Saturday, 24 October 2009

JAZZLIVE in Second Life


Tony Kofi performing at The Crypt, London.
Image taken from JAZZLIVE, a film by Steve Millar
.

A few months ago I was commissioned by Russell Occomore (Asher Hebert in SL) to produce a documentary about the jazz club he runs in London. Production on the film is scheduled to be completed by April 2010.

From 6th November there's going to be a series of gigs at the venue in London and previews from the film which will also be streamed live into Second Life.

DanCoyote Antonelli, Juria Yoshikawa and Oberon Onmura have together created the virtual venue which the crowd in London will also be able to experience, so it's a chance to introduce Second Life art to a new audience.

The isle opens from 12PM SLT (8pm GMT) on Friday 6th November. A website has been set up with all the details, the slurl will be posted there nearer the opening date.
http://www.jazzliveinsecondlife.com

Sunday, 18 October 2009

Burning Life 2009

So it's that time of year again, and after the last two very underwhelming Burning Life events I wasn't expecting too much when I visited last night. There is, unsurprisingly, a lot of crap there, and a lot of lag to go with the crap, but there are also a number of excellent artists participating, the ones I know of are Dekka Raymaker & Penumbra Carter, Selavy Oh, Misprint Thursday & Miso Susanowa, Solo Mornington, Soror Nishi, Adam Ramona and AM Radio, I'm sure there are others yet to be discovered.

Unfortunately when I first arrived at Dekka and Pen's plot there was some event in full swing nearby and my frame-rate dropped to an unmanageable 5fps. What I did see seemed very exciting but I need to return when the sim is less busy. Solo's exhibit is a quiet, meditative space, very Zen, very Solo. I did not find Selavy's plot but Solo told me it is near The Man.

Khamudy Mannonen and I left our own little guerilla art corner, see if you can find it. Good luck!



UPDATE 21.10.09
Solo just passed me a note in SL with a list of some places worth visiting -

Bryn Oh - Vessel's Dream
A new cam build based off of her poem Lilac.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Life-Bordello/22/150/24

Ub Yifu - Gulliver's travel
Gulliver's travel scene from Ub Yifu and Copan Falta Audio streaming by Reverend Upshaw
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Life-3%20Mile/216/140/25

Solkide Auer - Shellina Winkler - Towards the future
TOWARDS THE FUTURE is a fully immersive installation created at Burning Life. We are proud to invite you to enjoy the colorful atmosphere we have built in one of the 12 camps of Art Department.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Life-3%20Mile/216/140/25

Sekhmet's Serpentunes
A temple for the Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet suddenly sprang from the playa floor. Could be because she's associated with fire and snakes. Builder/Prim Abuse Artist: Madcow Cosmos Sound/Music Design: Lorin Tone Research/A
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Life-3%20Mile/216/140/25

Adam Ramona - Proud Flesh
Avatar-interactive, wind-responsive, evolving audiovisual sculpture
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Life-Rabbithole/87/239/25

Alpha Auer & Frigg Ragu - The Tower and the Quest
Someone was here and left a story, half finished, broken, unsatiesfied, no beginning and no end. Through shapes, figures, poses, avatars, stages the participants are invited to create their own story.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Life-12%20Mile/131/234/24

AM Radio - Among Other Things
Among other Things. Join in and help me create the art for this space! Graffiti the train!
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Life-Jungo/224/40/24

Selavy Oh - irregularity
irregularity a structure by Selavy Oh
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Life-Trego/127/243/24

The Roof Is Gone
Miso Susanowa & Misprint Thursday journey through evolution personal, universal and collaborative.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Life-Black%20Rock/27/19/25

144' by Dekka Raymaker & Penumbra Carter
144 - Low-fi art made in a simplistic manner out of products one could take with oneself, junk and scrap.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Life-Steamboat/173/238/24

Kicca Igaly & Nessuno Myoo *ArtEvolutionCube*
From a pencil sketch of a work, to realization 3D ... Are not you curious? Come and see the result of an Artistic Evolution.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Life-Trego/43/142/25

Yoa Ogee - Friends are everywhere!
circle of friendship and friendliness!
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Life-12%20Mile/213/130/24

Friday, 18 September 2009

Selavy Oh - State of Formation

New work from Selavy Oh at IBM3.




