The Big Fish : Playing Catchup!

For Genre's Belle Epoque round.

It has been a while since I've had the chance to sit down and write again. So whilst I will catch up on my flickr posts - I wanted to write about some of the things that I have been making for a few events around the Grid. The latest being for Genre, which just opened today and for which I have decided to launch my telescopic cigarette holders in two lengths "Maxi" which is 22cm and "Ultra" which is 44cm.

Both cigarettes come with a smoking animations hud with priority 3 animations.

A separate pack of 12 static smoking poses have also been created to go with this exclusive launch!

I had made this prop for my shoot of a few posts back :

Since then I have been developing this item into a more refined end product. I hope you will like the end results!

Your taxi to Genre is : http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Analog%20Dog%20Hair/34/240/3120

You can read more about this event on : Genre @ Wordpress

Also out right now is my sculpture release for the latest hip event to hit the grid " Epicene"

Your taxi to Epicene is :http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Terre%20Des%20Mortes/106/95/1301 You can read more about this event on : http://secondlife.com/destination/epicene 

Last but not least! I have been busy with doing images for my own art exhibition which is being held at the Black Lux Gallery

 

I hope you will visit and tell me what you think!

The Art Fish : A Story of Drag To Riches

"Congratulations! You are the winner of extreme make over!"
Every drag queen has to start somewhere!

"Go full drag or nothing!"
She gets on some talent show like RuPaul's drag races - gets groomed and preened
Suddenly she's a whole other dolly!

"We are fameeleee, I got all my sistahs with me"
She is the supreme diva ; owning the stage even if she has to share it with more lipstick

"Drag on and on ...."
Finally she gets her 3 minutes on a talkshow where she might do a lipsynch to "Like a virgin" by Madonna
Or sit in a huge prop shoe on top of a bus and trek across the outback...

It's all an amalgam of dramatic things I'm fond of with a little of this thrown in ....

Technical Details : Wearing (Click to see larger image)

Technical Details : Windlight Settings (Click to see larger image)

Happy to provide any additional information you might need that may not have been mentioned as follows :

This story uses [ Curious Kitties Unreal Fuzz* ] Drag Queen Avatar (From this round of Genre) and a real steal at L$100

*This item is 50% smaller then the Second Life default mesh.A complete doll avatar perfect for roleplaying and modeling.
Curious Kitties Unreal "Kittenz" type avatars are customizable with new hair, eyes & skins from Curious Kitties!

Also worn is :
Alice Project Butterfly Headset with Mic (Gacha)
BNB Miss Mary Jane Shoes Unrigged (from Marketplace)
Tintable Waist Belt (Partial from an old Vero Modero Outfit)
Clawtooth : Bride of Frankie (This was a Hair Fair gift)
Masoom - Anu Dress Flexi Skirt (also an oldie)

Poses:
Nantra has made an AMAZING set of poses called Werk it that has been used in some of the shots here.

Other Prop Credits:
Little Llama - Kiss My... Lounger and Ode to Lipstick (From this round of Genre) < FAAHHHHBOOOOLUS
Kalopsia Hanging Stars
A.E Mesh Male Torso (MP)

The Sad Fish : Nitro Fireguard Passes (7th November)

Saturday, 7 November at 2.10 pm Paris time my beloved Partner Nitro Fireguard passed away.Although I knew this was inevitable, it still was a shock. After all nobody wants to loose a loved one. The only redeeming thought is Nitro doesn't have to suffer these horrible pains anymore. For those who don't know: after almost a year of fighting, the cancer won and Nitro had to give up.
Dear Nitro you will always be in my heart.I thank you for the four awesome years we shared in Second Life as partners, in which we had lots of fun and joy working together to make Nitroglobus the gallery it is nowadays. We both had our own part in this: you Nitro, the artist who 'fitted' the main hall of our gallery for each exhibition with matching new mesh sculptures. I the curator, marketeer and host at our opening parties.   We almost always had the same taste which was soo cool to experience time after time.  
We made many friends among the artists exhibiting in our main hall as well as the guests who visited the gallery and our Sunday Cafe. Yes, our Second Life together was filled with lots of love for each other, our gallery and for the arts in general.
We communicated every day: hours of intense conversations about many many topics here in Second Life but also during the day in WhatsApp. We even met in Real Life Paris two times.  I am so glad we all met: you, me and both our RL partners. 
I will miss you terribly sweetie because YOU are/were my Second Life.Je t'aime mon cheriGros bisous and may you rest in peace

