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 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/