something created long ago than had been put away and forgotten, and which in turn brings forth memories and feelings that had themselves been locked away unheeded in the filing cabinet of the mind. Are, then, these images each a visual aide-mémoire, bringing forth those long hidden thoughts and emotions that led to its creation?
O might this been a broader commentary that we cannot remain caught up with dwelling on (or in) the past? That life moves on perpetually, carrying us along with it – and for the artist this means accepting what has been created can not no longer be changed, no matter how more advanced we have become or how out outlooks have changed; and for the artists, this means accepting what has been, and it is towards canvases new that one should now turn? And in this, is there not a salient reminder to us all, that while looking back can yield understanding or discovery, so too should the drawers of memory be pushed closed, keeping safe that which has been, while the eyes look towards what is yet to be?
Hannington Art Foundation: Bamboo Barnes – Drawer
As always, Bamboo offers us much to appreciate through her art, and much to ponder both in terms of how each piece came to be and what it represents, and the challenge she present through the five lines of blank verse.
USS Sleipnir and Planet Freya, November 2021 – click any image for full size
Personal log Stardate: 2551.11.10.
After an enforced break at Jasper Point on Idun, and the loss of Resilient Station and its host asteroid a major source of speculation and rumour, it was a relief to receive Commander Constantine’s invitation to take an intra-system jump ship to from the Point to the resource-rich Freya, and the orbit of the coalition’s newest jewel, the USS Sheipnir. Not only had the rumour mill started to get to me, I was keen to see what would be our new home and an opportunity to broaden our exploration of the galaxy, even though the Commander had made it clear elements of the ship were still under construction.
OK, so I’m not actually a part of the Blushock role-play group, but their adventures have been something I’ve been documenting (in part) in these pages, so when the group founder and leader, Fazzy Constantine (Faisel Constantine), invited me to visit the latest chapter in the group’s expanding story and universe, it seems only fitting I should offer some form of in-character notes!
USS Sleipnir and Planet Freya, November 2021
Offering a rich and ever-evolving role-play environment built out from Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition, the Blushock team has a rich history of activity in Second Life dating back over a decade – which in itself pretty impressive. However, rather than re-tread this history here, I invite those interested to find our more by visiting the group’s informative website, to discover more about the group and the Vanaheim system (where most of their adventures have thus far taken place.
When I last visited, the team had just set up a new base of operations – Resilient Station – within a carbonaceous asteroid orbiting Vanaheim in a 19 terrestrial year orbit that periodically carried it close to the lush world of Idun, and the team’s planetary base of Jasper Point (see: Docking at Resilient Station in Second Life). Functioning as a base of operations, an R&R and trading facility and containing research capabilites, the asteroid – Baldur – was mysteriously lost following an experiment involving the artificial creation of black holes.
As a result, Blushock embarked on the development of a new base-of-operations, this time opting to build a massive starship capable of both sub-light and supra-light velocities. In this, the ship uses alien technology able to “fold” space (and time) recovered from pre-existing caverns found deep within Baldur prior to its loss, and which Chief Engineer Noah Constantine (NoahLion) was able to reverse engineer to work with existing Blushock tech.
USS Sleipnir, November 2021 – command deck
The result is the USS Sleipnir, a “Dreadnought” class of vessel that is a truly impressive starship. Named for the mythical eight-legged horse ridden by the Norse god Odin (thus further maintaining the Norse mythology theme that runs through the Blushock RP). The name is fitting both for the fact that the mythical horse could carry Odin great distances, and for Sleipnir’s ability to “mediate between earth [in this case planets] and sky [in this case, space].
A multi-level vessel that clearly utilises a form of artificial gravity, USS Sleipnir is designed to perform a variety of roles: her drive systems means she is capable of visiting multiple worlds within any given star system and uses her space-folding abilities to move between different systems – and even different points in time. As a home, she is fully equipped with the essentials of comfortable living, from living quarters to extensive recreational facilities modelled after those found at Resilient Station – a communal swimming pool, a gymnasium, public social spaces and more.
She is also capable of launching, retrieving and maintaining a range of smaller craft – essential of planetary surface operations and also (potentially) for self-defence – as would be the case with the gunship Mjolnir, named for Thor’s hammer, occupying a dedicated docking hanger under the ship’s stern portions.
