Theda Tammas is a known and appreciated artist. In this artistic installation entitled “choreography of a tortured soul,” she describes well the human condition of the woman as if she wanted to denounce a social situation on the margins as a worldwide phenomenon.
I have appreciated Theda for a long time, I like the direct way she denounces a social condition, to highlight, through metaphorical statues, a painful situation of the kind. Her sculptures are all suffering women, wounded in the chest.
Theda Tammas In Second Life®
The suffering to which the artist refers, I believe, can be understood both in the sense of physical and moral pain. The outcome does not change, Theda tells about women affected in one way or another.
The condition of the Woman is among the most complex and subtle to treat. There are situations of evident disparity in countries with little development where women are even killed if they do not comply with the social rules of subordination to men. However, even without reaching countries of this type, disparity can also be seen in the highly evolving Western world which, if formally, declares that women must be protected and gender equality guaranteed, in practice still makes too little for the principles, from declarations of intent, they become a reality.
Theda Tammas In Second Life®
We think of the numerous cases of women killed (not talking about backward countries, but Western) from their husbands, partners or boyfriends. The Society still does little to protect women from such dangers and sanctions are ridiculous when compared to the seriousness of the crime committed.
We do not like to say it, we pretend nothing, we are indignant in front of the umpteenth news and then turn the page as if nothing had happened. But for a woman who dies, there are children abandoned to their destiny, people who have sincerely loved them who see their lives suddenly change, without reason.
Theda Tammas In Second Life®
Moreover, even without getting to the femicide, there are numerous cases of sexual violence that, just because too many, are treated as “normal” facts, as if we were to adapt to the fact that a woman can be raped and cannot be dramatized. It is not explained otherwise because the penalties for sexual violence are, today, so low. Prisons are overcrowded, and the frequency of this type of crime would make them uninhabitable with adequate penalties.
Theda Tammas In Second Life®
Moreover, Theda has realized what I have long held to be a significant opportunity for artists: it has created animated statues through the Animeshtechnique (currently only in Beta version).
Here is her video where she is showing the effectiveness of the experiment:
I am visiting with Lolita Pralou the new art exhibition of Natalia Serenade, hosted by the Nitroglobus Roof Art Gallery(famous art gallery curated and owned by Dido Haas). It is instructive to visit a gallery in the company of someone because you have the opportunity to understand and explore the point of view of another person. In the case of Lolita, her comments are exquisite and surprising in showing something that you did not pay attention to.
The title of the exhibition is “The color of words not pronounced,” which highlights the theme addressed by the artist Natalia Serenade. Each image represents an occasion in which something has not been said, some emotion has not been transmitted, some observation has been left “to fall.”
Nitroglobus Roof Art Gallery in Second Life® Natalia Serenade
How many times it happens to be silent when we could talk. I do not say “due,” because the choice on whether to communicate or not is personal, but it may happen to prefer silence on some occasions.
When we suffer, for example, we tend to gather in a restorative silence, a muteness made of introspection that has a soothing function of our inner sufferings.
Where do the words not spoken go? What is their destiny?
Natalia Serenade imagines that no spoken words flow together in an explosion of colors and images, and help to form a new picture, unpredictable and intangible.
Unpredictable, because the technique used by the artist, which she explains in the introductory notecard, does not allow her to know first what the final result will be.
Intangible because the proposed images do not have defined contours, but are overlaps that give life to sketches of art with undefined features.
Nitroglobus Roof Art Gallery in Second Life® Natalia Serenade
Natalia Serenade takes photographs in Second Life® and overlaps them until she gets the result that she feels is right, that makes her satisfied.
Lolita, carefully observing the works of the Serenade, tells me that she does not like the red color very much, but that she can not imagine an artistic work without the red included in it.
Nitroglobus Roof Art Gallery in Second Life® Natalia Serenade
She talks, and I think she’s right: I did not consider it, but it’s true.
And while I’m going elsewhere to write, I leave Lolita enchanted to admire the works exhibited at the Nitroglobus Roof Art Gallery.
After a few days of absence from blogging (for Real Life reasons), I return to my exploration of human creativity in virtual worlds. In fact, one of my favorite activities is to visit the latest artistical innovations. This time I immerse myself in the creative mind of Megan Prumier who gave life to an art installation entitled “Contact” related to G.B.T.H. (Grab By The Horns) Project.
