Sold

It's not Top Ten List evil, but it's definitely a nose-wrinkler, like Farmville and shoulder-pets, possibly Plurk. Having your portrait painted in SL, I mean. Not snapping photos while doing something interesting, I'm all for that, but just sort of sitting there, like the pigs in wigs you see on the walls of stately homes, or the women in Christower Dae's cattle-log, from which I got myself removed to the bemusement of every virtual signorina in Facebook. Why did it matter? Don't know. Where, how and why and where are the lines of acceptable admiration drawn? Having one's portrait done in SL seems to belong to the same family of demeaning and vacuous activities as beauty pageants which are even more eye-rollingly awful in the virtual world for all the reasons that have just crossed your mind.  So - Bleh - and it's a justified bleh; I'm certain because Voice of Reason and respected art historian Rowan Derryth says so too. Well, she nodded anyway.

And yet, and yet.

Day and Night

Two things to tell you about, one the Rasmuson Foundation just had their big Day - the prize-giving ceremony over at the University of Alaska Fairbanks sim. Go check out the beauty and diversity of the pictures on display, and if you'd like to see the real life artists, and photos from the cerimony, they are at Flickr.
Friend of ArtsParks Cybergrrl Oh built the gallery, as she says, "First as a 'building' - but then I cut loose! When in SL do as your imagination, not the confines of reality, dictates - this is often where galleries fall short. I do want to do more with 3-D, too, but didn't want to over-complicate things at this early stage." Iconolith Taggart also gets much credit for how good the gallery looks; the picture (courtesy of Rasmuson Foundation) gives only a hint of the loveliness. The display is perfect for flying out with your cam and getting the full effect of the art. CG has been working with the Rasmuson Foundation on internet strategy for some time, it's one of many RL organizations getting in on the virtual act, including the MacArthur Foundation which has begun offering grants for virtual world exploration.

Also of note, Lisa Gibbs of the lovely Van Gogh sim told me about their new initiative Tracing Vincent, a web-community and resource about Vincent van Gogh where you can share your thoughts and opinions, rate his paintings and learn more about his life and art, an excellent site to put you in the mood to TP over to Virtual Starry Night .



Due cose da raccontarvi oggi: festa alla sim della University of Alaska Fairbanks per i vincitori dei premi fondazione Rasmuson per l'arte in Alaska. L'arte è bella e molto diversa, e se vuoi vedere i vincitori real, ci sono tutte le immagini a Flickr.
L'ha costruita la galleria l'amica di ArtsParks Cybergrrl Oh : Ha contribuito molto anche Iconolith Taggart per il look della galleria. La disposizione delle immagini invita ad usare la cam per un'effetto panoramico. Cybergrrl lavora con la Rasmuson da circa due anni scoprendo modi in cui l'internet può servire enti non a scopo di lucro: ci sono sempre più fondazioni real che offrono sovvenzioni a favore dell'esplorazione dei mondi virtuali.
Molto interessante anche la notizia che mi ha dato Liza Gibbs della bellissima sim di Van Gogh. Hanno una nuova iniziativa Tracing Vincent un sito web tutto van Gogh. Ci sono informazioni sui quadri e musei, puoi condividere le tue opinioni e idee, votare per il quadro più bello, imparare qualcosa sulla vita del pittore, è un'ottima risorsa che ti farà tornare la voglia di visitare Virtual Starry Night.