USS Sleipnir and Planet Freya, November 2021
Not all of the facilities of the ship are open to casual visitors – although guest quarters are available to those wishing to make an extended visit; joining the Blushock community as an active member can result in access being given to those parts of the ship that are otherwise not readily accessible. However, a part of the ship that can be accessed by all is the most impressive: the massive multi-deck atrium that rises from over the engineering spaces along the ship’s keel to her very top and which sits roughly two-thirds of the way back from her bow and directly between crew and guest quarters and the ship’s primary operating spaces.
This huge space is genuinely stunning – and I really urge visitors to approach it on foot rather then camming out and spying on it. Dominated by two huge hemispheres extending outwards from the main hull, it offers unparalleled views of space – or, when in orbit, of a nearby planet. Extending out into each of these great domes are holographic display platforms, one of which at the time of my visit offered a view of our Milky Way galaxy.
USS Sleipnir – briefing room with the gunship Mjolnir visible through the windows
Between them, and centrally placed beneath the huge, transparent roof of this gigantic atrium is a stellar illumination sphere that casts a natural level of daylight that both gives light and helps to nourish the plants and trees growing throughout the lower garden levels and on the tiers of rock – yes, rock – down which fresh water falls to be recycled and purified for re-use in the recreation area’s pool, located on Sleipnir’s uppermost deck.
The public and social heart of the sip, the atrium is home to birds as well as people, and features places to sit, play games, eat and / or meet friends and crewmates, with companionways and elevators connecting decks and providing access to crew and guest accommodation in the forward part of the ship, or – for those with access – the various offices, labs and other spaces towards the rear of the ship.
USS Sleipnir – personnel quarters
Framed against Planet Freya, named for Odin’s wife and thus a fitting location for the ship’s construction, USS Sleipnir and Planet Freya presents an ideal visit for anyone who enjoys science-fiction. Further setting (representative of Planet Freya, I believe) are to come; while for those looking for a suitable sci-fi environment for photography (RP allowing), the ship makes a great backdrop. And for those who enjoy RP far removed from the likes of Trek or Star Wars, the Blushock team is an ideal group to join and share adventures. The ship’s stargate (not part of the RP) also makes for an ideal means to visit other sci-fi realms in SL.
The following notes were taken from the Tuesday, November 9th, 2021 Simulator User Group (SUG) meeting. The meeting was recorded by Pantera Północy, and the video is embedded at the end of this summary. Note this summary focuses on the key points of the meeting; where there is something to report, the video should be referred to should full details of the meeting wish to be reviewed.
Server Deployments
Tuesday, November 9th saw simhosts on the SLS Main channel restarted, but no actual simulator update, leaving them running version 565008.
Wednesday, November 10th should see regions on the RC channel restart:
The majority of RC simhosts will be restarted without any update, also leaving them running simulator version 565008.
Those servers on the Bluesteel channel will be updated to version 565204, containing the outcome of the recent work in updating the simulator toolsets. Testing of the simulators using the new tools has shown “significant improvement” in simulator operations, so the hope is that this will be reflected in the deployed version.
SL Viewer
This list reflects those official viewers available via Linden Lab.
Release viewer: version version 6.4.23.564172, formerly the Apple Notarisation Fix RC viewer, issued September 24 and promoted October 15.
360 Snapshot RC viewer, version 6.5.0.564863, issued October 21.
Maintenance RC viewer updated to version 6.5.0.564805, on October 20.
Simplified Cache RC viewer, version 6.4.23.562623, dated September 17, issued September 20.
Project viewers:
Performance Improvements project viewer, version 6.4.23.564530, dated October 12.
Performance Floater project viewer, version 6.4.23.562625, issued September 2.
Mesh Optimizer project viewer, version 6.4.23.562614, issued September 1.
Legacy Profiles viewer, version 6.4.11.550519, dated October 26, 2020.
Copy / Paste viewer, version 6.3.5.533365, dated December 9, 2019.
Apple Notarisation Viewer Issue
With the release of the Apple Notarisation Viewer there were updates to many of the viewer’s third party libraries, and some of these updates have be found to cause issues related to playback of certain media types in-world (notably MP3s and MP4s). A fix is in progress, and once ready, LL intend to fast track it through QA ahead of other viewer updates and make an RC viewer with the fix available ASAP.
