Category: Second Life

Art in reflection of self and poetry in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Nitroglobus: Maloe Vansant, “The moon lives in the lining of your skin”

Available at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, curated by Dido Haas, is an exhibition of art by Maloe Vansant that takes as its inspiration, words offered by Chilean Nobel Laureate Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto – better known as poet Pablo Neruda.

In Ode to a Beautiful Nude, Neruda offers a song of love and appreciation for the flawless beauty of a model appearing before him. The poem offers a lyrical examination of the woman, initially acknowledging his desire to appreciate her in a chaste manner rather than giving into more carnal desires – although the praise he goes on to offer towards her beauty carries with it an undertone of that desire throughout, before culminating in the line:

The moon lives in the lining of your skin.

– Pablo Neruda, Ode to a Beautiful Nude.

Nitroglobus: Maloe Vansant, “The moon lives in the lining of your skin”

It is this line that Maloe takes as the title of her exhibition at Nitroglobus. Within it, she offers an exploration of self and beauty as reflected in the moods and words found throughout the poem, whilst at the same time offering insight into the relationship between artist and avatar.

After creating little Maloe, my barbie doll, my pixel soul, I discovered the possibility of making snapshots and I started to make a graphic diary of Maloe’s journey in Second Life, showing the emotions she experienced in this pixel world … I am not a woman of many words, I try to express myself, my feelings, my passion and probably my dark side through my pictures.

Maloe Vansant, describing her relationship with her avatar.

The use of Neruda’s words might suggest that Maloe is offering a visual homage to his poem  – something that has been done before in Second Life (see: Poems and art in Second Life, April 2016). However, this would not be a fair assessment. The art and poem stand apart from one another in the extent of their explorations, but at the same time they are entwined by common themes of giving for and depth to the the nature of natural beauty. Therefore, one is neither a homage to the other.

Nitroglobus: Maloe Vansant, “The moon lives in the lining of your skin”

One of the interesting contrasts been poem and art is in their examination of beauty. Whereas the poem perceives the beauty and reflection of the soul from without; Maloe’s art does so from looking out from within. One of the interesting links between the two is in their use of metaphor.

Take eyes, for example. In his Ode, Neruda acknowledges The two deep countries of your eyes, so often seen a a window into a person’s soul. Within The Face is a Picture of the Mind, focused as it is one the eye of her avatar, presents a similar examination of the eye and soul.

Elsewhere, each uses metaphor from somewhat different perspectives. With his poem, Neruda uses metaphor to encapsulate that push-pull between wanting to appreciate feminine beauty both from a celibate objectivity and that of a more carnal desire:

Flowering fire
Open chandelier
A swelling fruit
Over the pact of sea and earth.

– Pablo Neruda, Ode to a Beautiful Nude.

By contrast, Maloe uses metaphor more broadly. Take Leaving the Light, Gold Makes Monsters of Men, and The Apple that Changed the World. In three both in words and image, might be seen as metaphors for the way in which west religion has cast the female as being complicit in the Fall of Man (The Apple… and Leaving…) and the subjugation of women as a whole (Gold Makes Monsters…).

Nitroglobus: Maloe Vansant, “The moon lives in the lining of your skin”

Thought-provoking, rich in substance and meaning, The moon lives in the lining of your skin is another outstanding exhibition at Nitroglobus, and will run through until the end of the year. Also still on display at the gallery (at least at the time of my visit) is Kaiju Kohime’s CRISP, an examination of CRISPR gene editing, and which I wrote about in Art, science, and the future, October 2019.

SLurl and Links

Souls of Dreams in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Souls of Dreams, November 2019 – click and image for full size

Souls of Dreams is a Homestead region we were pointed towards by Shawn Shakespeare. Largely designed by Loly Hallison, with the main house and other structures placed and furnished by region holder Xana Newall, the region is a peaceful setting, caught between offering signs of summer and winter snows.

