Monday, August 26, 2013

NEW DEVELOPMENTS AT THE PARK

Colorful procession on the ancient stairs leading up to the Plateau of Man Park.

     After the “Lost Alphabet” installation closed a month ago, I decided to pull some of the scenes from inventory into the city of Accentaury. Originally, rezzed deep in the ocean, and accessed through a gaping hole in the Library floor (which has since been closed), I began moving them up to the surface of the Plateau of Man Park, as well as the Spilt Gold Corridor below the Studio of Builds Arena.

     This gives a sense of drama to the Park, and though these scenes were originally designed to fit my story “Lost Alphabet”, I have reworked the arrangement of the characters so that visitors can deduce their own stories. Whatever the interpretation, there is a great deal of action which lends vitality to an otherwise tranquil space.

Women with birdcage skirts, run in the Park toward the Wash.


     Recently I’ve made several large changes to the sim. The parading people at the Spilt Gold Corridor lead to the Lost Alphabet Wash Fountain (see earlier post), which in turn gave me ideas for the interior of the House of ACCentaury, the construction of the Black Gate which visually frames the carousel, and finally, reworking the game room which is also on the Park grounds. I’m on a building spree. Who knows what tomorrow brings.



THE BLACK GATE

Textures in the upper section of the Black Gate.


     This tower was designed to visually frame the old carousel (when viewed from inside the House of ACCentaury), the carousel being among the oldest structures remaining from the Park’s early days in 2010. Four new textures applied to the Black Gate are among six that I am including in a hunt gift for the upcoming Renaissance Hunt in September. I always apply new textures I make for a hunt onto a building or statue in the vicinity of the House  of ACCentaury, so that the hunters can get an idea how they appear on a build.



THE GAME ROOM

Remodeled interior of the Game Room, including balcony plantings,
an enclosed garden (unseen in this photo, is behind the chair) and the artworks of 
Lilia Artis, whose pieces inspired me to undergo this project. The reflecting floor is unchanged,
though the game table is a lower prim mesh version of the original sliding puzzle. 
Warning, the game is addictive.



     The sliding puzzle table is in the western pavilion of the Caravan Tent arcade. You can find this on the north side of the Park. I just installed elegant photo art by Lilia Artis there, which transformed the space. Wanting to further it’s unique qualities, I also added plantings, and squared off a small hedged garden. I always prefer Midday light, but when viewing the chorus in the Lost Alphabet Wash fountain, I suggest also setting Midnight view. The rising mists offer mysterious effects.

The particle mist machine gives atmospheric effects no matter the time
of day or night.







XXX

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

LOST ALPHABET WASH




     Some chapters of my “Lost Alphabet” installation that had shown earlier this year at La Citta Perduta, can be seen in both Sparquerry, and ACCentaury (ACC Alpha). Two days ago, I began adding parts of the Exodus, Multi-Species-Chorus, and Pied Piper chapters to the old reflecting pool on the Plateau of Man, as seen in the photo above. Having placed the ship of refugees in the center of the pool, I noticed that the arcade behind it was quite similar in color, blending it with the background to such a degree that the ship was barely visible. Then I decided to add a wall of water, not only highlighting the boat, but adding some lively animation to the calm surrounds. One thing led to another, and before long, I had a flood on my hands. The concept of the lost alphabet takes a new variation here: it is washed away. You can literally see this, by the sheets of As, Bs, and Cs, churning in the waves.



     The arcade (Puppet Theater) has more to see if you follow behind the waterfall that spills from its façade. Walk along the back corridor that will lead you to another section of the city along the North Shore.





XXX

Friday, August 16, 2013

House of Memories

The photo is taken from Moeuhane's white chalkboard textured house 
giving onto the other builds in the exhibit, accessible by train.


The group exhibit "House of Memories", organized by Lilia Artis and Moeuhane Sandalwood opens today at 2 pm SLT. They invited Almut Brunswick and myself, to participate. We all created our version of what a house of memories means to us. Each artist renders their 'house' in a unique fashion, whether it be a steaming structure bursting at the seams, travels along the train tracks linking destinations, a 'transparent' house sketched in white chalk, or a miniature mud city of vivid colors.

This is a descriptive excerpt from the notecard written by Moeuhane Sandalwood:

"The only way back in life is paved by memories", writes Almut Brunswick. Together with Lilia Artis, Haveit Neox and Moeuhane Sandalwood she went on this backtrack, to revive memories of a distant or recent past. The challenge the four artists set themselves was to dig deep into their individual experiences and come up with their very own section of "The House of Memories".

Although the installation is much more a stretched landscape than a building, the "House" is the common theme taken up and transformed by each artist in his or her section of Artwood Grounds. Be it colorful, in retro-style, somber or in screeching blackboard-chalk, the four artists created intriguing installations along the tracks of the memory-train.

In "Tracks of Life" Almut Brunswick takes us on a journey through our past - with "crossings and detours, easy cruising and burdensome passages". Lilia Artis depicts the constant flow of memories that build up through a lifetime in "The Past is not Past is not Past...". Haveit Neox has made the mud domes of his childhood playground accessible for spectators in "the backyard". And Moeuhane Sandalwood lets us relive the chills of "The Shadow of a Nightmare past". (see individual notecards at the end).

The exhibits are immersive and some are interactive - so make sure to walk instead of fly - and to enter and touch instead of just cam.

Lilia Artis' gem-like build, "The Past is not Past is not Past" is in the center of this photo.
To the left is a square station by Almut Brunswick, at the end of her line. She built
4 memory stations between which run the functional trams. My dome installation is at far left,
and Moeuhane Sandalwood's house is in the distance in the right of the above image.



The setting is provided by Lilia Artis (groundtextures, terraforming) and Moeuhane Sandalwood (terraforming). Almut Brunswick connected the four individual installations with a memory-train - which she built (including all stations) and scripted. Please set Windlight to "ShadowSet".



The installation is at Artwood Grounds (on the sim: Space 4 Art).





XXX