GBTH Project in Second Life
Here we are very far from a “classic” style, that is the art gallery and the museum. Space is open to the performance of Megan Prumier allowing her to exploit its fullness to highlight the sense of her immersive art installation.
As she herself makes clear, at the point of landing, “Contact” explores the complex theme of perception that manifests itself through the combination of two factors: the illusion of movement and the combination of colors.
In fact, movement and color are two fundamental elements in the installation of the Prumier. Their importance is also clear from the recommendations for a good vision: the minimum required is that “Advanced Lighting Model” is correctly flagged. However, an optimal vision, provided that the PC allows it, is guaranteed by a graphics set on “Ultra” and by the “Ambient Occlusion” flagged.
GBTH Project in Second Life
The immersiveness of the installation is immediately evident: there is no space to look out of the installation, all the visitor’s attention is diverted to the “experience” offered. The theme, I remember, is that of perception, so the Prumier seems to be interested in that the visitor concentrates his attention as much as possible on what he sees and manages to grasp during his wandering around.
Me @GBTH Project in Second Life
The environment is comfortable and hospitable, and this makes me think that the artist wants the explorer to feel at ease and stop to appreciate the details. The two identical purple rooms located at opposite points, separated only by a corridor of bright and intense green geometric shapes, are embellished with lights and comfortable chairs. Here the movement is given by the slight swaying of the leaves of improbable trees in that context (but you know, art is fantasy, first of all).
Corridors like slides placed inside black parallelepipeds with bright white contours invite you to go upstairs to appreciate the three-dimensional geometries of the artist. Even here shapes, colors, and lights in movement embellish the surrounding environment, giving the impression of having been catapulted into a futuristic environment.
It is easy to take photographs thanks to the animations and poses placed inside the installation itself.
For additional information on G.B.T.H Project, I suggest you visit the G.B.T.H. Project Blog.
The day before yesterday night the premiere of “Epica” has been staged: “Epica” is the show of “Clouds Fallen“, an active theatrical company in Second Life®, which from 5 February 2017 gladdens the Italian inhabitants of the virtual world with its complex narrations.
For the first time, I attended a theatrical show created and staged for SL®. It was a significant experience to understand how, even though a virtual world for its need of little expression, you can transmit important messages and it is also possible to excite the public.
Reading these lines someone will be wondering if it is desirable to stage a show in any virtual platform, as it is impossible to make the same expression that we can find in a show set in reality.
If this statement is certainly true, and therefore in the virtual environment, important elements of communication such as facial expressions, the free movement of the actors on the stage, the scenographic flexibility and so on, this does not mean that theatricality it cannot be successfully adapted to virtuality as well.
On the other hand, the large number of people present the other day last night at LEA4 to watch the show “Epica” of the “Clouds Fallen” is the proof (if needed) that even the virtual environment is fertile ground for the artistic creativity, not less than the real sphere.
“Epica” is an intense narration, involving and not at all obvious in the contents. In the initial part of the show, the impact is with the main character of Princess Hanna. The narration surprises with unexpected and extreme “twists” to the public.
The main theme of “Epica” is the relationship between Good and Evil, a relationship as complex as necessary.
While not wanting to reveal too much of the narrative as it could be staged more shows that, who could not attend the premiere, could assist, I must say that this contrast between Good and Evil, to which we are addicted since childhood with the stories with a happy ending, it is dealt with in “Epica” without prejudices or preconceptions.
In “Epica” lives a deep philosophical theme, dualism as a necessity.
For this reason, I asked one of the authors of this original story, Seta Rosea, to give me the script. Not to publish the whole story, but to highlight those passages that underlie the underlying message: Good and Evil complement each other, and the One could not exist without the Other.
The representative character of Evil in “Epic” is Flegias, while what identifies the Good is, in the first place Hanna, the princess who was prematurely orphaned by a father.
Flegias turns to the princess just as Evil could do with Good in a duo.
You think, every time you defeat me, to humiliate me or even worse to eliminate me. But I reborn on the horizon ready to meet you again. I’m not your antagonist, I’m your energy. (from “Epica”)
From the point of view of Good, Princess Hanna is the first example, very significant above all by virtue of her ability to sacrifice herself for what is right (as her father had taught her). Some passages of her monologues are moving, as when she tells of her dreams.