Split into a series of four islands of varying sizes, Souls of Dreams has a little something for almost every Second Life explorer and photographer. The landing point resides on the southern end of one of the two large islands in the group, close by a low-place bridge linking it to one of the smaller islands. A sign – And So The Adventure Begins – greets new arrivals, who have the choice crossing the low bridge to the smaller island or wandering over a more humpbacked bridge to explore the rest of the larger island.

Souls of Dreams, November 2019

The smaller island, dominated by the huge bulk of an old brick-and-stone lighthouse, has something of the promise of the holiday season about it. A giant toy soldier of the kind that gets associated with the season stands guard at the door, while firs trees and lights sprout from the rocky table to the side of the lighthouse and a Citroen van is parked on the sand has its roof rack piled with presents. Inside, a blazing fire in the stove casts a warm glow and a decorated tree and a table set for dinner offer the promise of celebrations to come.

This wintry / seasonal theme continues on the main island where, over the humpbacked bridge that spans a bubbling, tumbling brook, the hills are topped with snow. The brook tumbles down from the hills and past frozen pines and oaks and trees denuded of their leaves while a rutted track follows the brook’s curve to reach the large house standing in the lea of the hills.

Souls of Dreams, November 2019

Divided into two by an intervening conservatory, the house has the comforting warmth of a lived-in look. Bric-a-brac lies scattered throughout, what looks like the making (or remnants?) of a breakfast clutter the kitchen, an unmade bed commands the bedroom – and a cat, presumably satisfied it has been fed, is curled asleep on the floor. It is, in a word, a homely place, rich in the suggestion of welcoming visitors.

A hop and a skip across the stream sits a zip line connecting house and isle to the long east-to-west curve of the second of the large islands. This has a far more summery look and feel to it: the trees are heavy with green leaves, the grass long and the rough beach on the island’s outward sweep offers parasoled places to sit along its length. A little more inland, a picnic basket and blanket under the boughs offers a more shaded place to rest, as does the inner curve of a cinder beach.

Souls of Dreams, November 2019

Follow the island’s beaches far enough, and they’ll bring you fist the signs of more celebrations – in this case what appears to be a birthday party setting with cakes galore and set within a glass-sided pavilion, and out to a rocky headland where a path of stepping stones snakes southwards to the final island.

A rough, flat-topped brick of an island, this is home to an old fortified house. Getting up to it is a little bit of a scramble – and not all of the rocks are physical – but it is well worth the effort. With inner doors taking the form of framed mirrors, the house offers a network of rooms and a treasure trove of furnishings that await discovery.  At the same time, the rest of the island offer s series of vignettes that are ideal for photography.

Souls of Dreams, November 2019

Nor are the stepping stones are the only way to get between this island and the others in the chain. Depending on where it is located at the time of a visit, a swan boat can be used to travel over the waters of the region and between the four islands. It also makes for a pleasant way to take in the region from different angles.

With multiples places to sit, plenty of detail large and small, Souls of Dreams is an elegant setting, and a fee of L$250 will provide group rights for rezzing props. However, as auto-return is off, please do make sure you pick up afterwards. Now, if you’ll excuse me, a little plate of doughnuts and hot chocolate is waiting by a pallet sofa overlooking the brook, and I’m sure they could use some company!

Souls of Dreams, November 2019

SLurl Details

2019 Simulator User Group week #48 summary

Posted on by Inara Pey
Fox Road, October 2019 – blog post

Simulator Deployments

Please refer to the server deployment thread for news and updates:

  • On Tuesday, 26th November, servers on the Main SLS channel were updated with server maintenance release 2019-11-15T21:13:13.532828, previously deployed to a release candidate channel. It comprises:
    • Improves crash detection during shut-down.
    • Fixes some race conditions with LSL scripts that could cause them to handle the same event more than once during a roll.
    • Includes updates to improve simulator security.
  • On Wednesday, 27th November, there should be a single RC deployment 2019-11-19T22:26:38.532992, which is functionally the same build as 532828, but compiled using updated server build tools.
    • Given the issues with Tuesday deployment (see below) the status of the deployment was in a state of flux at the time of writing.

