Update, August 6th: As reported by Ziki Questi, Kylie has made a return to Second Life, dispelling the major concerns about her welfare. “I am alive and well for the time being, and my intention is to keep The Trace going,” she told Ziki, before going on to express her thanks to all those who stepped forward in her absence to support The Trace Too. She also said the current auction to benefit ACS will continue. See Ziki’s post for more.
Now open, and running through until Monday, August 10th at The Trace Too, is a special art auction in honour of Kylie Jaxxon, with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society via RFL of SL.
Kylie has been known to many as a friend, blogger, photographer and owner of two of the most beautiful regions in Second Life: The Trace (see my article from April 2014) and, more recently, The Trace Too (see my article from March 2015).
In 2014, Kylie was diagnosed with leukaemia, forcing her to withdraw for a time from Second Life and focus on her health and treatment. The Trace Too came about as a result of her positive response to that treatment, and her return to activities Second Life.
Images by Gidgette Adaggio, part of the auction to honour Kylie Jaxxon at The Trace Too – proceeds to RFL of SL / ACS
More recently, however, Kylie sparked concerns as to her well-being among close friends when she suddenly departed Second Life, with the closure of her account and her blog. As a result, a group of friends, led by Hippie Bowman, Lenni Foxtrot and Trinity Yazimoto, stepped forward to organise a special art auction, the focus of which is explained in a note posted to Trinity’s Flickr stream:
In honour of Kylie and her gorgeous work that has touched the Second Life community, there is an art auction at her sim to celebrate her talent, and wish Kylie a fabulous and final farewell:
The auction was originally intended to raise funds to keep her beautiful sim, The Trace, open until the end of August. Due to people’s generosity this goal has already been achieved, what an amazing result!
With this in mind, all proceeds from the art auction will now go to Relay for Life in Kylie’s honour.
Image by Lizz Avon, part of the auction to honour Kylie Jaxxon at The Trace Too – proceeds to RFL of SL / ACS
Artists from across Second Life have donated images of The Trace Too, including Chrysterox, Hillara, Lumiette, Pinkrayne, ScarlettElizabet, SereneDean, Skinninylla, Gidgette Adaggio, Kaelyn Alecto, Lizz Avon, Bamboo Barnes, Terravive, Becca, Leonorah Beverly, Lo Coeur, Maxie Daviau, Seraphiel Galaxy, Coober Galicia, Pearl Grey, Eddie Haskell, Rosy Highwater, Sabastian Melmoth, Masquerade Snowbear and Tripp Nitely.
Each artist has contributed one or more pieces, which can be found alongside the locations where they were taken, Bids can be placed against pictures by clicking on them and stating the bid amount in local chat.
If you have enjoyed Kylie’s creativity in, and contributions to, Second Life through her work at The Trace and The Trace Too, and through her blog, please do hop over to The Trace Too for a final explore and consider bidding on the art items displayed there.
Thank you Trinity, Hippie and all involved in the work to keep The Trace Too open just that little longer, and in bringing this auction together. And a very special thank you to Kylie for sharing her talent, vision and creativity with us all, and her generosity in allowing us to enjoy her landscapes.
On Saturday August 1st, 2015, the University of Western Australia (UWA) announced the opening of their 2015 Grand Art and MachinimUWA Challenges. Jointly entitled Pursue Impossible, between them, they feature an opening prize pool in excess of L$400,000.
The Challenges are sponsored by Tom Papas & SciFi Film Festival, Reign Congrejo & BOSL, LaPiscean Liberty & SL Artist, AviewTV, Pixel Bits, Virtlantis, Phillip Vought, Carolyn Steele & York University (Canada), Taralyn Gravois, UWA Marketing & Communications, as well as the UWA Virtual Worlds Project.
Pursue Impossible invites entrants to consider what their “impossible” might be. Is it the goal they have achieved or which they’ve seen achieved by their loved ones, friends, family or heroes achieved and which has sought to inspire them? What have they overcome which they once thought to be impossible? How do virtual environments empower people to visualise, create and push the boundaries of the possible? What are those things we deem to be impossible, but which we may still pursue and conquer as individuals or collectively? What are the impossibilities of the mind or heart or soul? Do we see the seemingly impossible and try to overcome it, or do we allow it to overpower us?
Jay Jay Jegathesan (Jayjay Zifanwee in SL), discusses Second Life and the achievements it has brought in a special video marking the launch of the UWA’s new brand, which is reflected in the new Grand Art and Machinima Challenge
“Those who pursue what may at first seem impossible are the ones who keep the world turning,” UWA’s Jayjay Zifanwe, Manager of the School of Physics at the university states of the theme. “What if Ghandhi did not believe he could overcome the impossible for his country? What if Dr Fiona Wood did not believe in second skin for burn victims? What if Professor Barry Marshall did not believe in himself and use himself as a human guinea pig for the benefit of mankind?”