Dido

Joa sent me a song which expresses my present  feelings very well:
https://youtu.be/jOIAi2XwuWo

(The above is being distributed to all who visit the Nitroglobus at this time)

I heard this news via Bryn Oh's Immersivia on Wednesday 11th so this is a retrospective entry that I am writing in regard.

My memory is as together as a broken colander but I do not believe that Nitro Fireguard and I have ever met or exchanged words; or if we have then it would have only been in passing at some art exhibition opening or other in the Nitroglobus Gallery; run by the pair of Dido and Nitro.

Whilst I do not hold a memory of the man, I am acquainted with some of his art and consider myself fortunate to have known of him in this way. This entry is about sharing with you, gentle reader, a little of his art.

S.V and myself curate a motley collection of art things that we love and have a small gallery for no-one other than ourselves and close friends (at this point in time)

I remember the first time S.V put out a piece by Nitro and thinking it had such presence and depth of feeling which brings to mind again what Gormley had said about the power of sculpture. Each of the pieces we have on the homestead (Isle of Fatima- IOF) all own their places and in such a way that it is hard for me now to think of the Isle without them and vice versa... just as it saddens me to think of the world without the creative spirit of Nitro himself.

In a universe of universes, this was a man who had a unique voice that he shared through these slow animating giant forms; Pairs that vibrated with symbiotic tension as they grappled each other and floated in impossible space.

Changing Space Time Origin by Nitro Fireguard
Set to Deep Love by Mandalay (Nitin Sawhney Remix)

This was my first go at making a cliplet for the purpose of this tribute.

I highly recommend visiting the Nitroglobus Gallery if you get the chance; There you will encounter and experience these works for yourself.

Prior to making these two clips ; have had near zilch experience in making or producing machinima so do forgive its quality as I was learning on the fly. What I do hope comes across, is sentiment and suitable kudos for someone I shall no less miss. Through his art, I have found Nitro to be great, witty, human... He is celebrated, wonderful and ultimately -  unforgettable.

Don't let me go by Nitro Fireguard

Set to Ágúst by Ólafur Arnalds

This is probably my favourite piece and when I first set eyes on it I was quite quite moved.
This is also my second piece of Machinima and I hope it will give you a sense of the work from my POV.

ad perpetuam memoriam

The Big Fish : Art In Hats 2015

For Art In Hats. I've designed 3 exclusive noggin decorators. Get yours now!

I do apologise for my absenteeism.
The more interesting news is not the why I left but the now I'm back!

What I'm currently doing :
I'm participating in Art in Hats (4th till 14th November) and have created the above three pieces as event exclusives for which a portion of the proceeds shall go straight into the coffers of the American Diabetes Association.
You can read more information about this on Art In Hats - 2015

I think with blogs and flickr and life in general , you experiment as you figure things out for yourself. What you want to do, what you don't want to do and so on. I've been having an interesting year that's been in pursuit of other adventures outside of the realm of the virtual aesthetic and as serendipity would have it - find myself currently tangled with an other whose passion for art (amongst other things) inspires me to examine my own.

I'd like to take this opportunity too to thank both Lyrical B!zarre and Shortcake Sugarplum. These ladies have always faithfully sent their creations my way - despite my long absence from blogging.
I'm full of admiration for them as their own creative spirit seems tireless! Lyrical is also participating in the same event with the following offerings :

Hat Ballet
(featuring Danette Hat by Lyrical B!zarre)

Taste The Rainbow
(featuring Adele Hat by Lyrical B!zarre as well as Butterfly eyes by no.7)

Moodlight Sonatta
(featuring Trey Dress and Chloe Hat both by Lyrical B!zarre)

On a side note , all the above have been taken with my donning a completely mesh avatar which is all the rage in the virtual photography world because of how 'materials' and advanced lighting works in SL. (Will broach more on this subject at a later date)

Meanwhile 

Thank you for reading.