Tuesday Deployment Issues

The Tuesday server updates required an extended deployment window, together with more restarts of the updated simulators than is usually the case. Given the simulator version had been deployed to RC servers in week #47, the issues encountered with the deployment took LL by surprise:

This is one of those situations where we are left trying to figure out what went so wrong; we don’t know of changes that would have caused this much churn. That is the big difference between our Tuesday and Wednesday updates. Tuesday is more than 2x bigger, and divided up differently. Seeing something happen and knowing why it happened are two completely different things. Given that last week was OK, I suspect it is a scaling problem however.

The real frustration is that there isn’t a good way to test or simulate the scale where the issues happen. Updating one or two servers can be perfectly fine; but then do a few hundred and something goes up in smoke.

– Simon Linden, commenting on the November 26th deployment issues

Currently, the Lab is digging into what may have gone wrong (e.g. by checking server logs, etc.). They have already tracked down what might be a contributing factor, but the overall root cause analysis will take time. However, as the issues appears to be with the deployment process itself rather than the updated simulator code, at this point in time it is unlikely the simulator update will be rolled back.

SL Viewer

The following viewers were updated during the latter half of week #47:

  • November 22nd:
    • The Wassail Maintenance RC viewer updated to version 6.3.5.533043.
    • The Project Muscadine (Animesh follow-on) project viewer, version 6.4.0.532999.
  • November 20th

The remainder of the viewers in the current pipelines are as follow:

  • Current Release version 6.3.4.532299, formerly the Ordered Shutdown RC viewer, dated November 4th, – No Change.
  • Release channel cohorts:
  • Project viewers:
    • Legacy Profiles viewer, version 6.3.2.530836, September 17th. Covers the re-integration of Viewer Profiles.
    • 360 Snapshot project viewer, version 6.2.4.529111, July 16th.

Name Changes

  • There are concerns over how long names might be cached within services, how changes might be tracked by external databases (e.g. customer lists for things like redelivery terminals), etc.
    • To help ensure user-developed tools, etc., can keep up with Name Changes, Linden Lab plan to offer a REST API (REpresentational State Transfer) that can be used to perform a name<-> avatar key translations and that will always return the same key for any name an account has ever had, and the key will always return the current name.
    • Creators are again reminded that their products and tools should utilised the avatar agent key, no avatar names.
  • LSL enquiries on agent key will return the current name for an avatar, not any past name(s).
  • There was concern that Name Changes could lead to issues in tracking griefers. However, as was pointed out in the meeting:
    • There are fees associated with Names Changes – signing-up to Premium and then for each change. These are unlikely to find appeal with griefers.
    • Griefers already create multiple accounts, and this will remain likely remain their preferred means of causing upset.
  • BUG-216397 “llName2Key, llRequestUserKey both accept a lone “R” as a surname for “Resident” agents” has been raised with the Lab again, and has been marked for inclusion in the next internal maintenance fix for Name Changes.
  • Once again, a “fee” figure was mentioned at the Simulator User Group meeting (US $20) – but it is important to note this is only a guess on the part of a user, and not any form of statement from Linden Lab. So If you hear it anywhere in the next month or so, ignore it.

Artistry at THE EDGE in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
THE EDGE Art Gallery: Artistry – Ladmilla and Eli

Open through until December 23rd 2019 at THE EDGE Art Gallery, curated by Ladmilla, is the gallery’s final exhibition for the year. Entitled Artistry, it is again an ensemble exposition, bringing together an interesting mix of talents and a stirring of 2D and 3D art, with images from both the virtual and physical realms.

In all, eight artists present displays at the gallery, their number rounded-out by a further display of art by Lamilla herself, accompanied with words by her Second Life partner, Eli Medier. As usual, the majority of the artists participating in this session display their art within the gallery’s individual Tuscan-style houses set around the gallery’s grounds / gardens, with Ilyra Chardin presenting her pieces within the garden itself.

THE EDGE Art Gallery: Artistry – Ilrya Chardin

It is the latter that mixes 2D and 3D art, with Ilyra’s 2D digital mix media, most of which originate with photos taken within Second Life, sharing the space with six very distinctive pieces of mesh sculpture.