The theme is also a reflection of a new brand launched by UWA in May 2015, which featured Jayjay’s work in developing a UWA presence in Second Life, and which is promoted by the university in video which may help get entrants to the Challenge thinking as well.
Please refer to the official UWA blog post for the major rules and considerations in entering the Challenge, and to find out about the prizes in the art and machinima categories. However, in summary:
Each category (art and machinima) currently has a prize pool of L$195,000, with a L$50,000 first place prize, and 11 prizes overall
Entrants are free to submit entries to either the art or the machinima categories, or to both if they wish
Art entry notes:
Art entries are limited to one per entrant, should preferably by submitted with COPY permissions, and must not exceed 150 LI, and must be free from any copyright issues – if third-party content is used in an entry, permission must and been sought and granted from the creator for its inclusion in the Challenge
Sounds, lighting, particle effects, etc., should be scripted to turn off when not in use. You may be asked to provide a revised entry if it is too intrusive or interferes with the display of other works
Exceptionally large or complex builds will be placed on platforms above the gallery with a teleport (TP) device and poster on the gallery floor and a return TP on the platform. You may provide a TP object and/or poster (no more than 2 LI) or we can place one for you. TP objects should be set to copy/mod and given to FreeWee Ling to add scripts and to place
Machinima entry notes:
There is no limit to the number of machinima pieces an entrant might submit; and while not a “hard” rule, machinima entries should preferably be no more than 4 minutes and 30 seconds in length, although this is not a “hard” rule
All submitted machinima must be made specifically for this challenge, and must include “For The University of Western Australia’s MachinimUWA VIII: Pursue Impossible” in the opening credits
Machinima entries do not have to be filmed within the UWA’s Second Life regions, but there will be a special prize available for a film which starts at the Winthrop Clock Tower and Reflection Pond, the starting pond for the UWA’s own Pursue Impossible video (above)
All entries to the challenge should be able to be interpreted by the casual viewer as representative of the theme.If the link is difficult to ascertain within a piece of art, it should be referenced in a note card accompanying the work; if it is difficult to ascertain in a video, it should be referenced in the notes accompanying the film on the web.
Never Say Never – Love Transcends Borders, by Sharni Azalee, the arts category Grand Prize winner in the 2014 Grand Art and MachinimUWA Challenge – will you be this year’s winner?
Art submissions should be made via the art entry receiver at the UWA Art Challenge Platform in Second Life, accompanied by a note card which includes your name, city, name of artwork and a description of artwork.
Machinima entries should be uploaded to any publicly accessible location, preferably YouTube or Vimeo, and the details of the entry (name, creator, location, etc.) supplied to Jayjay Zifanwe and LaPiscean Liberty in-world or by e-mailing the details to Jayjay (jayjayaustralia@hotmail.com).
The closing date for entries is midnight SLT, on October 31st, 2015. Winners will be announced in December 2015.
When entering, do please note that as with all the UWA’s public programmes, an entry may not be accepted if it is deemed to be excessively abusive, violent, offensive, bullying, harmful, insulting, or contains inappropriate material or excessively foul language. Depictions of explicit sexual activity, as well as material deemed offensive based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation are not appropriate for the Challenge, and may be rejected. Final decisions in these matters will be made by the UWA Cultural Precinct.
As with the UWA’s Grand Challenges, there will also be a set of audience participation prizes available. The pool for this currently stands at L$15,000 apiece for the two categories (art and machinima), and I’ll have more details on how you can enter this aspect of the challenge in due course.
Above: Tutsy Navarathna’s Grand prize winner in the Machinima category 2014 Grand Art and MachinimUWA Challenge
Over the last few years, it has been a delight and pleasure for me, through these pages, to help showcase the UWA’s work benefiting the arts in Second Life. Entries to their Challenges a special arts programmes have always been of an incredible standard, and I’ve enjoyed viewing them as a both a member of the public and more recently as a member of the judging panel. It is in this latter capacity that I’m looking forward to seeing the diversity of entries submitted in both categories this year, and would like to offer all those who do enter, the very best of luck!
Now open at LEA 8 is Tahiti Rae’s Love, Henry. Created with the assistance of Sonic Costello, Augurer Resident, Caryl Meredith, Annu Pap, Mitsuko Kytori, Abel Dreamscape, this is an interactive examination of the relationship between King Henry VIII of England and Anne Boleyn, from their courtship to her becoming his wife and Queen Consort, through to events immediately prior to her death just 1,000 days later.
