Category: Reviews

Pursue Impossible: celebrating art and machinima in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Image courtesy of UWA
Image courtesy of UWA / Eliza Wierwight

 

On Sunday, December 13th, 2015, the Grand Finale of the University Of Western Australia’s (UWA) Pursue Impossible was held at the impressive UWA-BOSL Grand Amphitheatre. During the event, over L$500,000 was awarded in prizes to artists, machinima makers and those who took part in the audience participation competitions. The last in an impressive line of grand challenges organised under the umbrella of the UWA, the event was a very special celebration of artistic expression in Second Life.

Pursue Impossible took its theme from the UWA’s clarion call to students in the physical world to achieve their fullest possible potential by studying with the university. For artists and machinima makers it sought to have them consider what their “impossible” might be – personal, part of their lives or those they know, or a consideration of the things we deem to be impossible, but which yet be overcome, or illustrations of how the virtual encourages us to reach beyond the possible, etc.

The Grand Finale was hosted by the UWA’s Jayjay Zifanwe, with the UWA’s art curator, FreeWee Ling also on hand to announce the special Curator’s awards in both the art and machinima categories.

Opening the event, Jayjay said:

Today brings to an end the 6th year of the major art challenges at UWA, with 59 artworks by 61 different artists (2 entries were collaborations) in the running for the 3D Art Challenge and 43 machinima for MachinimUWA VIII: PURSUE IMPOSSIBLE.

As announced on the web previously, this winners ceremony also marks the end of the yearly cycles of major art and film challenges at UWA. UWA still remains, the UWA Art Gallery still remains, and is in fact renewed, as FreeWee will take the helm fully when it comes to art, without me meddling, and we have a new partner for art as well, as the Main UWA Gallery will be renamed the Windlight-UWA Gallery as Windlight Magazine will be providing support for the art initiatives that FreeWee will run in 2016. Much thanks to Johannes1977 for helping to make this happen.

It’s been an absolute pleasure for me to work with all of you over the course of these challenges, and over the years, and especially to those who went above and beyond the call of duty to make all of this a success. Thank you FreeWee Ling, curator of art at UWA & RL Honorary Fellow at UWA. Thank you LaPiscean Liberty, co-host for MachinimUWA VIII, champion of machinima of Second Life. Also much thanks to those who have provided support and sponsorship which sees the overall prize pool standing at more than L$500,000 across both art and machinima.

Audience Participation Awards

There was a total prize pool of L$82,000 for the audience participation challenge, split equally between the 3D art and machinima categories. This saw members of the public invited to submit invited to what they thought the top 10 items in either or both of the categories would be, as decided by the Pursue Impossible adjudicating panel. In all 5 cash prizes were on offer, ranging from L$5,000 to L$12,000 in each category.

Prize 3D Art Audience Participation Machinima Audience Participation
1st Prize L$12,000 Lalie Sorbet Karima Hoisan
2nd Prize L$10,000 Elle Thorkveld Lalie Sorbet
3rd Prize L$8,000 Morituna Watanabe Pearl Grey
4th Prize L$6,000 Pearl Grey Zakali
5th Prize L$6,000 Lira Savira / Vivian Shan (L$2,500 ea) MAagicfairy Merlin

Art Awards

Note that SLurls are given with the titles of all winning pieces, and all the entries into the Pursue Impossible 3D art challenge can still be viewed at the UWA art gallery.

There were no fewer than four 10th places winners, all tied on a total of 16 points from the judge’s selections. The four winners each received a L$1,250 prize and were:

Mistero Hifeng: "Dream", one of the 10th place winners in the UWA's Grand Art Challenge Pursue Impossible
Mistero Hifeng: “Dream“, one of the 10th place winners in the UWA’s Grand Art Challenge Pursue Impossible

The ninth through seventh place prizes, all of L$5,000 each, were awarded to:

Due to a 5th place tie, there was no award for sixth place.