Upon arrival the immediate area is populated by gigantic, imposing panels, flashing binary, urging you onwards, yet blocking your initial progress. The circular 'hub' in the centre is surrounded by water that when walked upon creates a path of land in your wake. On the central platform are various chairs and when sat upon they initiate different, disorienting sequences.

I believe this work can have a physical effect on the viewer, I certainly experienced something, I mentioned to Selavy that I felt much calmer after sitting in one of the chairs for an extended period. It was reminiscent of Bryon Gysin's Dream Machine which was very intentionally designed to induce hypnagogic states.



This is, undeniably, a very demanding experience, but a satisfying one. It takes time to adjust to the alien space and allow yourself to succumb to the isolation, and that's what I really appreciated, that it exists on its own very uncompromising terms and the participant must be willing and capable of tuning into the level it is resonating on.

Saturday, 12 September 2009

Aion

I swore I would never again be sucked into a MMORPG but the beta of Aion has grabbed my attention. The initial standout feature is the character creation, there's a lot of options you can tweak and create an amazing looking avatar, and the overall art design is stunning.

The game is released this month, 25th September in USA and 28th in Europe.
http://eu.aiononline.com/uk

Here's some screenshots, including my dashing but somewhat effeminate avatar -








Monday, 24 August 2009

SLon Des Refusés DJ Set

SLon des Refusés Closing Gala (2009) by SteveMillar



Playlist:
Bombay Bicycle Club - Emergency Contraception Blues
Bombay Bicycle Club - Lamplight
Au Revoir Simone - All or Nothing
White Denim - Paint Yourself
Nightingales - Little Lambs
Neils Children - Indifference is Vital
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Black Tongue
The Creatures - Mad Eyed Screamer
Bow Wow Wow - C30 C60 C90 Go!
The Damned - New Rose
Kasms - KRIH
Die! Die! Die! - Death to the Last Romantic
An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump - Saints
Yppah - A Parking Lot Carnival
No Bra - Munchausen
Metronomy - On Dancefloors
Peaches - More
New Order - Everything's Gone Green
The Cure - A Forest
The B-52's - Planet Claire
Joy Division - She's Lost Control
Fad Gadget - Love Parasite
Gang of Four - At Home He's A Tourist
Crystal Stilts - Love Is A Wave
Underground Railroad - Sticks And Stones
Shrag - Long Term Monster
Fanfarlo - Luna
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Young Adult Friction
Howling Bells - Golden Web
Thomas Tantrum - Shake It! Shake It!
TV on the Radio - Shout Me Out
Deerhunter - Slow Swords
Cryptacize - Blue Tears
Atlas Sound - Scraping Past
Smashing Pumpkins - Farewell And Goodnight

Arthole Closure

It is with regret we announce the closure of Arthole on September 30th 2009.

We are unfortunately unable to dedicate the necessary time to the gallery anymore, and for a number of other reasons feel it is time to move on and go our separate ways. We are enormously proud of what we've achieved over the last sixteen months and are very grateful for all the support from our members and the incredible talents of guest artists; Ichibot Nishi, Selavy Oh, Dekka Raymaker and Penumbra Carter.

Thanks also to Lysander Edo and Khamudy Mannonen for donating land, and Amy Freelunch for all her encouragement and enthusiasm.

We will continue to work in Second Life, keep an eye on our respective blogs for news on future projects and exhibitions -
Arahan Claveau
Nebulosus Severine

The final broadcast of Arthole Radio will be on Wednesday 26th August from 1pm Second Life time
(1pm US/PDT / 9pm UK/BST / 4pm US/EDT).

Listen live at the Arthole gallery in Second Life or open this link in your media player.

-Arahan & Nebulosus-

Saturday, 22 August 2009

SLon des Refusés closing party



The Closing Gala for SLon des Refusés will be tomorrow (Sunday) 23rd August, on Soup Eryri from 2pm Second Life time.
(2pm US/PST / 5pm US/EST / 10pm UK/BST).