Two artists making a return visit to THE EDGE having been a part of the September / October ensemble exhibition at the gallery are Davenwolf Dagger and Loegan Magic.

THE EDGE Art Gallery: Artistry – Davenwolf Dagger

As I’ve admitted to in past articles on his work, I’m something of a fan of Davenwolf’s evocative photography, in which he captures physical world locations in the most captivating way, and through his pictures, weaves a pictorial narrative. With Broken Dreams, he takes this a stage further, combining words with his images (please read the text panels before examining the art) to present a haunting story of a once-loved house and home (and a place which now, thanks to Australian bush fires, may no longer exist).

With Simple Things, Loegan offers more of his enticing looks at Second Life, offering a marvellous selection of focused images that convey stories about the digital spaces in which we chose to spend so much of our lives – but which also contain within them moods and thoughts that extend beyond the digital and into the physical, thus tying the two together in an elegant reflection of how our physical and digital lives intertwine.

THE EDGE Art Gallery: Artistry – Loegan Magic

Through Out of the Mist, Thomas Crown simply presents as series of images of Second Life that offer unique glimpses of this world through his eyes, and the landscapes and residents that bring it to life. And by “residents”, I’m not referring to avatars; a world is brought to life as much by its animals and wildlife and even by the vehicle humans have created to assist them in their travels through the places they inhabit. So it is these “residents” – wild fowl, horses, steam trains, boats, and cattle, to which I refer and which are evocatively portrayed here.

Avatars are very much the focus of Tresore’s From Dark to Light, in which she presents her avatar in a variety of story-laden setting and styles from period to fantasy and back, in which colour – notably red and black – play as much a role in many of the pieces as her avatar’s pose and style of dress. Colour and depth are also very much present to great effect in Raging Bells’ untitled selection of SL photographs, offering as they do a sense of the richness of life and opportunity within this virtual realm.

THE EDGE Art Gallery: Artistry – Raging Bells

I admit to not having to have previously come across Zia Branner’s work in Second Life, or that of BigZee. Zia is a physical world artist who constructs marvellous images through the use of acrylics (mainly on canvas) together with structure paste, gel, sand, glue, bandages and paper, and perhaps oil crayons and acrylic ink to accentuate parts of a an image. Held under a layer of mat or gloss varnish, this gives such pieces a sense of physical texture that is clearly evident when presented through a digital medium like SL. BigZee meanwhile, presents images from Second Life that offer their own sense of texture and life through his use of especially vibrant and attention-grabbing colours.

In Shadows, Ladmilla and Eli round-out the exhibition with a series of very tonal images by Ladmilla combined with words by Eli. Utterly captivating in their own right, the narrative in each image is given even greater depth and poignancy through Eli’s words as they perfectly amplify the mood and feeling exuded by each piece.

THE EDGE Art Gallery: Artistry – Zia Branner

As always with THE EDGE, a fascinating selection of art and artistry.

SLurl Details

Bellisseria extension: new homes theme takes shape(?)

Posted on by Inara Pey
What form might the upcoming Linden Homes theme take? We don’t yet know – but it would appear new regions in support of them are being developed / tested by the Lab

As those who follow the development of the “new” Linden Homes are already aware, a further theme is due to be previewed at the RFL SL Christmas Expo, and it appears that when released, this will take the form of a large-scale increase to Bellisseria’s southern extent.

This year Linden Lab, the Society’s partner in the fight against cancer, is joining the 9th Annual SL Christmas Expo. Not only will Linden Lab be decorating Linden homes as part of the Lights of Hope contest but the Expo will be the venue of the BIG REVEAL!  The long-anticipated ALL NEW Version 4 LINDEN HOMES will be UNVEILED at the Lights Of Hope!  Expo visitors will be treated with the newest premier member homes as well as some very VERY Special Linden surprises and incentives!