Sharni Azalee 0 PLANET: Earth; RACE: Human
Sharni Azalee: “RACE: Human – PLANET: Earth“, 9th place winner, in the UWA’s Grand Art Challenge Pursue Impossible

The top five winners were::

The Bridge by Alpha Auer - the 1st place winner in the UWA's Pursue Impossible Grand Art Challenge
The Bridge by Alpha Auer – the 1st place winner in the UWA’s Pursue Impossible Grand Art Challenge

UWA Special Prize and UWA Curator’s Choice Prize

In addition to the prizes above, the Pursue Impossible 3D Art Challenge featured three additional awards: the UWA Special Prize and the UWA Curator’s Choice Prize, and Jayjay’s Personal Choice prize, which was awarded to mark the conclusion of the Grand Art Challenges and the fact that since they were conceived in 2009, Jayjay has never had the opportunity to vote on any entries other than as a member of the adjudicating panel. These were awarded as follows:

Continue reading “Pursue Impossible: celebrating art and machinima in Second Life” →

UWA Pursue Impossible Grand Finale: the end of an era in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
The UWA-BOSL Grand Amphitheatre
The UWA-BOSL Grand Amphitheatre

The Grand Finale of the University of Western Australia’s Pursue Impossible 3D art and machinima challenge will take place on Sunday, December 13th, 2015 – and you can be a part of the audience.

The event will be held at the UWA-BOSL Grand Amphitheatre, starting at 06:00 SLT, when the winners, as determined by the judges, in both the 3D art and the machinima categories will be announced.

The challenge took its theme from the UWA’s clarion call to students in the physical world to achieve their fullest possible potential by studying with the university. For artists and machinima makers it sought to have them consider what their “impossible” might be – personal, part of their lives or those they know, or a consideration of the things we deem to be impossible, but which yet be overcome, or illustrations of how the virtual encourages us to reach beyond the possible….

Pursue Impossible - Frankx Lefarve: Child of Light
Pursue Impossible – Frankx Lefarve: Child of Light

There have been some amazing entries in both the art and machinima elements of the challenge, as I hope my coverage of Pursue Impossible n these pages demonstrates.

The awards are open to public attendance, with 59  artworks and 45 machinima in the running for a share of the L$500,000+ prize pool, as well as L$41,000 in prizes available to those who entered the Audience participation Challenge to try to match the top 10 entries as defined by the adjudicating panel (of which I am a member).

However, this will also be a grand finale in another way as well, as it signals the end of the international 3D art & film challenges which have been run in Second Life by the UWA since 2009.  While the UWA will continue within Second Life, and Freewee Ling will continue to run art events as she has over the years, major UWA events in the future will be dependent upon funding being made available.

So, please help make this a very special set of awards, and come along to the UWA-BOSL Grand Amphitheatre.

If you’d like to tour the 3D art pieces entered into Pursue Impossible, you can find a complete list of entries with landmarks on the UWA blog. Similarly, links to all of the machinima entries can also be found on the UWA blog.

SLurl Details

Ceramic Dolls in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Art on Roofs - Ceramic Dolls
Art on Roofs – Ceramic Dolls

Having opened on December 4th, the latest exhibition at Solodonna Land’s Art on Roofs gallery space sees gallery curator Terrygold display some 28 pieces of her own artwork to form Ceramic Dolls.

The art, most of which is black-and-white, and all of which are beautifully posed and lit, presents the female nude, so the exhibition should be regarded as NSFW, although none of the images can be considered overtly sexual; “sensual” might be a more appropriate description.

Art on Roofs - Ceramic Dolls
Art on Roofs – Ceramic Dolls

Featuring (I believe) Terrygold herself as the model, the images utilise colour, shading, lighting and environment in such as way that the model is presented as less a living, nude exhibit, and more a part of the overall “sculpture” – hence the “ceramic dolls” of the title. That said, the finish on some of the images can present a more human appearance, while at least one has a subtle wood-grain effect apparent on the model’s skin, suggestive of her having been carved.

The combined effect of all this to draw the eye away from the nude figure and observe each image as a whole. In doing so, and with some of the images at least, a dichotomy might be created in the observer’s mind. On the one hand, the composition of the images and the appearance of the model as a ceramic lessens the purely sexual response that might otherwise occur on seeing a nude; on the other, the manner in which props are used – pins running through the model, boxes isolating breasts, hands, feet, etc.  – might suggest something of a subtle commentary on how elements of the female anatomy might be seen as purely sexual objects, or the focus of sexual desire.