TLS Changes
Monty Linden provided an update on the status of disabling TLS 1.0 / 1.1 and future certification work:
There are some ongoing issues [with] a combination of effects in play. In Bug-231303, we have reports of failed cipher negotiation. Right now, only three ciphers are available under tls1.2 on login. I hope to strictly expand that. *HOWEVER* this is where that old viewer cert checking code comes in and does the wrong thing. Future certs will not have the ‘key encipherment’ usage extension – and those old checks need to disappear from all viewers and bots and comms libraries.
We can’t check every combination people try to use. We can’t even check many combinations, but we’re heading in the direction of wider conformity of the rest of the net. I would like to be able to offer testing on Aditi prior to future changes but we’ve coupled the two grids in an unfortunately way. That might take time to separate. Maintained clients that updated the cert check should work. Old libomv stuff that is broken currently may or may not be repaired (some will, some won’t). Anyone truly doing their own thing will have to answer to the crypto gods.
The reg changes should hold up. But more changes will be coming in ’22 and beyond. Things that have gone unmaintained for years are going to be very susceptible to crypto changes in the wider world. This is the warning.
For client authentication where Linden doesn’t control the server endpoint, I’m thinking other authentication schemes are in order. OAuth2, etc. We had a high-level LSL discussion the other week. Better supporting auth schemes for scripting would be one of these. But it also enters into having private storage and secrets management. I.e. all the stuff real cloud providers have to do. Even that is a project. All of which would be A Really Good Thing.
Monty Linden
This commentary rolled into a wider discussion of potential scripting options and of further HTTP work. In terms of the former, Monty indicated that the Lab is not ready to increase script memory limits, because there is a believe that ” we can make the memory you have do more.” He also indicated that amongst the backlog of work is a Mono update, but could not say when that might progress to a point of being worked on.
Saturday, November 6th saw Chuck Clip’s Janus Gallery I at his Sinful Retreat arts hub unveil a new exhibition of physical world art by none other than Filthy Fluno, one of the pioneers of presenting art through Second Life.
Known the the physical world as Jeffrey Lipsky, and residing in Massachusetts, Filthy is a master of art that is so vibrant, it appears to be breathing for itself. His pieces often a marvellous concoction of abstraction, graffiti, and mosaic-like composition that can be rich in presentation, whilst carrying its own narrative, and his style can frequently touch upon the likes of Wassily Kandinsky and Henri Matisse, with a flavouring of Picasso, while also remaining true and unique to itself.
As a virtual world pioneer, he joined Second Life in 2006, recognising the platform as a means to connect with an international audience. Not long after joining he founded (and managed) the Artropolis virtual art community alongside of Maxim Deharo, a group which quickly gained prominence and a hub for arts in SL, and his involvement within the platform was reported in pieces on his work by the likes of the New York Times Magazine and The Improper Bostonian lifestyle magazine, whilst his work and adventures as Filthy Fluno have been exhibited at numerous galleries in the United States and in France and Portugal.
Janus Gallery I: Filthy Fluno
In Filthy Fluno Returns we can witness much of the rich of his work, ranging from the abstracted mentioned above, through to the surreal, with one or two coming close to being impressionistic in their style. Most demonstrate his dynamic approach to art, both in terms of his use of colour and in their overall composition. These are works that are not going to be to everyone’s palette, but for those who like modern art with a twist of metaphor and / or narrative, they are pieces that will not so much gently hold the attention but grab it warmly by the throat and give it a vigorous shaking as the capture the eye and mind.
All of the pieces in the gallery are offered for sale – and not just as virtual pieces. Any purchase entitles the purchaser to obtain a limited edition 9 x 12 inch print on paper with hand embellishments. Simply contact Filthy via e-mail with details of your purchase and suitable mailing address, and he’ll contact you (note that shipping charges included for mailing anywhere in the US or Canada, elsewhere additional shipping charges may apply).
Alongside of the 2D art are a pair of 3D pieces; Nightflyer and BAM, both of which harken back to the days when all people had to create with were humble primitive shapes, with BAM offering a sculpture of Filthy himself.
Janus Gallery I: Filthy Fluno
A genuine blast from the past featuring an artist whose work is as relevant and eye-catching today as it was back in 2006, Filthy Fluno Returns is a terrific exhibition of art and – for those of us who have been active in SL for long enough – a real blast from the past that is evocative on so many levels.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 