Teleport here

Dekka Raymaker and Penumbra Carter have built an amazing white whale spaceship platform where I'll be DJ'ing from.

If you can't log into SL tune in via this link.

See you there!

-Arahan-

Thursday, 20 August 2009

It ain't over 'till the fat lady sings



Rezzable are busy promoting a new, anonymous artist called 3D Soup, and his/her piece Grand Odalisque (pictured above). The nude sculpture is very lifelike and must use similar 3D scanning techniques to Cubist Scarborough's facial models.



An obvious comparison to a real-world artist would be Ron Mueck, the exaggerated scale of much of Mueck's work is what makes it so extraordinary and effective.


Ron Mueck. In Bed, 2005.

Grand Odalisque does make a refreshing change from all the representations of nudes we're used to seeing in Second Life, it has a certain honesty you could compare to some of Lucian Freud's portraits.


Benefits Supervisor Sleeping. Lucian Freud

It's most notable though because of what other artists might do with the technique, imagine it in the hands of someone with similar sensibilities to the Chapman Brothers, like Ichibot Nishi, or Dekka Raymaker for example, now that could be very interesting.



Grand Odalisque is on display now for a limited time. Teleport here.

Wednesday, 12 August 2009

Salon Des Refusés slideshow



With works by: Ally Aeon, Hollow Prim, Socks Clawtooth, Banrion Constantine, Klink Epsilon, Strawberry Holiday, Man Michinaga, Sowa Mai, Shirley Marquez, Robin Moore, nessuno Myoo, soror Nishi, Tuna Oddfellow, Cinco Pizzicato, Azdel Slade and Elle Mehrmand, Arm Strom, Sunn Thunders, elros Tuominen, Betty Tureaud, Corcosman Voom, Shellina Winkler, Tsui Yamabushi, four Yip, and others!

Location: Magoo
Exhibition Dates: Aug 6-Aug 23, 2009
Details here.

Monday, 3 August 2009

Adrift

I never usually write such detailed and personal explanations of my work but events surrounding the creation of this new piece have been so bizarre I don't have any choice but to share it.





A few years ago my mother sent me a package, it contained things I had made for her as a very young boy; pottery figures, wood carvings and a large envelope, in the envelope were a number of drawings, cards and a poem. At the time it was a horrible shock to see it all again, I couldn’t understand why she would give me back things that I had made for her and I found it traumatic being confronted with forgotten memories from so long ago. I put it all away at the back of a cupboard so I didn’t have to think about it.

Fast forward to August 1st 2009 and I am invited by Selavy Oh to create something in his space for the Brooklyn is Watching Final Five exhibition. I really had no clue what I could do, I played with some ideas and dismissed them all until I placed a boat in the room, I wasn’t entirely sure what it meant at first but it felt right. On one of the walls I hung a photograph of myself as a young boy, again I wasn’t yet sure what it represented.


Arahan Claveau Age 4

I knew the space needed something else so I started rummaging around in my cupboards thinking I might find items to scan and upload. There at the back of the cupboard was the envelope my mother had sent years ago, and recalling my adverse reaction to it the first time I hesitantly took out the contents. The first thing I unfolded was a large Mother’s Day card, on the front was a drawing of a sailing boat I had made, very much like the model in the gallery. Just as I was recovering from the shock I looked at another of the drawings and it was of another boat. I have no recollection of being particularly interested in ships or boats as a child, perhaps it is simply a common drawing for a child to make, like a plane, a house, or a flower, but then there was the photo of me as a boy that I’d also placed in the gallery before finding that envelope, so I had already associated boats with my childhood, I just wasn’t consciously aware of it at the time.



It was a strange and unsettling experience and I’m still not sure what to make of it.

Perhaps it means nothing at all.

Monday 3rd August 2009
I was cycling home today and for some reason decided to take a detour from the usual route. I went past the Tate Britain gallery and thought I might as well pop in, I hadn’t been there for many years as I always go to the Tate Modern instead.