Art on Roofs - Ceramic Dolls
Art on Roofs – Ceramic Dolls

Even without the more subtle possible connotations, this is a remarkable set of images, exhibiting a level of composition which is breathtaking and very real. So much so, that while I often find in visiting an exhibition I may get drawn back and re-visit one or two images in particular, Ceramic Dolls had me walking camming around and around the rooftops at Solodonna Land, visiting and re-visiting all of the images time and again.

This is a truly exquisite and evocative exhibit, one which runs through until Sunday, December 20th, and is recommended viewing.

Art on Roofs - Ceramic Dolls
Art on Roofs – Ceramic Dolls

SLurl Details

A winter Kaleidoscope in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Kaleidoscope; Inara Pey, December 2015, on FlickrKaleidoscope (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Kaleidoscope is the name of Krys Vita’s delightful homestead region, which invites visitors to Explore the peaceful tranquillity of both country and nature. visit the two homes, cuddle under the stars. visit the beautiful church or just relax and let magical feel of the sim lift your spirits. And when I say a visit will make you want to do precisely that, I’m not exaggerating.

Currently caught in the grip of winter, the region offers a rural setting on which snow is falling, the sky leaden with clouds, the trees raising bared branches towards it. From the landing point, a country track leads inland, border on either side by fence-bound fields. The trees lining the track are frosted white, and have lights hanging from their boughs. Walk between them and you’ll come to a fork in the track. Here sits a little cottage, Santa’s throne outside, the track sweeping left and right around it.

Kaleidoscope; Inara Pey, December 2015, on FlickrKaleidoscope (Flickr)

Go left, and the track will take you past a barn where horses munch on the grass poking up through the snow, then onwards to the steep banks of a watery channel separating a small island and chapel from the rest of the region, a single wooden bridge offering access to them.

Take the track to the right and it will lead you past a frozen pond on one side, the bulk of a house looming through the snow mist on the other. Further along, and across the long grass,  sits a large wooden gazebo offering a place to dance and  / or play the piano and cello. further on, the track sweeps back towards the chapel island before arriving back at the little cottage once more.

Kaleidoscope; Inara Pey, December 2015, on FlickrKaleidoscope (Flickr)

Livestock are much in evidence here, furthering the feel of this being a distant farm hidden from the world by the winter snow. As well as the horses, sheep and cattle graze peacefully, while elsewhere rabbits might be found and geese fly overhead.

Throughout the region there are places to sit and contemplate, or if you are with someone special, enjoy a cuddle. For the more active, a wooden deck over the frozen pond has a sign offering ice skates, although you might have to get close to it to click it through the snow (or you can click CTRL-ALT-SHIFT-2 to temporarily turn the latter off – although a few other things might vanish with it). You may need to join the region group, tho, to have rezzing right to unpack them – and this may well go for throwing the snowballs on offer from buckets as well.

Kaleidoscope; Inara Pey, December 2015, on FlickrKaleidoscope (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Kaleidoscope is a region which is beautiful in both its design and simplicity, offering a charming winter’s break for those wishing to enjoy snow, wanders and cuddles. Both the house and the cottage on the region are open to all, so there is no risk of trespassing. Photogenic and peaceful, and currently full of good cheer for the season,

Kaleidoscope also has a Flickr pool for those wishing to add their pictures. and if you do visit, please consider a donation at the landing point to help towards keeping the region available for everyone to enjoy.

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The Drax Files 34: life and love through Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Isla Gealach
Isla Gealach

When you’re in a virtual world, it’s not just your avatar, it’s not just the storyline. It’s the furniture in the room, it’s the building around you, it’s the trees you see. That’s what makes immersion possible; that’s what i create, an environmental space.

These are the words of Isla Gealach, known throughout Second Life for her in-world brand of Cheeky Pea, which open the 34th segment of The Drax Files World Makers. But this is not simply an examination of another’s creator’s on-line life and activities in Second Life; anyone who is familiar with this outstanding series of video shorts by Draxtor Despres will know there is far more of a story to tell here.