I am this. I am the one who is surprised by their dreams. And I cry when the morning ends. (From “Epic”)
“Epica” is a succession of events that symbolize this eternal struggle between Good and Evil. We call it “struggle” even if, perhaps, it is not a battle, but both exist to confirm each other’s nature.
Just as darkness stands out against the stars and confirms their existence, in the same way, Evil allows us to define the Good, nourishing it of its own essence.
On the occasion of the show, I took several pictures that I subsequently elaborated according to my taste and which I share in the photo gallery in this post.
Below is the poster that introduces the show and the full actors.
I remember that the authors of the texts are Seta Rosea and Cornelia Longfall.
On the occasion of my visit to the gallery of images exhibited to remember the previous theatrical performances, I had the pleasure of shooting a small video for future memory.
Machinima
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEC_Za3Y8Ow
For other videos on previous shows, you can view the following contents.
It represents an explosion of shapes, lights, colors, and movement. A cohesion of abstract and geometric elements that reflect the author’s “inner face.”
Abstract art prefers shapes and colors to the representation of Reality.
So “Abstractionism” is the art movement that doesn’t represent Reality.
Abstractionism, in turn, knows different currents. One of these is geometric abstractionism; Solkide Auer’s installation is a brilliant externalization.
The installation “The Cave” consists of several “points of arrival“: and each of them corresponds to a specific artistic environment. They are set up by the author to amaze and engage the viewer. For greater convenience, I list each of them by indicating the relevant “landing point”. This to offer the reader a guided tour that facilitates the permanence.
In all, there are six artistic places to visit. Each of them wants to represent the relative title or name of the landing point (The Light, The Tower, The Grid, The Reflex, The Sphere, The Dome) in a geometric-abstract form.
I appreciated the manipulative technique of the shapes as well as the ideas on the colors and the relative refraction. For this reason, I enjoyed taking 3D pictures, as that Solkide’s geometric abstractionism lends itself particularly well to two types of image manipulation:
the 3D;
Morphing video.
The 3D effect you know is that one you can view with appropriate 3D glasses that allow you to see the depth.
Video morphing is the filming technique that allows you to blend from one form to another shape. In this way, you can appreciate the individual structures through the gradual visual passage from one to the other.
To make the idea of what I mean by “morphing video” here is an example:
I would very much like to see a video of this type made from an installation by Solkide Auer.
The photographic realism in Second Life®: a question of style.
The question may seem provocative, in fact, it’s a question I’ve been thinking about for a few days. In particular, I wonder when it is relevant that there is realism in a portrait of an SL® avatar.
In the first place it is necessary to understand what realism is in an SL® photo: if we have an avatar’s picture, how is it possible to talk about authenticity?
I would immediately say that for “realism” I do not mean morphing or, at least, not the morphing we are used to knowing. As is known, in the morphing two images are fused, two faces in a way so homogeneous as not to see where the look of the one and the other one ends.
The technique of morphing allows merging two faces, obtaining a single look. This effect has been used many times in cinemas as well. It is possible to combine one’s face with a famous person and thus obtain a very evocative image. (Max89X)
Photographic realism in the virtual world is not a rule and may not even please. Indeed, there are photographers who, while retouching their images with Photoshop, Gimp or other graphics programs, love that it is evident it is an avatar and do not want to confuse the real with the virtual.
Lately, I discovered on Flickr excellent photographers who use the technique of automatic fusion of levels or that, regardless of the use of this specific technique, they can make photographic portraits of extreme realism.
One artist I knew and talked about is Brenda Menges. This excellent Brazilian photographer has, lately, perfected her technique obtaining results nothing short of amazing. It is enough to have a look at her Flickr to stay “open-mouthed.” I admit that I asked Brenda for a portrait, and when I went to see her in her studio, I found only a base and a standing pose placed in the sky. Surely Brenda uses particular in-world light settings to give more realism, but observing her photographs, one notices the “human touch” that only through a fusion between two images (a real and a virtual one) can be obtained.
Before Brenda, I had only found morphing not exciting, so I had the impression that real fusion with virtual was not a good idea.
In addition to the Menges, other excellent photographers mix real, and virtual achieving results in nothing short of surprising.
One of them is Angi Manners, known above all for being the creator of the beautiful and realistic skin for Catwa and Lelutka: her shop is called [session].