An outline sketch of events would be to say that Henry was bound in childless wedlock to Catherine of Aragon when Anne caught his eye (having in earlier years taken Anne’s older sister, Mary, as one of his mistresses), causing him to desire her to the point of having his marriage annulled so that he might wed her. Thereafter, and unable to provide him with a son and heir, she also suffered a fall from grace, largely engineered, to suffer execution in the Tower of London.
Obviously, the full story is far more complex, involving as it does several figures key to England’s unfolding political and religious landscape, including Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Cranmer, and the upheavals of the English Reformation; however, part of the intent of Love, Henry is to encourage people to explore Tudor history for themselves, so I’ll leave it at that.
As a love story, Love, Henry focuses on two things: a letter said to have been written or dictated by Anne Boleyn following her incarceration in the Tower of London, and a “new discovery” author Sandra Vasoli claims to have made. The provenance of the letter has been hotly debated over the years, and is believed to have never come before the eyes of the King, having been withheld and hidden by Cromwell. However, Vasoli claims to have found evidence that on his deathbed, Henry expressed remorse for his actions towards Anne. Thus Tahiti poses her question to visitors and invites their thoughts and feedback: did Henry come to regret his decision to have Anne executed?
The installation itself is split into three parts, which visitors are guided through in turn, from the welcome area, which offers information necessary to fully enjoy the experience together period costumes which can be optionally worn during the rest of the visit; through the Tudor Library, which forms the main interactive element of the installation, and is built around Anne’s letter from the Tower, together with notes on Sandra Vasoli’s “new discovery”; to a ground level build focused on a grand Norman-style cathedral set within a beautiful garden space, in which there are secrets to be uncovered.
Love, Henry, deserves to be explored carefully. Not only because of the wealth of information it contains and opportunities to provide input and feedback of your own (which aren’t restricted just to the Library, which really does offer a lot), but because it is beautifully put together. For example, the garden contains a loggia which appears to have been inspired by the one at Hever Castle, Anne Boleyn’s home. Further, the cathedral the garden surround may be an imposing centrepiece, but it is also very symbolic, representing marriage and death, both of which have obvious significance where Henry and Anne are concerned, while simultaneously also reminding us of the religious strife their relationship caused. Nor are these the only touches to be found as one explores; hints of Anne’s fate might be seen, together with reminders of the brutality of the age.
The slant to the installation might be a little romanticised – the relationship between Henry and Anne was born as much out of ambition on both sides as out of love; but that doesn’t matter. This is supposed to be a romantic “what if”, one which encourages the visitor to explore one of England’s important periods of history, both through the information presented here and for themselves.
As mentioned above, do keep in mind when exploring that there are secrets to be found – including the gateway to the “final chapter” of Henry and Anne’s story. However, as bloggers have been asked not to reveal too much about these, I’ll say no more here. Also, do make sure you have the audio stream enabled with exploring. Excellent and considered use is made of music by Canadian composer Trevor Morris, which adds further depth to Love, Henry.
Tahiti says that contributions from those willing to provide their thoughts and feedback will be incorporated into the installation, and she welcomes requests to bring in student or group tours to visit Love Henry.
“When I started in Second Life, I’d never worked in digital art, and photography for me in either world was a mystery. When a friend mentioned I might enjoy this activity in Second Life, I laughed at him. I am the person with the shaky, blurry picture in RL photos, even with an automatic zoom. Slowly and tentatively I started trying to be artistic with pictures, which were of course initially hideous. I became obsessed with the effort.”
So open the introductory notes Molly Bloom has provided for the latest exhibition of her work, which opens at the Renaissance Gallery, curated by JolieElle Parfort, which officially opens on Monday, July 27th.
Entitled Artist Evolution, the exhibit offers an examination of Molly’s SL art as it has evolved together with her mastery of the many composite elements that go into her work. As such it is a fascinating piece, not only for those who – like me – enjoy Molly’s work immensely, but for anyone interested in how an artist develops their eye, style, skill and artistry.
The pieces on display present the visitor with something of a historical look at Molly’s work as it has evolved, from her first “flat” snapshot (seen on the left wall as one enters the gallery), and progressing through her learning to build sets and make poses, discovering the power of lighting and lighting tools, to the influence of physical world art on her digital work as a result of her studies as an art history student.