While Isla’s creative is a focus of the segment, it shares the time very much with her physical world life, because the two share an inseparable intertwining which demonstrates that – contrary to idea that our on-line lifestyles are increasingly isolating us from the “real” (whatever that is) – there are situations and circumstances which occur every single day where people who know one another on-line are drawn closer together, and that that for some, it evolves into a relationship which spans both the virtual and the physical.

Ewan Mureaux
Ewan Mureaux

For Isla, this is clearly demonstrated in her relationship with Ewan Mureaux. Starting out as colleagues collaborating together on Second Life products, Isla designing and creating them with Ewan scripting them whilst also working on SL land deals, the two of them struck up a friendship which eventually led to a real-life meeting which evolved into a relationship spanning both the physical world and the virtual.

In some ways, their story almost sounds like an office romance, with both Isla and Ewan noting that the time they spent working together was as natural as being colleagues working together in the same environment, even if they were actually miles apart and (at that time) only seeing one another through their digital personas. Like work colleagues, they came to know one another working together and that naturally lead to spending time in-world together at social events, and so things grew between them, just as relationships naturally grow between people in any aspect of the physical world.

Given this background, both Isla and Ewan are keenly aware of how digital relationships inform us differently when compared to those occurring purely in the physical world; a fact which can lead to people reaching a greater depth with one another than might otherwise be the case. “Second Life can cut through societal constraints,” Ewan notes, “And it gets more to the heart of who you are.” Isla then adds, “You get a feel for the personality first.”

Isla's Cheeky Pea brand offers many items for house, garden and environment, and is a favourite among many SL users
Isla’s Cheeky Pea brand offers many items for house, garden and environment, and is a favourite among many SL users

It is this ability to make emotional connections which can be as genuine as anything we experience through any other medium, which Isla sees as the real power behind Second Life. It’s a view I agree with fully, because above everything else – the democratising of content, the freedom of creative expression, the myriad of things we can find to do in-world – ultimately, Second Life brings people together. It doesn’t matter if this is as friends, companions, or lovers, as couples or in groups; the platform allows us to form relationships and connections with other which are quite unique and with the power to outlast anything which might be experience through less immersive on-line social environments.

Within this broader story, we do also gain insight into what it means to be an effective successful creator in Second Life. And contrary to the hype which spread about the platform being a place of instant riches which grew up around Second Life back in 2006/7 and which did much to fuel its rapid growth, the reality is far different – as every content creator knows, and Isla encapsulates perfectly:

The illusion that I sit around in my pyjamas all day and eat cake and look at the sky and get inspiration is … not true. My job requires a lot of self-discipline, which I never thought I was capable of. I’m working from the time my daughter goes to school to the time she gets home, when i have to spend the time with her, doing her homework. Sometimes, when I’m on a deadline, I’m working until she wakes up! I don’t have that luxury of not completing things.

Second Life can greatly enrich our virtual lives and our physical lives
Second Life can greatly enrich our virtual lives and our physical lives

However, it is in the way in which Second Life has the power and ability to hugely enrich both our virtual and physical lives where this segment retains its power. Isla and Ewan’s relationship is almost a personification of the ideal that Second Life is a “shared experience” – although not at all in the manner the Lab might have imagined when applying the term to the platform.

Between them, and with Isla’s daughter, who gets to participate in the creative process as well, Isla and Ewan demonstrate very clearly home the platform can bring people together, presenting new opportunities for them to grow on both sides of the digital divide. In this, they are not unique among Second Life users, and there will be others watching this segment and identifying fully with it.

Such is the power of Second Life, that it really shouldn’t be seen as a substitute for the physical world as some who fail to understand the platform and those like it would all to quickly opt to dismiss it. The truth is that Second Life actually does more to eradicate the digital divide for many of us, allowing us free motion, from the physical to the virtual and back again, enhancing our lives in both. This is something Isla clearly understands and appreciates, as she notes in closing out the segment::

I think that in a world where virtual goods and services are becoming more and more important, we shouldn’t neglect excitement for the physical world in our kids. There are so many things you can do in your community; simple family walks, explore your town [and] its history.