The Manners also uses light and shadow games to give realism directly in-world and reduce, in this way, post-processing.
Even in this case, just take a look at her images to stay “open-mouthed.”
Continuing to talk about photographic realism, following Flickr I found another photographer who likes to mix real with virtual getting good results, Jota Vico. Here are some of his portraits:
In conclusion, photographic realism is not an obligation, of course, and some people prefer far from seeing the “virtuality” of their avatar.
Personality, I am fascinated, because photographers like Brenda Menges, now skilled manipulators of virtual faces, succeed and give that expression, that human touch of emotional “imperfection” that gives the virtual face emotions impossible for an avatar.
Il realismo fotografico in Second Life®: una questione di stile.
La domanda potrebbe sembrare provocatoria, in realtà è una questione su cui rifletto da qualche giorno. In modo particolare mi chiedo quando sia rilevante che, in un ritratto di un avatar di SL®, ci sia realismo.
In primo luogo occorre intendersi su cosa sia il realismo in una fotografia di SL®: se la foto è di un avatar, come è possibile parlare di realismo?
Vorrei dire da subito che per “realismo” non intendo il morphing o, quanto meno, non il morphing che siano abituati a conoscere. Come noto, nel morphing vengono fuse due immagini, due volti in un modo così omogeneo da non capire dove finisce il viso dell’uno e inizia quello dell’altro.
La tecnica del morphing permette di fondere due visi, ottenendo un unico volto. Questo effetto è stato utilizzato molte volte anche in ambito cinematografico. E’ possibile fondere il proprio volto con un personaggio famoso e ottenere cosi’ un’immagine molto suggestiva. (Max89X)
Il realismo fotografico nel mondo virtuale non è una regola e può anche non piacere. Anzi, ci sono fotografi che, pur ritoccando le loro immagini con Photoshop, Gimp o altri programmi di grafica, amano che “si veda” che si tratta di un avatar e non desiderano confondere il reale con il virtuale.
Ultimamente ho scoperto su Flickr fotografi eccellenti che utilizzano la tecnica della fusione automatica di livelli o che, a prescindere dall’uso di questa specifica tecnica, riesco a realizzare ritratti fotografici di un realismo estremo.
Un’artista che conoscevo e di cui ho già parlato è Brenda Menges. Questa eccellente fotografa brasiliana ha, ultimamente, perfezionato la sua tecnica ottenendo risultati a dir poco stupefacenti. E’ sufficiente dare uno sguardo al suo Flickr per restare “a bocca aperta”. Ammetto che io stessa ho chiesto a Brenda un ritratto e, quando sono andata a trovarla nel suo studio fotografico, mi sono trovata solo una base e un pose stand collocati in cielo. Sicuramente Brenda usa delle impostazioni di luce particolari in-world per dare maggiore realismo, ma osservando le sue fotografie, ci si accorge del “tocco umano” che solo attraverso una fusione tra due immagini (una reale e una virtuale) si può ottenere.
Prima di Brenda avevo trovato solo dei morphing non entusiasmanti, quindi avevo l’impressione che fondere reale con virtuale non fosse una buona idea.
Oltre alla Menges, altri eccellenti fotografi mischiano reale e virtuale ottenendo risultati a dir poco sorprendenti.
Una di essi è Angi Manners, nota soprattutto per essere la creatrice delle spendide e realistiche skin per Catwa e Lelutka: il suo negozio si chiama [ session ].
La Manners usa anche giochi di luci e ombre per dare realismo direttamente in-world e ridurre, in questo modo, il post processing.
Anche in questo caso, basta dare uno sguardo alle sue immagini per restare a “bocca aperta”.
Continuando a parlare di realismo fotografico, seguendo Flickr ho trovato un altro fotografo che ama mischiare reale con virtuale ottendendo buoni risultati, Jota Vico. Di seguito alcuni dei suoi ritratti:
Concludendo, il realismo fotografico non è un obbligo, ovviamente, e alcuni preferiscono di gran lunga che si veda la “virtualità” del proprio avatar.
Personalmete, io ne sono affascinata, perchè fotografi come Brenda Menges, ormai abile manipolatrici di volti virtuali, riescono e dare quella espressività, quel tocco umano di “imperfezione” emotiva che conferisce al volto virtuale emozioni impossibili per un avatar.
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