MachinimUWA V: Update

"To describe externals, you become a scientist.

To describe experience, you become an artist."

- Timothy Leary PhD (1920 - 1996)

Tim Deschanel is a Very Happy Man.

Tim is also a prolific photographer who has seemingly attended most all of the significant artistic events, installations and performances in Second Life since October 2007. His flickr consists of over 20,000 individually crafted photographs which document the creativity, individuality and ingenuity of the SL experience.

Dido Haas by Tim Deschanel

I was thrilled to see Tim had taken these pic's of me in my Rabbit Girl Porn Star persona while we were attending the opening of Dido Haas and Nitro Fireguard's new art gallery which exhibits their own work and, until the end of this month, the work of artist Dannyboyo.

Ordinarily I'd blog Dannyboyo's work in its own right, probably also cross-posting over at The Pornstars blog too for greater exposure. However, time pressures have prevented me from doing so, as I'll explain a little later.

Dannyboyo's work comprises of manipulating pornographic images to leave only abstract exaggerated shape and colour. Dannyboyo says, "the ... pieces retain the erotic quality of the original photo, but softened to a dreamlike, painterly state. For me, it brings new meaning." Well worth checking out.

Nitro Fireguard by Tim Deschnel

The reason I haven't blogged Dannyboyo's exhibition more fully is that I am up to my eyeballs working on my UWA "Seeking Wisdom" machinima entry, and have been for a few weeks now.

Sleep is suffering!

But, the film will be ready for the deadline!

It will be released publically on You Tube (and my blog here) sometime on Sunday 1st July.  However, on the evening of Saturday 30th June, Nasty Puddlegum is holding a small "premiere" over at his gaff for a few invited friends.

We'll screen the film and then applause, shout "WOW" and "AWESOME!", play "Woot!" and "Hooo!" gestures and otherwise congratulate each other in that over-sentimental, grossly emotional and vaguely embarrassing way that is a hallmark of Second Life social gatherings. It goes without saying that anyone refusing to participate in this traditional Second Life behaviour will be summarily ejected and banned.

If offered, don't eat the digestive biscuits.

A Healthy Dose of Mikati Slade

 I logged in to see a group notice from Art Gallery Diabolus (home of the Cybernetic Art Research Project) announcing that the latest installation by Mikati Slade would be opening in a few hours.

I knew I would definitely be pulling out all the stops to be there!

Mikati is a Japanese digital artist who studied classical sculpture and drawing at university. I first met her at Burn2 2011 and said at the time: “Now, if I had to isolate just one exhibit for you to go see…just one, then, without doubt it would be Mikati Slade’s simply stunning ‘Popscape’. It is a gigantic, no-apologies, no-compromise celebration of Japanese popular culture”.

(click images to enlarge)

Her new installation, Kuru Kuru World maintains the Japanese Pop Art style of Popscape but, believe it or not, is actually even bigger than Popscape, is even less apologetic than Popscape and makes even fewer compromises than Popscape!

This is a tremendously good thing!

Such is the respect for and interest in Mikati’s work that at the opening I saw Bryn Oh, Scottius Polke, Marcus Inkpen, Fuschia Nightfire, Claudia222 Jewell – all of whom I admire and have previously blogged – prolific art photo-journalist Tim Deschanel, noted art blogger Quan Lavender and many others also attended.

However, I was the only person with the depth of fashion sense to proudly don Mikati’s “Popscape” hat!

There is something decidedly uplifting and healthy about Mikati Slade’s work. It is brain candy; indeed, it is チキンスープ for the soul!

Mikati’s work cheers the heart on a frosty day! It provides colour, comfort and warmth in an increasingly gray, disturbed and cold world.

Is there a deep meaning to this work, Kuru Kuru World? Probably, yes. Almost certainly Mikati will be able to share with you some philosophy or idea behind her installation. And this is all good.

But, you know what? The work is - in and of itself, as a visual structure in its own right - enjoyable enough that there is no *need* to overlay a secondary layer of significance.

I love it just how it is.

I mean, you don’t play Pacman and expect to discover supernatural life, right? Or amuse yourself with Super Mario Brothers and expect each coin to turn into the Higgs Boson.  Or even while away a few hours on Street Fighter II Turbo and expect to fight Titian as the End-Level Boss! Of course not.

But nevertheless each of these activities is thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile in their own right, without any need for further explanation or justification.

And so it is, I believe, with Kuru Kuru World.

There is nothing “shallow” about this installation. On the contrary, Mikati Slade proves herself to be a digital sculptor of formidable knowledge and talent, with a deep understand of colour and shape. It is just, simply, that Kuru Kuru World is so enjoyable an experience that it doesn’t *need* any vindication other than to be what it is.

Kuru Kuru isn’t, in my opinion, a cerebral installation.  Nor is it a sensual installation. It is a visceral gut-level injection of innocent joy.

And for that reason alone, I sincerely hope you visit it.

Pixie xx