At the same time, it’s not helpful to frame virtual reality as an escape. Because look, i live near Edinburgh, which is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and I still love to go into Second Life, have fun and express my creativity. You can have a balance of both, right?

Absolutely.

Second Life presents so many ways for us to share in experiences and activities together, on both sides of the screen
Second Life presents so many ways for us to share in experiences and activities together, on both sides of the screen

Given the subject matter of the segment, The Drax Files World Makers #34 takes a slight departure from previous segments. In part, it reverts to the approach to the early shows in the series in which he appears in his digital self, asking questions and providing an initial thrust to the video. However, with this segment, we also see a very subtle shift, as digital Drax is also joined by physical Drax.

By doing this, he adds a gently underlining of the central theme to the piece, again indicating how, for many of us, our identities – physical and virtual – are one in the same, with each informing and enriching the other.

Note: apologies to subscribers who may have received multiple notices about this post, some of which may have had invalid links when clicked. WordPress SNAFU’d on me when first published, and caused additional issues when trying to correct.

A Calas White Christmas in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Calas Galadhon White Cristmas 2015; Inara Pey, December 2015, on FlickrCalas Galadhon White Cristmas 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Ty Tenk and Truck Meredith, owners of the marvellous Calas Galadhon park lands, have once again brought something very special to Second Life in the form of their season Christmas region. And this year taking the theme of White Christmas, it is something very special, even by Ty and Truck’s remarkable standards.

As suggested by the name, the land is blanketed in white, a rich carpet of snow which also clings to the trees and bushes even as more falls from the darkening skies overhead. Sleighs await visitors arriving in the region, offering a ground-level tour – and Caitlyn and I thoroughly recommend taking one to start your explorations.  The sleighs will take you around the region at a gentle pace, following snow-covered track around and through the island before depositing you at the Christmas Pavilion.

Calas Galadhon White Cristmas 2015; Inara Pey, December 2015, on FlickrCalas Galadhon White Cristmas 2015 (Flickr)

But that’s not the end of things; the Pavilion is open to visitors, and offers a comfortable room in which to sit before a roaring fire, while the Christmas tree awaits across the hall. Outside, and down the slope, a frozen lake and ice-skating await, while the paths and tracks offer plenty of opportunities to wander on foot and to find little spots to sit and watch.

And that’s not the end of things either. A short distance away from the pavilion sits a balloon ride. This will take visitor up, up, and away into the cold winter skies, all the way to the North Pole, by way of mountain passes and snow filled valleys, all the way to Santa’s HQ. Here, reindeer wander the fields below the village or keep an eye on visitors while Santa and his little helpers take a bit of a break between making toys and gifts and starting on their 24-hour delivery round.

Calas Galadhon White Cristmas 2015; Inara Pey, December 2015, on FlickrCalas Galadhon White Cristmas 2015 (Flickr)

While Santa and Co may be absent, that doesn’t stop people peeking inside the workshop, dormitory, local hostelry and Santa’s house, or from visiting the launch point for the sleigh of sleighs, and from even sneaking a little cuddle while sitting in it.  And once a visit is done, a nearby teleport stone will provide the way back to the pavilion.

In fact, for those in a hurry, teleport stones are scattered around White Christmas to help make getting around easier – but I would venture to suggest it’s better to avoid them and make your way on foot or via the balloon (in the case of getting to the North Pole), because there is so much to see and plenty of Ty and Truck’s wonderful touches and little visual jokes. And of course, there’s also the reindeer tour – and don’t forget to put the festive audio stream on as well when visiting. Specially put together by Truck and Ty, it is the perfect backing for a visit!

Calas Galadhon White Cristmas 2015; Inara Pey, December 2015, on FlickrCalas Galadhon White Cristmas 2015 (Flickr)

I could say more – but the joy of the Calas Galadhon seasonal regions is visiting and exploring them, so I’ll let you do that for yourselves, and instead leave you with a little video after the links.

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Cybele Moon (aka the dune mouse) has also produced a short video filmed at the Calas winter region – please take a look!