One Part Oddfish: February 2012

Tuesday, 14 February 2012

The Fashionfish : World's End Garden

Romance Le Noir from World's End Garden

La Reve Illusoire - The illusory dream

It never ceases to amaze D just how talented and generous some designers in Second Life are. One such star is Lucia Genesis - creator of World's End Garden. WEG sells an eclectic and moody assortment of props, landscaping items and apparel that can perhaps best be described as romantically surreal Victoriana.

With the exception of two gowns which D bought ( Sois mon valentin and Bernadette), the rest of this collection were picked up as group and board gifts. Inspired by the ephemeral nature of Second Life, and the beautiful surroundings of WEG's three destinations

D wanted to create a series of prints that captured the title of each dress as well as to portray a sense of decay in the following series of images.

Nicole

Soi mon valentin - Be my valentine

The techniques used to create the polarised look of each image, is an attempt to fashion an imitation of an effect that occurs in antique photographic plates. There is a fascinating article on this phenomena in http://cool.conservation-us.org/jaic/articles/jaic41-02-002.html (D qualifies that she finds it fascinating and others might find it nerdy)

Bernadette

Bernadette was the first in these series of images of several overlays, fades, gradations, solarisation, inversions, vignetting and imprinting (using photoshop brushes from brush directory)

Le Jardin De La Fille - The girl's garden

La Denier Lamento - The Last Lament

Fashion Directions :

Romance Le Noir +

Vikka Lace Gloves layered with Dita's Ribbon Gauntlets (Long)

Earrings by SN@TCH

Maddison Mesh Boots by Deco

La Reve Illusoire +

Nicole hair by Burley

Nicole +

Widow gloves from LWL

Runa hair by D!va

Soi mon Valentin +

Hawthorn Milky Way set from Mandala

Gloves by Bare Rose

Hair from Purple Moon Head to Toe prize

Fox Stole by Anya OhMai

Bernadette +

Zippered leather gloves from XTC leather

Le Jardin De La Fille +

DIMH prize hair from D!va

Parasol from Risk City

La Denier Lamento +

Pearl Rain Jewelry Set from Mandala

Thursday, 9 February 2012

The Soundfish : Heart's A Mess.

D is starting to realise a lot more that this blog is not very much about fashion. In truth, D thinks she isn't terribly fashionable. So there it is - the idea that by the time you get to reading this entry it would probably be out-modded and old fashion.

Since first hearing "Hearts a mess" by Gotye, D has gotten quite fond of the band and recently discovered :

Which inspired the following :

The Artfish : Art imitates Life imitates Art II. (revealed)

Art imitates life imitates art (revealed) - Dita

The Artfish : Art imitates Life imitates Art I. (obscured)

Art imitates life imitates art (obscured) - Dita

Although the images look simple, it's not so easy to produce the same in second life as in the video the paint is directly applied to the two stars. In world, it would have to be textures uploaded and made into clothing that in turn would have to match the background.

As D was only doing stills, the images were instead manipulated in photoshop although the background was drawn and then uploaded to SL with the models posed against it. This was painted in post.

The other technical problem was to try and figure out how to make the 'paint' look painted onto the figures.

In general, D was quite pleased with the result.

Friday, 3 February 2012

The Storyfish : A Collaborative Project

D does really apologise to you our faithful fish-fans for taking a gap year between blog posts. D says :" I really am terrible at being consistent but I shall try to make sure that I post a blog at least once a week. However I am still pleased to say that I have for most parts kept to fashioning at least one art thing a day. (Even if that art thing is making a very artistically arranged salad for lunch!)"

So… what has Ourfish been up to?
Apart from being a regular flickerite , D has been trying to start a new collaborative project to create and enact "The Story of O" using second life as a medium.

D 's attempt to search for talent

You might ask why this story in particular…
Written by French author Anne Desclos under the pen name Pauline Réage, The Story of O is an ode to a woman who would do anything to keep the attentions of her lover.

The book was very controversial for its time (1950's) and despite it winning French literature prize Prix des Deux Magots the following year after it was published ; The French authorities still brought charges of obscenity against its publisher which resulted in the book having a publicity ban on it for several years after.

Story of O : O's lover, René, brings her to the château of Roissy

At the beginning of the story, O's lover René brings her to the château of Roissy

D really has a soft spot for good love story - but not only is the story of O itself rather intriguing, it has also been used as subject matter in some incredible art, such as italian artist, Guido Crepax for his graphic novel of same title in 1975.

From Guido Crepax' Story of O : O's lover René brings her to the château of Roissy

In 2001, the book was also adapted and interpreted in a series of images by Doris Kloster , a world renowned artist/photographer and curator.

The Illustrated Story of O page 32

D feels that it would be an interesting experience to collaborate with other artists to create an interpretation of this timeless story in second life and to record this efforts in a series of images to be published as an in-world and online book.

The women of the château - by Dita 2012.

In her website, Doris Kloster writes " … I wanted to photograph the story in locations that evoke the mystery and fantasy that is the Story of O. The novel is set in Paris and its environs, the most romantic locale in the world, and the home of the Marquis de Sade."

The art question here sits in that interesting space of self identity, sexuality and a definition of reality.
The book itself drew inspiration from Desclos's personal letters to her lover who has a keen interest in the writings of De Sade. It was a treatise in her ability to write erotica with the same libertinism as a man. It is a curious question, in an environment such as Second Life , the possibility exists here to create some semblance of a fantasy made virtually real.

Notes :
The setting for this collaboration has been created by the lovely Sugar Bumblefootfor her SIM titled " Roissy Reborn" If you would be interested in collaborating for this project please don't hesitate to get in touch!

Thursday, 2 February 2012

The Artfish : Not Everything Is Plain Black & White

The White Room : At the start and end of the art space.

'Not Everything Is Plain Black & White'
by Fuschia Nightfire Exhibition
runs from 20th January until 20th February 2012
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/MetaLES/56/62/30

What has always been the most attractive quality about art in second life is the creation of immersive, interactive environments to examine an art idea.
In Fuschia Nightfire's 'Not Everything Is Plain Black & White' - this quality is very much explored through a series of virtual spaces within the art environment.

The exhibit starts you off in what resembles a ready room. The space is almost blindingly white. Behind you is a small stall offering vendors for free skins, clothes and tattoo layers in black, white and shades of grey to entice you into becoming one with the art.
Thusly inspired, D decided to go exploring as a mythical winged zebranoid.

(Hair by KMADD, Wings by Black Lace, Boots by Boudoir, Claws by Dita's Diabolique)

Into the Void

You wander along a path through several key stages in the exhibit. Clever use of textures and animations make the environment uneasy, disorientating and jarring in some places. Straying from the path leads you to some other more static exhibits that are equally curious and thought provoking.