“[I] have always been fascinated with Chiaroscuro, or the use of strong contrasts of dark and light. Artists Raphael, Caravaggio, Rubens and a host of others from the 15th Century are known for this technique,” Molly says. “My first very serious work was a reproduction of this lighting technique set in a classical style [shown in the headline image for this review, and in more detail directly above, left] … That lighting technique became my signature. From there I started playing with adding 3D elements to my work …”
…And thus we come to Molly’s stunning 3D art pieces which have so delighted audiences in Second Life wherever they’ve been displayed, and which I’ve previously covered in the pages of this blog when reviewing exhibitions such as Brain-Gasm, Rock’n’Roll, and Depth Perception.
The evolution of style and content is clear through the pieces displayed. But more than that, this exhibit also reveals more about the artist herself; through the works displayed here, we also catch a sight of her drive, her determination to master new techniques, to expand her own abilities and her range of creative expression. There’s a joy in art to be witnessed here that underlines the fact that this is both an insightful and delightful exhibition; one not to be missed.
To mark the passing of the summer months, Windlight magazine has launched its first annual Return to the Beach photography competition.
“We are nearing the end of summer and we know that you would want to capture those special beach moments in Second Life”, said John (Johannes1977 Resident) Windlight’s founder and editor, in announcing the competition.
He continued, “select a beach in Second Life. If you are stumped where to find beaches, try the destinations guide: http://secondlife.com/destinations/beaches. Once you choose your beach or beaches, start snapping!”
On offer is a prize pool totalling L$10,000, together with some special extras:
1st Place – L$5,000, 1 double page advertisement and a magazine article, plus a blog article
2nd Place – L$3000, 1 double page advertisement and a blog article
3rd Place – L$2000, 1 double page advertisement.
All entries should be posted in the Windlight Magazine Flickr group, and entrants are allowed 3 submissions total. In addition, the following guidelines should be observed:
When posting your photos please use the following naming convention: Windlight Magazine-Beach Photo Contest – SL Name-Photo #1, (or #2 or #3 for additional entries)
All photos must:
Be your original work, and must not have been posted elsewhere on Flickr or used elsewhere previously
Must include the SLurl of the beach where they were taken
Nudity is allowed if done in a non pornographic and non sexual way
Post-processing using external tools is permitted.
Jodi and I enjoy some beach-side relaxation at Timeless Memories. Where will your entries for the Windlight Magazine photo contest take you?
Please be respectful of region covenants and rules when visiting beaches, estates, or any location in Second Life, and ensure permission is granted for the taking of photographs.
Deadlines and Judging
Photos must be uploaded to the Windlight Magazine Flickr group no later than the end of Saturday, August 15th, 2015
Judging will be by an invited panel, who will assess entries on the following criteria: creativity, originality, technique and the incorporation of the location in the photograph.
Winners will be announced on Thursday, August 20th, via the Windlight Magazine website and on the Windlight social media channels. All winners will be contacted in Second Life and via Flickr messaging.
So – if you haven’t already done so, it’s time to get down to the beach and start snapping! Good luck to all who enter!
Tutsy Navarathna is perhaps best known for his brilliant and evocative videos. However, he is also an accomplished photographer, demonstrating the same flair and eye for scenes and story-telling in his images that is so clearly evident in his machinima.
His latest exhibition of photography recently opened at the Nitroglobus Gallery, operated and curated by the partnership of Nitro Fireguard and Dido Haas. And it is a must-see.
Série Noire is an homage (I’m using the French pronunciation intentionally), to the publishing imprint of the same name, founded in 1945 by French screenwriter and actor Marcel Duhamel. It’s a title which became – and still is – synonymous with detective fiction; so much so, that in 1946 it led to the coining of the term film noir to describe those stylish Hollywood detective dramas of the 1940s / 1950s.
The exhibition offers a series of large format images featuring scenes which might easily have been drawn from any of the stories to be found in Serie Noir during its 70-year history. Thus it is that we have images alive with sensual femme fatales and fedora-hatted detectives mixed with those hinting at outright sexuality and bordered by the suggestion of the harder, more edged violence we expect from our detective thrillers today. although that said, I have to admit to liking the picture that is so suggestive of a more genteel era of detective fiction, complete with a bowler-hatted, monocled detective, a walking cane held in one hand and a faint air of the Hercule Poirots about him.
Also forming a part of the exhibition is a series of sculptures by Nitro Fireguard. These present further scenes so often found in crime and detective fiction, and each is framed under the light of a street lamp. Most are static, but one features an animated couple caught in the moment of a shooting. But is in premeditated murder or a case of crime passionnel?
I have long been a fan of Tutsy’s video work, and each time I see his photography, I become more enamoured of it as well; Série Noire further cements that feeling, and I recommend it to anyone with a love of detective fiction and films. When visiting, do take the opportunity to explore the other gallery areas, which feature more works by Dido and Nitro.
The Trace Too auction poster, Trinity Yazimoto, On Flickr
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 