– from the announcement of the 9th SL Christmas Expo

The additional regions can be seen in the Bellisseria development / test SSP continent. If I’m honest, in their current form, that look like an artificial, rectangle-like bolt-on to the more organic form of the original continent – but this may well change as the new expansion grows over time. It this, it has something of the “bolt-on” feel of the original Houseboat expansion.

The new Linden Homes SSP extension regions

What’s interesting about the new extension, however, are the individual parcels. These are somewhat different to those seen with the Traditional Homes and Houseboats. Also, whereas the Traditional Homes sit alongside what are clearly roads, the profiles of the houses in the extension regions not only have a different outline, that also appear to be built around a different style of road / footpath.

Nor is that all. The south extent of the existing regions of Bellisseria show the continent’s railway line passing through a cutting in the mountains and onward into the new regions.

The Traditional Homes parcels in Bellisseria (l) compared with a parcel from the extension – note the different house profiles and road / footpath elements

The extension of the railway lines tends to demonstrate that – as promised – they will be a prominent feature of the continent and the new Linden Home theme. On the flip side, the new regions do not appear to include Houseboats – which might disappoint some – but they do appear to offer beach houses and island homes.

In his SL16B Meet the Lindens session, Patch Linden indicated that there are likely to be commercial opportunities arising in Bellisseria – at the time suggesting one of these opportunities might come with the Trailers and Campers. Such opportunities have yet to appear, and whether or not they will as a part of the eventual deployment of the new Bellisseria extension (whenever that happens) remains to be seen.

Within the development / test regions, the Bellisseria railway lines appear to be a core part of the new extension’s infrastructure

Another point of interest with the SSP development regions is the demarcation of a series of SSPXT regions (located to the east of the main continent and shown in teal or green). It’s not clear what these are to be, but one guess is perhaps the green regions will be shaped into outlying islands, and the teal regions might form some kind of archipelago. Then again, they might be something else entirely – time will tell as to whether they stay and are developed (and become clearer) or not.

In the meantime, and beyond the promise of previewing them at the 2019 SL Christmas Expo, it’s not clear when the new Linden Homes theme will become available – but doubtless, many are watching the SSP development regions with interest. However, those wishing to obtain one of the new homes – whether Premium or not – might want to enter the Christmas Expo’s One Of A Kind (OOAK) auction – on offer is a 6-month Premium subscription and one of these new Linden Homes provided on a specially designed parcel, and with extras. See EPIC OOAK Linden Home Auction @ 2019 SL Christmas Expo for more on this.

2019 viewer release summaries week #47

Posted on by Inara Pey
Logos representative only and should not be seen as an endorsement / preference / recommendation

Updates for the week ending Sunday, November 24th

This summary is generally published every Monday, and is a list of SL viewer / client releases (official and TPV) made during the previous week. When reading it, please note:

  • It is based on my Current Viewer Releases Page, a list of all Second Life viewers and clients that are in popular use (and of which I am aware), and which are recognised as adhering to the TPV Policy. This page includes comprehensive links to download pages, blog notes, release notes, etc., as well as links to any / all reviews of specific viewers / clients made within this blog.
  • By its nature, this summary presented here will always be in arrears, please refer to the Current Viewer Release Page for more up-to-date information.
  • Note that for purposes of length, TPV test viewers, preview / beta viewers / nightly builds are generally not recorded in these summaries.

Official LL Viewers

  • Current Release version 6.3.4.532299, formerly the Ordered Shutdown RC viewer, dated November 4th, – No Change.
  • Release channel cohorts:
    • Wassail Maintenance RC viewer updated to version 6.3.5.533043 on November 22nd.
    • EEP RC viewer updated to version 6.4.0.532771 on November 20th.
  • Project viewers:
    • Project Muscadine (Animesh follow-on) project viewer updated to version 6.4.0.532999, November 22nd.
    • Copy / Paste viewer updated to version 6.3.5.532860 on November 20th.

LL Viewer Resources

Third-party Viewers

V6-style

V1-style

Mobile / Other Clients

  • No Updates

Additional TPV Resources

Related Links