Thursday 5 May 2011

An Unexpected Alliance at LEA Opening.

The LEA event opening the Machinima Event went off with a little drama, SL style.

SaveMe Oh, probably the most controversial artist in SL, who I interviewed properly for my blog post on Koinup (not something I do much) entertained the troops with an impromptu performance as she often does when given (or not given) the chance.

She rightly states in her blog that really you don't need a fancy building to view something that looks better on YouTube, where there is no lag or crashing.

"Machinima has to rescue secondlife and Linden Labs. Now as a frequent user I am happy with every attempt to keep SL online but what did they invent?? A stupid event about machinima (NO NUDETY,NO VIOLENCE) (Oliver Stone, Al Pacino, Angelina Jolie and Kate Winslet must be banned in advance), An horrible building (who needs to be covered watching movies in sl?), 1000 seats were you are glued in according to the CARP concept where you can sit and shut up to see machinima that you can view 1000 times better on YouTube, Vimeo or AviewTV."

SaveMe got banned, art is only art if the Organisers say it is Art, I guess.... and let's face it SaveMe can push the envelope better than a herd of elephants.... so I think neither she nor anyone else was very surprised. She is the most banned artist in SL, I would guess.

So... all quite traditional so far.

Ole Etzel, a longterm creator in SL, could not of course show his stuff, especially Part Three of The Disease... (see below)...

Ole, along with Mrs Bones (who has a chainsaw, and knows how to use it) has been amusing me for years with his personal view of life, and death.....but.... similar to Nipple Gate, the incident with Rose being banned because of Susa... (and consequent comment by me)... Ole likes blood in his art....and that is not allowed. Like megas, there are rules.





Now, anyone who thinks they can promote the Arts and yet make sure no one breaks the rules is a bit daft. Art and Rules don't mix, they never have, and never will. Period.....as I wrote before in these pages..."The creative anarchy of the human condition is revolutionary and irrepressible."

...But... it was not for reasons of Artistic Freedom that two very unlikely people have become united in their dislike of LEA...

...an excerpt from SaveMe's blog....

Dancoyote Antonelli: did you know why we are on the same side?

SaveMe Oh: Maybe I become the Don Quichotte of SL

SaveMe Oh: tell me?

Dancoyote Antonelli: The director of user experience spoke

Dancoyote Antonelli: one Rhett Linden

Dancoyote Antonelli: and said how greatful he is that art is such good free marketing for Linden Labs

Dancoyote Antonelli: that was the moment we became on the same side

SaveMe Oh: They gave us the canvas, we had to bring the crayons ourselves, and now they want everything back.

SaveMe Oh: So fight along with me for freedom of expression on our own terms

Dancoyote Antonelli: I am with you

Dancoyote Antonelli: and now

Dancoyote Antonelli: we need a private channel

SaveMe Oh: Fear is also not an issue, the moment we brought in our crayons we start to be faster then them.

Dancoyote Antonelli: more on this later. Now LEA will try to kick me for my protest

Dancoyote Antonelli: it will be a big mistake if they do

SaveMe Oh: Make it difficult for them! Good luck as you have every right on your side."

May 4, 2011


Now, I have called this LEA effort Artists Endowment of the Lindens, and it is. Unlike UWA which, for the last 18 months has been awarding cash prizes to artists, known and unknown, and the many altruistic sponsors out there who donate prims and sims so that creators can create, Linden Lab has done nothing. Not a penny, or a cent has been offered. No sim has been donated, not even for Burning Life.

The thing about sponsorship is that there is, or should be, an element of altruism. Art should be sponsored for Art's sake, and the commercialisation of the LEA, i.e. it's use as cheap marketing puts me on the same bench as SaveMe and Dan.

Dancoyote Antonelli: shouts: Artists are NOT Marketing

For while Sasun can say...
"The LEA exists to help encourage and cultivate art and artists within Second Life, to foster community, creativity, and innovation among artists, and collaborate with existing art galleries and groups to help nurture their valuable participation in the SL arts."....

...it's all just words.... and I've heard a lot over the last 4 years....(previous Sasun)

16 months of dragging their feet, there's no 70 sims as promised, (link included for those that claim 70 sims was never mentioned)... just a large building, a game and a sandbox .. oh, and future plans for a welcome centre....

..big deal. I should be impressed??

:))

7 comments:

  1. wow. thanks for posting that link. as you all may recall Bryn Oh stated recently that M Linden's commitment to contribute "about 70 sims" for the Linden Endowment of the Arts was "just a silly rumor."

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  2. lolz Dan missed out on gettin' a part of me ...
    COMMODITY

    yes, the same issue came up when I was asked to do a logo design for SL8B... unpaid, subject to endless revisionary fights... all for the glory of LL... not for me though...

    "Work, work, work" - repeated announcement in the Yoyodyne Factory

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  3. @ Wizzy, yes, the denials were why I made sure I found it.

    @ Miso, I guess, too often, artists are used as cheap labour. We have the imagination that others lack, but that commodity is not highly prized.

    SaveMe is right...we have to bring our own crayons, and rent paper....

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  4. Wow, is right.

    "Artists Endowment of the Lindens"... I'd love to see what Rhett Linden actually said though.

    But indeed, where is the endowment of the art, if LL sees it as a marketing tool for themselves?

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  5. LEA = Lindens Embezzle Art

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  6. @ Anon, that's slightly more PG than SaveMe's version...:)))

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  7. We have one major weapon: we are so much quicker then them as the ones who deliver the canvas are never the artists.

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