So, I was strolling through the gallery, not much was really catching my attention until I stepped into one of the rooms, and there in front of me was a huge sailing boat! I managed to get one shot of it before the guard you can see in the photo insisted I put my camera away.


Ian Hamilton Finlay - Sailing Dinghy 1996

On one of the walls was a different piece by the same artist, a simple line of text that read "IDYLLS END IN THUNDERSTORMS."



Now, I can understand finding the Mother’s Day card with the boat on it, I possibly knew that it was in the envelope before I found it, and with the placing of the boat in SL I was making a subconscious connection, but the discovery in the Tate is completely baffling and adds another extraordinary dimension to this sequence of events.

I have not seen Ian Hamilton Finlay's work before but apparently "Boats and the sea were central themes throughout Finlay’s career."
National Galleries of Scotland

I telephoned my Mother and told her about all this, she said "it's serendipity."

Adrift is on display from August 7th - 23rd as part of Selavy Oh's curated space The Final Show.

Teleport to Brooklyn is Watching Final Five exhibition at Odyssey East here.

Thanks to Selavy for inviting me to contribute to his space, I think the concept for The Final Show has proved to be very clever and effective and I have personally got a lot out of participating.

Sunday, 2 August 2009

Adrift by Arahan Claveau



More details soon...

Saturday, 1 August 2009

SL Cut-Up

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GAY PRIDE Canal Parade LIVE from Amsterdam NL > SL



Just been passed this information by Ze Moo -

GAY PRIDE Canal Parade LIVE stream from Amsterdam
1st August 2009

In SL: View together on large video screens - Amsterdam Sim
At the canals next to Centraal Station and Anne Frank House

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Amsterdam/155/199/33

SATURDAY - 1st of August
14:30 CEST (=SL 5:30am PDT):
At5 tv LIVE broadcast from Prinsengracht, Amsterdam (NL).
-untill 17:00 CEST (= SL 8:00 am PDT)

18:38 CEST (=SL 9:38 am PDT) - Replay Part 1.
20:37 CEST (=SL 11:37 am PDT) - Replay Part 2.
22:28 CEST (=SL 1:28 pm PDT) - Replay Part 3.
23:42 CEST (=SL 2:42 pm PDT) - Replay Part 4

SUNDAY - 2nd of August
14:30 CET (=SL 5:30 am PDT) - Replay of the whole parade

Live stream on the web:
http://www.at5.nl/live

More info on this event:
http://www.WeAreProud.nl
http://www.at5.nl/artikelen/20727/at5-live-bij-canal-parade
http://lesbianpride.hyves.nl
http://www.iamsterdam.com/en/visiting/things-to-do/gay-pride
http://www.amsterdam.nl/@10073/gay_pride_amsterdam
http://www.gaypride.nl
http://www.canalparade.nl
http://www.amsterdamgaypride.nl
http://www.cocamsterdam.nl

Amsterdam Gay Pride in Second Life thanks to:
AT5 http://at5.nl
3Dutch http://3dutch.nl
Meta.Live.Nu http://Meta.Live.Nu
And volunteers

Thursday, 30 July 2009

July Arthole Radio Show

"Today I discovered a dusty cassette tape lost and forgotten in the depths of a cupboard, simply labelled 'TRIP WALES 1988'. The contents of that tape have not been heard for over twenty years, probably for very good reason."



This is the Stakker video that we were pausing and talking about it the recording. Can you see what we were seeing? Take enough LSD and you might! -




Recordings of all our July 29th radio shows are now available in the Soundcloud archives.

We're paying for a Pro account now at Soundcloud, it's a very nifty site, we're able to add descriptions and anyone can embed the players on their blogs, Facebook etc. So, please do create a free account at Soundcloud and follow our shows, that way we can keep track of how many people are listening and you get notified of any new shows as soon as they're added.

Thanks for listening!

Saturday, 25 July 2009

Beyond Human Machinima



I needed to document this work properly so I shot this machinima earlier today. It's not as complex as some of my videos of SL art , it's all one shot, no editing, but I just wanted something more substantial than photos.

Further reading:
Camp and SL by Amy Freelunch
Kitsch & Camp in SL (a response)