The Art Fish : Spoilers

Peanuts on demand offered as prize...

What I enjoy about the Sl Flickr community is that there is usually always something challenging to participate in to spur your own creativity forward. Quite often all this effort is without gratis with the organiser being personally out of pocket.

I like [ContraptioN] though oddly, I missed the announcement of this contest, only catching it rather much later when I was pursuing the individual streams of persons on my Flickr contact list.

What's great about this particular contest is that it sets out to combine the aural with the visual and that is something which I find an interesting process in itself. 

A list of music is provided to choose from and I ended up always coming back to :

Being that it's the first time I'd ever heard of this tune (or Iron Sky for the matter), I'm quite grateful for the new experience! I have no idea just how the music (from Kaiti Kink Ensemble) relates to the film of the same title, save that the band had a lot of positive feedback from fans.

Iron Sky on the other hand, is a film that comes across as a spoof 

"The Nazis set up a secret base on the dark side of the moon in 1945 where they hide out and plan to return to power in 2018." - IMDB

What I do love is a good 'ole surreal sci fi flick and this seems to be ticking all of those boxes. The music certainly adds to the drama - with the huge orchestrations and sentimental lyrics; a good 'visual' choon to get into.

I love the really distinct pronunciation of the word " Iron" in the song - which differs greatly from my pedestrian experience of it which sounds more akin to this

Art and Music are quite a personal and subjective experience - influenced by the beholder and laden with derivative meanings. So whilst I may have had my own reasons and motivations of putting together the outfits and creating this composition, they don't really matter all that much in the end.

So here are a few production notes :

One of several RAW takes for the image which was later composited together
with a background I created from a view out of an airplane window and a starry sky

Cue Drama - My Final Image created specially for this challenge

Cue Drama Up Close -  This isn't the same image zoomed in , but rather an entirely different composition
meant to detail the relationship between the two figures. 

Photo Credits :

DA

[ContraptioN] *ocean* Maritime Division Uniform Sweater (from Steam Hunt 6 I think - yeah total SL ho-arder)

[ContraptioN] Wainright Glasses (from TMD current round)

Tee*fy Epoch Legend Unleash The beast Belt Body Suit (from Epoch - a while ago)

*LE* MattiePitt Steampunk Wings (from Genre)

CPD Prof Grieferschock's Auto Cauterizing Glove (from FutureWave)

AZE Voice Modulator (from FutureWave)

AZOURY Succubus Heels (Nougat) + JD My Feet Tip Toe

[INK] Hair - Against : Baige (from TMD previous round)

NJ

Zibska  - Dagmar Outfit ~ Vapour (From Future Wave)

ZIbska  - Asrid Headpiece (Version1 of 2)

ISD DarkNet F White Hair  (for L$1 demo and promo version from Future Wave)

DRD Mechanical Fairy Wings - Steam Wings Iron 

ieQED Hand Spike - (from The Surreal Complex - Art Section)

*Illusions* Sylph ears

Prop : 

Flat Iron Sculpty - From MP : 

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/RE-Old-Flat-Iron-One-Prim-Metal-Clothes-Iron-Decoration/3431453

Pose :
Del May - One part of Fair Weather Kiss
Posertry -  Sit help 1

Events LM's of current rounds ( These are time sensitive and only accurate at time of writing)

Futurewave (Feb 15th - 23rd)
Taxi : http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cursed/37/171/968

Website : http://cursedfuturewave.wordpress.com/

Genre (Feb 15th - Mar 15th)
Taxi : http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Analog%20Dog%20Hair/31/218/3072

Website : http://genreinsl.wordpress.com/

Fantasy Gacha Carnival (Feb 1st - 28th)

Taxi : http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Acerbus%20Silva/46/66/53

Website: http://fantasygacha.wix.com/carnival

The Surreal Complex (Ends Mar 2nd) 

Taxi : http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Jack%20and%20Jones/207/115/1997

Website : http://havendalesl.wordpress.com/

The Men's Department 

Taxi : http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Pea/126/64/23

Website : http://themensdeptsl.wordpress.com/

The Fashion Fish : Loves Zibska!

Some truly cutting edge design comes from the imaginings of Zibska's creator so I jumped at the chance to get involved when Zibs Scaggs put a call out for photographers who blog on their Flickr.
I had already been making images with Zibska's designs incorporated and so was eager to try and convince them to "Pick me, pick me, pick me!"

Sound Flowers : Coco Doll with Doll Head V01 
posed with Zibska Ulani Collar and Hat (TGGS)
{anc} brain headphone RARE pink (The Thrift Shop)

From my series on Sound Flowers.

It gives me great pleasure to be able to say "Yay!"
Visit Zibska on Markeplace

The February Fabulous Fish : Art & Love

春 - Spring

Happy Valentines Day !

World's End Garden by Lucia Genesis is a designer that D has previously written about in The Fashion Fish (February 2012) . D has always found her creations and aesthetic sense inspiring. Primavera is the latest collection from WEG and is available as a series of dresses and head ornaments gacha.

(Artsy Factoid : Primavera, also known as Allegory of Spring, is a tempera panel painting by Italian Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli.)

 

Inspired by the beautiful subtle florals and romance in the design , D decided to create the following series of images titled "Nostalgia" which is a muse on memory, romance and melancholy...

Nostalgia I
(Primavera Alice Blue)

Nostalgia II
(Primavera Rose Mist)

Nostalgia III
(Primavera White Lily)

 More in the series : Nostalgia I, II, III on Flickr

The Artfish - Relating to that flight

This series in order : Relating to that flight Taken @ Spencer Museum of Art Renee Skin by Glam Affair (from recent Arcade Gatcha) Harpy in Black Swan + Behind the mask by June Dion (Bare Rose) ID. eyes November Gift (Brown) Hair Natum in white (Hair Fair 2012) by [INK] " Ultimately, it starts with a creep towards the edge ... a peer into the abyss" " Sometimes when you jump, you fall..." " Sometimes when you fall..." "... you fly."

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 :

Art imitates life imitates art (revealed) - Dita

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.

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.

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!

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.

Zebra meets zebra crossing

It very much employs the engagement of wonderment in an alice down the rabbit hole sort of way. 

Fall through the void and into an ocean of stars….

Dance through the stars to a planet that condenses into a city which wobbles like jelly…

Amongst the herd

Travel through a surreal mirror lake with its own box gallery that shimmers like a mirage in a greyed out savannah…

The Big Bissous

The above are just a few choice points along the path. More pictures can be seen in Ourfish's Art Aquarium

Additional Information :

Videos of this installation:

by Spiral Silverstar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u__XaAPelXw

by Fuschia Nightfire http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8HO9ZzGSKQ

by Praxisfield Resident http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNDmcwFhvSw

Blogs about this installation:

http://caitlintobias.com/2012/01/26/not-everything-is-plain-bw/

http://lnlsquare.blogspot.com

http://eddihaskell.blogspot.com/2012/01/second-life-art-installation-not.html

http://honourmcmillan.wordpress.com/

http://quanlavender.blogspot.com/2012/01/sneak-preview-things-are-more-shades-of.html

http://metalesperformance.blogspot.com/

The Darkfish : **** **** (18.01.2012)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2012/jan/17/stop-sopa-or-web-will-go-dark

The Artfish : Good Morning .. or is it?

Good Morning - by Dita

D of Ourfish is really having a creative spurt on Flickr and is still exploring the phenomena of pile ups as the digital equivalent of the found object as a medium. The original for this idea is by Carmy Mirabeau and can be found here

D always finds it slightly odd to talk about her own work and thinks that how an image is to be interpreted is something that should remain open. 

" In the broadest sense, I find it interesting to create work in a medium that is fickle and frivolous - Using that background as a canvas seems appropriate commentary for the age."

Some more distinct art references as follows :

Landscape_XV  -HR Giger

Painted Plaster Mask - Rene Magritte

Pierre Gobert [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons