AVENUE Magazine March 2013

AVENUE ultimate style Magazine issue 54 / March 2013

Loovus Dzevavor

Photographer Marcopol Oh Stylist Winter Jefferson

Publisher’s note

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here is poetry in the changing of the seasons, and, as transformations unfold, simple things can come alive with new meaning and possibility. Here’s an excerpt of a poem that I would like to share as we bid farewell to winter and welcome spring: “...the hope, the thrill, anticipation leaps inside you, the source of your liveliness...

End of all endings, beginning of all beginnings, this is a soul dawn, this one morning.

An icicle drips; your whole being celebrates.”

- from “Light Advancing Through Trees” by Ruth Hill And it is in this spirit of anticipation and celebration of hope that we welcome our spring issue, featuring Vikeejeah Xevion, who has blossomed in the past year since launching her design label, Loovus Dzevavor. We had the chance to catch up with Xevion and find out what we can expect from this colorful designer and her label.

Our fashion team have scoured the grid to spruce up your wardrobe and help you make bold impressions. In our next issue, we welcome our new Fashion Editor Anna Sapphire, who we believe will take our fashion section and magazine to a new level.

inaugural Spring/Summer 2013 Fashion Week, where we will be showcasing a myriad of designers – ranging from fresh talents, to the fashion stalwarts we all love.

So mark your calendars for the week of 31 March to 6 April, as we bring you a bevy of creativity and beautiful fashion must-haves to spruce up your spring and summer wardrobe.

Last, but not least, this issue ushers in a new arts column, “Visions”, where visual artists share their perspective on Second Life© through their art and photography. The theme is left up to the artist, for them to use as a sort of mini-gallery/exhibition within the pages of AVENUE. I hope you will enjoy the first “exhibit”

by Axiomatic Clarity, whose work shows a view of Second Life both gritty and romantic.

Here’s looking forward to an amazing spring!

Rusch Raymaker Rusch Raymaker Publisher

This year’s definitive spring and summer event will be AVENUE’s

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20 Cover Story

Featured Designer

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Architecture & Interiors

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March 2013

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Fashion 20 32 46 56 70 80 98 110 122 134 152

Cover Story Loovus Dzevavor Couture Clash You Zig, I Zag Featured Designer La Penderie de Nicole Trendspotting Geometries and Accents Fashion Forward Impressions The Details Behind Bars Edge of Style Array Homme Mind of the Abyss Blogspot AmbiStylistic AVENUE Models Estampados Look of the Month Freedom

Lifestyle 162 176 192 204 222

Roleplay 1920’s Berlin Project Interesting Sims Just Visiting Home & Garden Forest Floor Botanical Architecture & Interiors Scarlet Creative Perspectives Huck

Arts 232 248 258 268

Arts Feature Bettu Tureaud Arts Feature Empyreal Dreams Featured Artist CapCat Ragu & Meilo Minotaur Visions Axiomatic Clarity

Magazine cover Featuring Vikeejeah Xevion Loovus Dzevavor Designer Photographer Absinthe Montenegro

AVENUE Magazine is published and managed by AVENUE Inc which owns and operates AVENUE Models + Academy and AVENUE Marketing + PR. Online issues: issuu.com/avenue AVENUE website: www.avenuesl.com Visit us inworld at: Zenshi East 62.118.26 For exclusive updates, gifts, events and latest releases, join our inworld group: AVENUE Magazine Readers Press releases to: editorial@avenuesl.com Ad queries: ads@avenuesl.com Advertising and vendor requests: Absinthe Montenegro, Amazon Silverweb, Kerasia Hexicola, Leezah Kaddour, Xandrah Sciavo

Publisher | Editor in Chief Rusch Raymaker General Manager Xandrah Sciavo Creative Director Paola Tauber Senior Graphic Designer Leah McCullough Graphic Designers Absinthe Montenegro, Rusch Raymaker Fashion Editor Anna Sapphire Lifestyle Editor Umberto Giano Copy Editor Vivienne Graves Vice President of Marketing Amazon Silverweb Marketing Manager Absinthe Montenegro Marketing Executives Kerasia Hexicola, Leezah Kaddour Writers Carter Giacobini, Casja Lilliehook, Huckleberry Hax, Isadora Fiddlesticks, Lexie Jansma, Louise McWinnie, Priscilla Avro, Quan Lavender, Spruce Canning, Xi Zane, Ziki Questi Stylists Absinthe Montenegro, Anna Sapphire, Boe Cortes, Dantelicia Ethaniel, Diconay Boa, Eira Juliesse, Gabe Bookmite, Hikaru Enimo, Jax Aster, Leah McCullough, Miaa Rebane, Neva Crystall, Winter Jefferson Photographers Absinthe Montenegro, Annough Lykin, Citta Wiskee, Eira Juliesse, Eve Kazan, Leah McCullough, Natasja Schumann, Neva Crystall, Piedra Lubitsch, Zazie Contributors Josiah Lee Baxter, Axiomatic Clarity, Sunshine Zhangsun

Cover Story

the GREAT audition Writer Xi Zane Photographer Absinthe (sinontherocks)

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ageants and contests are scary emotional traps.

No really, they are. The backstage politics, passive aggressive conversation, and quiet judgment as girls drop in for each style challenge is mind numbing.

Not knowing what the judges are looking is nerve-wracking. The dreaded feeling of disappointment covered up by polite, but very fake, happiness for the girl who won (half the time, no-one is sure how she won) is more than enough to make you curl up into the fetal position and swear off modelling for a while. I know, it sounds a little dramatic. I’ve been in one, judged a few, and comforted countless friends when the results of whatever pageant they were in seemed like it was just a huge waste of time and cash. Trust me

when I say “they are scary”.

I’ve had a few conversations with Vikeejeah Xevion, owner of Loovus Dzevavor, about contests and pageants. Xevion has been in a handful of pageants herself.

Each contest experience has a very interesting story attached. Out of the handful Xevion herself only holds one title and that title came after her success as a model mogul.

Her views aren’t necessarily the same as mine, but not that far from the mark. So when Xevion told me that she was hashing out a plan for a Loovus Dzevavor contest, I got a glass of wine and watched carefully as she navigated the inherent short comings of the venture.

Some “Faces of LabelName” contests are stunts. The entries boost sales, the theatre of it all boosts interest in the brand. Smart

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business, those “face of” contests.

Yes, the Loovus Dzevavor Model Search hosted by AVENUE would boost sales and interest in the brand, but it was intended to do more than that. Xevion is in search of a partner. “I’m not into contests,” Xevion confessed to me. “When I sat out to do this I wanted the steps to lead to a well-rounded creative person. I’m not looking for a pretty face; I have two alts for that. I need them to bring something more to the table.” Xevion’s new partner will not just be a pretty face. She’d be responsible for the social side of the brand as well as become a fashion contributor. She’d be a brand ambassador.

What’s that something more?

Xevion’s partner should have the same level of fashion taste, be just as interested in the real life fashion world, and have just smidge of creative crazy. Xevion said to me once, “All creative people have a touch of crazy. We don’t think conventionally.” Finding this cocktail in one woman would be difficult, but worth the search.

Early on in the contest there was a bit of a scandal surrounding the guidelines of entry. Every model that entered had to be certified. To some, the rule seemed an expected guideline. To others, the rule was downright unfair. “This pays real life bills,” Xevion said on the topic of her work in Second Life®. “I don’t have time to include everyone.

That’s why I structured the contest the way that I structured it. It’s not that I think that schools make a model. It’s that I know good schools provide fundamentals.”

Taste and good fashion sense

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can’t be taught, and Xevion is the first to admit that. “Either you have it or you don’t,” she told me.

However, holding hands through the entire process of the course of a year and teaching someone fundamentals they should know if they truly want to participate in fashion role play was not an option for Xevion. “I know that the model I’m working with is more likely than not understand how all this works if she’s certified.”

To reach the semifinals, the hopeful contestants not only had to be certified, they also had to submit a photo and answer the age old question “Why would you like to a model for Loovus Dzevavor?”

The girls’ photos and answers provided an insight into what each of them believed Loovus Dzevavor was all about. Sometimes the answers can betray insincerity, but Xevion felt that she received no generic answers, not just at the first step, but every time she had to speak with the contestants. “Being comfortable with my consumers, especially VIPS (from the Loovus Dzevavor VIP group), helped.”

The fashion, on the other hand, had been sometimes hits, sometimes misses, and only once was it all wrong. “Loovus Dzevavor is a ready to wear brand for the girl who loves to express herself,” Xevion explained. “She’s all about radiating and embracing her boldness. (The girl who shops Loovus Dzevavor) is someone who head to toe wants to look her best.” It’s worth mentioning that Xevion has her eye on the real world fashion industry and takes clues and draws inspiration

from current trends and ideas.

These are traits that carry over into Xevion’s brand as well. The contestants had to prove that they understood these fundamentals of Loovus Dzevavor. Xevion and her assembled panel of judges looked for these traits each and every time contestants submitted a photo or walked the catwalk.

Only one girl made Xevion scream Holy F-bombs in regards to styling. That girl is the winner of the Loovus Dzevavor Model Search hosted by AVENUE, Blac Quartz. “When she walked out in her second look during the semi-final I said ‘Damn, that’s hot’!” Xevion exclaimed. “That’s hard for a model/designer to say about someone else wearing their clothes.” Quartz did it again in the final round.

Apart from her sincerity, Quartz impressed Xevion and the panel in the voice interview round.

“Blac Quartz was the last girl to be interviewed. We asked all the basic questions (that everyone else was asked) and at the end of the interview we talked about real life fashion. Names like Haider Ackermann and Prabal Gurung came up. I felt like we meshed,” Xevion gushed.

In the end Blac Quartz went on to win the Loovus Dzevavor Model Search hosted by AVENUE. “I was glad the judges and I were on the same page. We didn’t discuss it or anything. So when I got the scores back and saw that Blac was the winner I knew that we had

something.” True to her word of finding a partner and not just a pretty face, Xevion has already talked with Quartz about what they believe her legacy should be and the immediate work load.

“I told her to prepare to work, because I’m a work horse. And she’s ready.” Not even a full week has pasted and you can see Quartz face starting to appear all over the brand via advertisements and blog posts. In the long term the two of them have planned to have a section of the store dedicated to the “Blac Line”, a collection that Quartz will help Xevion realize.

“I want the next girl who wins to know that I’m serious. So I want to make sure Quartz has a tangible legacy.”

The Loovus Dzevavor Model Search hosted by AVENUE is less a contest than an audition. Yes, there was a winner, and runners-up, and a huge runway challenge at the Zenshi sim. In the end, however, it was important to Xevion to find someone she could communicate with and comfortably work side by side with. From our look behind the scenes, it appears that the Quartz-Xevion era of Loovus Dzevavor is something that will not be forgotten. As for what’s coming up from Loovus Dzevavor…you’ll just have to wait and find out.

Find Loovus Dzevavor inworld at Dinotte (235, 102, 501) Opening March 15th.

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Couture Clash

You zig, I zag Writer Louise Roundel Photographer Leah McCullough

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eft and right. Up, down and all around.

That’s right, you’ve guessed it. Lines, dots, squares, floral. All of the statement prints are back for Spring/Summer 2013 so you better be ready and learn your ABCs for what is to come.

Top: Print Dress by MichaMi, skirt: The Coppola flare skirt by Pink Outfitters, leggings: Aussielicious leggings print 4 by Loovus Dzevavor, boots: Alstar boots by JD, bracelet: Aurora cuff by Dumani, hair: Bianca by Truth.

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Top: Cropped floral Bev by Emeri, skirt: Skater skirt floral madness

by Teefy, leggings: Lacey tights by Bang Bang, hair: Virginie by Truth, Necklace: Pearl lariat by AA.

Dress: Gobelin dress by Tram, leggings: Floral leggings by Atomic, necklace: Bodza by Donna Flora, bag: Buffalo by Lazybones, hair: Josephine by LeLutka.

The launch of new collections for the seasons to come have revealed a massive amount of bold statement prints which serve a single purpose: expressing yourself through your clothes.

Bright colours associated with these prints might just be what you need to show the world just who you are. How? It is quite simple. From these examples you will just have to figure out which one is you and pop it on. Well, you might even be more than one, but just make sure that you know how to mix them with something else! As always, be smart and obey the golden rule “sometimes less is more”. So if prints are a little out of your comfort zone, why not try mixing a print with a plain solid colour? Accessorise to your liking and there you have it. You do not need to be a styling diva to be able to rock a print, just remember that if it feels too much, it might be too much. Check, double check, triple check.

From the following plethora of statements, I believe you can find at least one that reflects your personality. The time has come to let the little kitten inside you turn into a tiger and come out to play.

Well, you know what I mean. Show me what you are wearing and I will tell you who you are.

The bold extraordinaire This can be a statement for the divas, for those who like print everything and are not afraid of a little print on print action. At the

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same time, if worn separately you might just end up with a super elegant outfit. Your poisons: Collage mix and match statements, twisted Baroque-style plays, pattern clashes, bold graphic geo prints, modern take on folkloric motifs.

The chi-chi nostalgic If you are the type to sigh at the thought of old memories, then these prints are made for you. A dash of old with the zest of tomorrow: a comeback that is definitely prepared for the sunny days to come. Your poisons: Updated antique prints, large scale blooms, tie dye hem effects, graphic stripe and check mixes, lace pattern all over prints.

The exotica Like the play on colour, sunshine and warm weather? Then you will most definitely like what is coming your way for this Spring/Summer.

That’s right, think of south America, pacific ocean, deserted islands. Are you there yet? Then these are your poisons: Tropical visual experiments, amazonian gardens, colour enhances botanical and tropical prints, large scale expression, tropical birds, artist studies.

The vogue hipster Shockingly hallucinogenic.

These vibrant and kaleidoscopic prints are not for the faint of heart.

Only the brave can rock this kind of print and know exactly what

Top: Print Dress by MichaMi, skirt: The Coppola flare skirt

by Pink Outfitters, leggings: Aussielicious leggings print 4 by Loovus Dzevavor, boots: Alstar boots by JD, bracelet: Aurora cuff by Dumani, hair: Bianca by Truth.

Top: Ashima blouse by Zaara, leggings: Bling bling by Love me, boots: Jude by Ingenue, hair: Toni by LeLutka.

goes with. Only they can tame this beast. It’s a kind of creative meets visionary type of thing.

Your poisons: Grunge pop prints, vibrant hyper colour blotch print effects, tie-dye effects, checks and large scale florals, hip 60′s summer festival prints.

The geek chic Have you ever had the urge of turning a stamp into a t-shirt? Then mind you, these prints are for you.

Vintage lovers, book worms, bold collectors, the time has come to let your inner geek shine through in the form of fabric and ink.

Your poisons: Vintage European postage stamps references, bold graphic prints, bird & butterfly visuals, currency pattern & motif use, decorative linear structures.

Have you found out which one is yours? Remember, what goes well with your friends’ personality might not be right for yours, pick your own pattern, then proceed to rocking it. Create your style and own it, this is the perfect time to do it, especially with so many options available. Keep stylish!

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Gown: Ginger jar by Tres Beau, top: Postal by Naive, hair: Brigitte by Wasabi Pills.

Top: Nouveau Kaftan by Loovus Dzevavor, tights: Tights by Izzie’s, earrings: Peacock by Kunglers, glasses: Fabby by Yummy, belt: Hurley

by LaGyo, bag: Resort satchel

by Leverocci, hair: Leah by Miss C.

Blazer: Blake by Diram, top: Bodysuit by Epoque, skirt: Highwaisted miniskirt printed by Ricielli, earrings: Kooh turquoise

by Glow Studio, hair: Figure by Elikatira.

Featured Designer

Marcopol Oh Writer Cajsa Lilliehook Photographer Citta Wiskee

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arcopol Oh first gained widespread attention in Second Life® with his stunning photography that epitomizes the maxim “less is more” by stripping all extraneous elements to reveal the stark, naked beauty of the human form.

Oh’s aesthetic sense in fashion and in photography is singular.

Asked how he developed his style, Oh explained that photography was always important to him. He got his first camera, a Polaroid, as a Christmas present when he was ten. He studied art history at the Louvre’s Museum School while working as a model, then as a makeup artist. These experiences influenced his style as did the work of great photographers such as Annie Leibovitz, Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, Steven Meisel, Herb Ritts, and Greg Kadel, to name a few.

With the opening of La Penderie de Nicole (in English, Nicole’s Closet), Oh began to translate his artistic vision into design that is casually chic and fiercely minimalist.

Oh began making accessories in 2009. His first “important” piece was the Lacroix bangle (still available in his store).

Other striking examples of his work include the Minerva collar, combining a severe form with floral embellishments, true to his minimalist aesthetic, and “My Feather Waspie”, another combination of severity of form with bold, but disciplined, embellishment.

Oh finds his inspiration in memories of his mother, whose love of fashion and sense of style impressed itself upon him at an early age and has remained with him his entire life. He also finds inspiration in his environment,

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from nature to movies to fashion shows and magazines.

Oh joined SL in 2007, intrigued by a newspaper article. He found his way to fashion naturally, first building furniture, then accessories, and now clothing.

As a designer, his first love is minimalism that’s chic, yet “enhanced by details that one can’t see at first sight, but which make all the difference.” There is no fashion trend he finds objectionable. As he explains, “there’s always something good in the worst....real style is the ability to mix and match everything and still look good.”

Oh, unlike many designers, doesn’t have an ideal woman in mind when creating; as he explains, “I just make what I’d like to wear if I was a woman.” Looking ahead, he expects to be releasing more in the near future, including more original mesh pieces. He eagerly looks forward to the day that flexible, dynamic mesh comes to the grid and his designs can have the fluidity he imagines.

Asked to share the most important lesson he has learned in SL, Oh said “Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.” He added a favorite Chinese proverb, “A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.” Clearly Oh is a designer inspired and motivated by challenge, who will seek the road less travelled in his quest for stark and luminous beauty.

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Visit La Penderie de Nicole in-world at Haendlerbucht [105.115.2017] And Marcopol Oh on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/ marcopol_oh/.

Trendspotting

Geometries

and

Accents

by Anna Sapphire

Blazer: Panel by Gigi Couture, shorts: Rihanna by Overhigh, blouse: Orchid by Glam Affair, hat: Cap by Nyu, socks: Soccer by Gato, booties: Mara by HMAEM, makeup: Geometrie by LpD.

Dress: Babydoll by The Secret Store, stockings: Myan by Vershe, bracelet: Shield bangle by Lagyo, shoes: Hokulea by R2, glasses: Jackie O by Maitreya, hair: You say tomato by Clawtooth.

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Dress: Houndstooth Couture by Pichi, coat: Fly by Gato, stockings: Cuban by No.9 Nylons, shoes: Flo by Fore, flower pin: part of Dot Jacket by Fore, gloves: Duo Tone by Glow Studio, eyeliner: Couture n.1 by Glam Affair, hair: KZK736 by Boonpose: Del May.

Shirt: Riga by Solidea Folies, skirt: Arya by Emery, leggings: Striped Carrie

by Emery, shoes: Liaison by Maitreya, earrings: Stripes by Glow Studio, hair: Gisele by Kik.

"To me you're strange and you're beautiful. You'd be so perfect with me, but you just can't see..." -- Aqualung! (https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ZwGWRrIlz68) j'addore

Skirt: Janessa by Apple May, blouse: Scarf Poncho by LeeZu, collar: Lacet

by Shi, suspenders: Black by Rezlpsa Loc, gloves: Leather by Shi, hair: Large Bun by Eshi Otawara, hat: Atika by PixelFashion.

Fashion Forward

Impressions by Diconay Boa

Hair: Emma by Maitreya, dress: Gilda Gown by Gizza, flower: Dano ring by LaGyo.

Hair: Nicky by 69, dress: Cleveland by Loovus Dzevavor, ring: Peonies by LaGyo.

Shoes: Decadent Booties by Loovus Dzevavor.

Hair: Lush by LeLutka, jacket: Michelle Swing by Loovus Dzevavor.

The Details

behind BARS breaking out from casual to couture by Absinthe (sinontherocks) Guest Model AbsintheMontenegro Resident

On Absinthe: Hair: Robin by emotions, sunglasses: Here comes the sun by DDL, earrings: Mia nugget earrings

by House of London, collar: Lacet collar by shit, dress: striped long blouse by NYU, bracelets: Variant cuff by Epoque, purse: Kandie by Baiastice, tights: wool tights by mon tissu, boot: Kazakh by sYs. On Absinthe2: Hair: QCX by Lelutka, sunglasses: Here comes the sun by DDL, sweater: Cardigan on shoulder by COCO, dress: Just smile by DDL, tights: wool tights by mon tissu, purse: Loulou clutch by Lagyo, boots, Kazakh by sYs

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Hair: Tore hair by Elysium, collar and tights: MCEHT by Maitreya, top: Haley tunic by Molichino, bracelets: asymetrique by je suis, purse: Calgary clutch by Maitreya, makeup: by Mons & Glam affair.

Hair: Damaris by Vanity, collar: Pierrot by Inside Lab, dress: 5 2 Life by Loovus Dzevavor, purse: Goo PVC clutch by Fleshtone, shoes: Ankle strap sandals by Fanatik, makeup: by vive nine

Hair: Brigitte by Lelutka, hat: Oly hat by Glam Affair, collar: Pierrot by Inside Lab, sunglasses: Luxury by Hate me and eat me & Solidea, dress: 5 2 life

by Loovus Dzevavor, purse: MCEHT

by Maitreya, shoes: Elika bootie by PixelFashion.

Hair: Shaved by Wasabi Pills, coat: Janelle by Diram, Harness: Harness by Shi, Gloves: Leather glove by Shi, pants: Copacati highwaist pants

by The Secret Store, shoes: Gold Liason by Maitreya, makeup: vive nine & LpD.

Hair: Amanda by CatWa, top: Copacati silk sweater by The Secret Store, collar: Plaisance Umo by Zibska, skirt: Maria skirt by Bubblez Design, makeup: by hate me and eat me & Nuuna 92

Hair: DBH090 by booN, earrings: LUSH milano

by Morantique, collar: part of Mola dress by InMonster, top: Xue

by Color Me HOF, skirt: Janessa by Apple May Designs, cuffs: Leather cuff by Superbia, makeup: by La Malvada Mujer and Nuuna

Hair: Melody by Bliss Hair, collar: Varunshka collar by Zibska, Top: LahLah Halter

by Molichino, skirt: Kuhn dress (modified)

by Baiastice, cuffs: Fearless wrist by Boom, lashes: Couture lashes by Glam Affair

Edge of Style

A R R A Y by Jax Aster

Vest Shirt: Gilet by Sey, pants: Hoon Faded Cords by Razorblade, necklace: Pivot by Kosh, ring: Pivot by Kosh.

Jacket: Edward by Fatewear, pants: Madras by Entente, shoes: RayRay by Hoorenbeek, hat: Straw Fedora by Argrace, bag: Zoar by Tulip.

Vest Shirt: Gilet by Sey, pants: Hoon Faded Cords by Razorblade, shoes: Social Shoes by CheerNo, necklace: Pivot by Kosh, ring: Pivot

by Kosh.

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Jacket: Blazer Suit by Gizza, shirt: Cashmere Sweater by Aorahu, pants: Skinny Pants

by Kal Rau, scarf: VH Stole by SEY.

Shirt: Plaid Shirt by Kal Rau, shorts: Vacances by Entente, shoes: Cousteau by Entente, glasses: Aviators by Redgrave, necklace: Infinity by Kosh, watch: Tardif by Entente.

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Homme

Mind in Abyss by Hikaru Enimo

Hair: 24m by Iruco, jacket: Swing coat by K, shirt: Loose tie

by Iruco, vest: Rourke by Philo, pants: Skinny trousers by Iruco, shoes: Brogue by Kauna.

Beret: Tartan by Deviant Girls, hair: Eraserhead by Lamb, glasses: Roundabout by Epoque, collar: A lil’ Foxy by Ohmai, necklace: Okaki dog tag by Mandala, watch: Sitennoah by Mandala, ears: Omimi by Mandala, hands: m8 by CheerNo, jacket: Frontlines by Aitui, pants: mesh boots in pants by Gabriel.

Hair: Rivaldo by CheerNo, scarf: Infinity by Mon Tissu, necklace: Men’s silver and rubber chocker by Dahlinks, bag: ColorMe by House of Fox, blazer: Ralph by Fatewear, pants: Cory by Fatewear, shoes: Christian loafers by Entente.

Blogspot

Ambistylistic by Josiah Lee Baxter - josiahleebaxter.com

Hair: Khaos by Raw House, hairbase: Mohawk Fade by Remorse, facial hair: Beard Style 1 by Damned, ears: Steking Ears by Mandala, jacket: The Jacket by Pumpkin, shirt: Low Cut V-Neck T-Shirt by JLB Apparel, necklace: MP3 Gold by RYCA, bracelet: Kim Bracelet by Shade Throne, pants: Crole Pants Yellowby Keane, shoes: Christian Loafers by Entente, bag: Amberg Bag by Beldur.

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Hair: Afro NV Funky by Shiloh Jun, hairbase: Nappy by Kutz, facial hair: Scruffy Mutton Chops combo 1 by Emortal Concepts, chest hair: Chest Hair Natural Hairy Type 6 by ED, sunglasses: Roundabout Frames by Epoque, jacket and shorts: Quonan Suit Yellow/Sky by Keane, necklace: Shiny Cross by Bens Beauty, ring: Domo Kun Ring -Royal

by Ozi, socks: White Striped Socks by Erratic, shoes: Urban Espadrllias by Balknik.

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Hat: Snapback - Love-n-Hate by Epicosity, hairbase: Straight Fade Lo by Kutz, facial hair: Full Beard Saddle by Remorse, hoodie: Argyle Hoodie Red by JLB Apparel, shirt: Low Cut V-Neck T-Shirt White & Grey

by JLB Apparel, gloves: Rock My Life by Calypso Giano, jeans: Skinny Pants Grey/Blac

by LV, shoes: Vintage Vandal by Balknik, chair: Shell Chair Black

by Handverk.

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Hair: Big Hair by Unorthodox, hairbase: Straight Fade Lo by Kutz, facial hair : Scruffy Mutton Chops combo 1 by Emortal Concepts, sunglasses: The Morphine 2 by Shade Throne, shirt: Ensemble & Cut Off by Sey, necklace: Black Jesus by RYCA, tattoo: Prisoner by Elygo, hands: Mesh Hands 1 & 4 by Cheerno, pants: Jah Pants - Tartan Grey by NV, boots: Triumph Boots Male

by Gos.

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AVENUE Models

Estampados

Yeriakth Couturier Shoulder wrap: ShoulderWrap Black by Shi, top: Sheer Shift

by LWL, belt: Bindi belt by Molichino, skirt: Mugli dress

by Chantkare, hat: Lisanna hat

by Glam Affair, purse: Cheetah gold by je suis..., shoes: Chic by Diktator, makeup: forrest and caramel nude by blackLiquid.

Photographer Leah McCullough

Amita Yorcliffe Jacket: Jenelle Jacket by Diram, tops: Cropped Top by Emery, skirt: Leather Pencil Skirt by Loovus Dzevavor, tights: Monocrome Patterned Legging by Heartless, clutch: Lux Clutch Silver by LD Major, bangles: Wristband Female by Elysium, hair: Marie by Taketomi, heels: Dolce Heels Tattoo by Candydoll.

Rhonda Pennell Top: “RIVAGE” swimsuit by sYs, skirt: Ruffle Skirt by Peqe, vest: NOA Attire by Diram, hat: Keira hat by Bliss Couture, earrings: Louise by Finesmith, shoes: Storm sandals by Gos, hair: Barbe by Zibiska, lipstick: Vixxxen gloss by Beautiful Deluxe, eyeshadows: Eye Dominance

by Madrid Solo.

Tadeu Gartner Hooded Cardigan: Ninja Chic Hooded Cardigan Zest by LD Homme, leggings: Escher shear tights by ISON, harness: Leg harness by Shi, ring: Pivot Ring by Kosh, shoes: Achillia Gladiators by SLink, headpiece: Cristalli by Solidea Folies, makeup: Lipstripe 3 v8 by Nuuna.

Elle Ahren Dress: Babydoll Triangle Party by The Secret Store, leggings: Leggy pack zebra by Muka, gloves: Anielle

by Miamai, boots: Decadent booties

by Loovus Dzevavor, bag: Yuse

by Ricielli, earrings: Magnavita

by Nha!, glasses: Mom shades by Yummy, hair: Sione by Amacci.

Nezsy Herstein Dress: Endra printed by LIV-Glam, bag: city handbag by ETD, shoes: Bare Olivia by Stiletto Moody, hair: QPT129 by Boon, earrings: Quartz Crystal by SS.

Veronica Krasner Dress: Slinky Florals Gown by Loovus Dzevavor, shoes: Sensual Stiletto by MJS, hat: Linnda Gown fur hat by GizzA, sleeves: Lola Blouse by GizzA, necklace: Asymetrique by je suis..., earrings: Precieuse earhoop by je suis..., gloves: Linnda Gown by GizzA, hair: Adorable by Tuty’s, lipstick: Blood gloss by blackLiquid, eyeshadow: Isis by blackLiquid.

Look of the Month

Freedom Photographer Citta Wiskee

Atteris Skin: London by Mystic Canvass, hair: Delicate

by Vanity, eyes: Ultimate Eyes by Insufferable Dastard, hat: Willow by Cellar Door,b ackpack: Willow by Cellar Door, necklace 1: yoke joke by HMAEM, necklace 2: Granada Filigree Cross by Maxi Gossamer, corset: Rough spun by Gor Gurls, gloves: Rashida LUAS, skirt: Lady outlaw May’s Soul, boots: Devil by Pixelfashion.

Annan Adored Top: Corsage by Baiastice, skirt: Lian by Baiastice, ring: Color Me Triangle by House of Fox, hair: Diva by TuTy’s, skin: Isla by League, shoes: Nikki by Redgrave, gloves: Mery by Celoe, cigarette: cigarette holder by Bloody Mess.

Hikaru Enimo Hoot: My Fur Hoody by Monso, hair: Distracted by Magika, collar: Chic by Drift, jeans: Henninger by Ladies Who Lunch, shoes: Stackz by 2Real.

Vixie Rayna Headband: Headband by Shi, hair: Loire by Tableau Vivant, skin: Wednesday by Essences, eyeliner: Couture Eyeliner 02 by Glam Affair, makeup: Elusive lips by Tuli, freckles: C02 by Glam Affair, necklace 1: Solaris by Kunglers, necklace 2: Santa Fe by LaGyo, shirt: Top Color Block by Emery, bag: Sacoche by Courtisane, gloves: Mery by Celoe, ring: Roho by Maxi Gossamer, skirt: MemoirĂŠ by Indyra Originals, belt: Thick Peplum Belt by TeeFy, shoes: Foxy by BAX.

Interesting Sims

1920s Berlin Project Writer Prisilla “Silly” Avro Photographer Eira Juliesse

“B

erlin, it is obvious, aroused powerful emotions in everyone.

It delighted most, terrified some, but left no one indifferent....”

Peter Gay, Weimar Culture: The Outsider as Insider.

Berlin in the 1920s was the heart of the Weimar Republic, and was fertile ground for intense political conflicts, economic upheaval, and cultural innovation. When asked what inspired her to create a sim in Second Life® dedicated to that particular era, sim owner Jo Yardley replied “I’ve always been interested in history and one of my childhood dreams has been time travel. When I first came to SL® I didn’t see anything I liked, I am not interested in modern music, fashion, or virtual hanky panky.

But then I discovered the ‘vintage scene’ and also some historical roleplay sims. When talking to a few people who also loved history, I decided I wanted to try running a little historical themed club. A few ideas were shared and every time I mentioned 1920s Berlin, people got very excited. 1920s Berlin is a great theme, Berlin is a fantastic city but the 1920s were also a very interesting era, especially in that city. It is the perfect backdrop for political tension, art, freedom, culture, music, fashion, poverty, wealth, debauchery, etc. It was a time and place for extremes.”

The 1920s Berlin Project is entering its fourth year of existence in 2013. Things in SL come and go, some more quickly than others, but Yardley’s sim seems to have staying power. “Not only have we managed to stay alive for a long time, we also succeeded in making the sim pay for itself for most of this time. It’s hard to explain why our sim works; it is, of course, a combination of many factors. The most important thing

is the community; people choose to live here, our apartments are always rented, people support the sim with donations…but also actions. People just really like the sim and are willing to put in lots of work and effort to help it work.

Building a nice looking sim is not enough, we spend a lot of time improving it, organizing events, looking after tenants, keeping the peace, and so on. Making sure the rules are followed is an important part of why people like the sim, we try to offer visitors and tenants a ‘time travel’ experience, they feel like they are almost really back in the past. To achieve that we make sure ‘tourists’ follow the 1920s dress code and keep working on all the historical details.”

Yardley found building her 1920s Berlin Project and educating her visitors to be two of the most enjoyable experiences of her sim ownership. “I just love building and creating. Educating people about history is also great, it feels fantastic when people tell me they learned something about 1920s Berlin from visiting our sim.

But most rewarding is seeing how well the sim works and how the community has grown and made it their city.”

Getting started in Yardley’s Berlin is very simple. “Look like someone who belongs on the streets of 1920s Berlin”. she advises.

Out-of-character interactions aren’t completely discouraged, but role play is at the heart of truly experiencing the 1920s Berlin Project. Yardley welcomes more

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virtual tourists with open arms.

Perhaps after a visit you may feel drawn to make 1920s Berlin your virtual home. “We are all about the realistic time travel experience, so if you want to immerse yourself in the past, come and see us! We don’t require people to speak German or know anything about 1920’s Berlin, just pretend you’re a tourist. We have plenty of 1920s freebies at the entrance but if you want you can also visit the biggest and best vintage shopping area in SL®; Vintage Retro Historical Marketstreet, which is right next door. We have Happy Hour at the Keller Tanzlokal every day at 2pm SL® time, which is a great way to meet the locals. There are also lots of events every weekend.” Yardley enthusiastically encourages you to “Put on your hat, enter our station, climb aboard the train to Berlin Alexanderplatz and start using Second Life® as a Time Machine!”

Website: http://www.1920sberlin.com/ Visit the 1920s Berlin Project in-world at 1920s Berlin [230.233.751]

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Interesting Sims

*Just Visiting* Writer Sunshine Zhangsun Photographer Sunshine Zhangsun

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mazing places can be discovered when you explore the sims of Second Life®. You may be searching for a place with which you have a real life connection, or one with a wild and natural setting. Perhaps a location that takes you on a journey through the creator’s mind, or one that simply provides beautiful photographic backdrops. No matter the reason for your exploration, it is always a great way to spend time alone or with friends in this virtual space. I recently found *Just Visiting* on Annwn Willows while bouncing around to different SLurls™ found on beautiful captures posted on Flickr®.

I landed in a gazebo structure that is built around a large tree. The steps away from the gazebo appear to have been impacted by a strong storm or earthquake as they are no longer level. Stop a moment at this spot, and absorb the ambience, allow the surroundings sink in. You will find that the remainder of the sim is submerged beneath placid waters, punctuated by various areas to explore above sea level. A tour of *Just Visiting* is offered by raft or teleporter, or visitors can opt to explore on foot — which I recommend, as creator Joanna Corith designed the sim those who prefer to take time to enjoy and reflect. *Just Visiting* is a showcase of surreal scenes that impart a sense of the seasons. In one corner, there is a snowy setting featuring the plank skeleton of a lone wooden boat choked in weeds amid the placid waters, and a nearby bench upon which guests may sit and contemplate SLife. Elsewhere, the ruins of a fallen tower dominate a grassy meadow, and perched upon the tower rails is a flock of sinister ravens whose eyes seem to eerily follow your every move.

In another direction, you’ll find a copse of leafless trees shooting up from the lake’s surface; their dark silhouettes stark and lonely against the bright sky. Upon closer inspection, the desolate atmosphere of the woods is ameliorated a festive table, set for a party, within the barren clearing.

Sit for a spell and enjoy a cup of tea with friends. While sitting, something else catches your eye:

yes, an upright piano just through the trees, waiting to be played.

At this point, you might be ready for a bit more color, and that you will find as you spy from across the sim cheerful yellow flowers growing out of the water. Take a stroll to this area and notice the large yellow leafy tree with the most interesting root system and the boardwalk across the marsh to a shack, waiting for you to take a seat and enjoy the breeze. The colors reflect across the water and give the sense of an early summer day.

When you might think you have seen everything that *Just Visiting* has to offer, don’t be too hasty to leave. Find one of the ravens (which are also teleporter devices) and select “Raven” as your destination. You will be on your way to a thought provoking (and very different) scene in the sky. Listen to the sounds, and perhaps sit on one of the leaves floating under the beams of light.

Just take a moment and let your thoughts wander…what comes to your mind? When I spoke with the creator, Joanna Corith, she revealed that everyone who visits this scene comes away with a different impression. For me, it was like being within a dream - the dripping water, the raven overhead and the light beams highlighting my avatar. Many say that dreaming of a raven might mean that you are facing a significant change or an end of a phase. Others will say that the raven is a keeper of our fears.

No matter what it signifies for you, the raven is a strong symbol – of

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intelligence, of persistence, and even for solving problems.

“Just Visiting” is never complete and is ever-changing. Corith hopes to make changes to enhance the experience for future visitors, and to provide a beautiful backdrop for SL photographers. She wants to intrigue and encourage all visitors to build their own story within the different scenes she offers. I think that she might just be on to something.

See “Just Visiting” in-world at Annwn Willows [128.128.23]

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Home & Garden

Greening Second Life

Writers Isadora Fiddlesticks Photographer Zazie

It’s hard to get away from being enchanted by nature, even in Second LifeŽ. Our appetite for all things leafy, green, colorful and flowery will take us teleporting from one nature oriented place to another. Many will try to imitate nature, and while most will fail, some will succeed.

One of the more successful nature-themed places around the grid is Forest Floor. For many years in Second Life, nature loving avatars have looked to this enchanting place for their gardening and outdoor decoration needs. From rustic garden to enchanted forest, the store’s owner, Uni Ninetails, provides a vast array of verdant plants and colorful flowers, created with skill and inspiration.

AVENUE: How did you find out about Second Life?

Uni Ninetails: From a local friend; I was sitting waiting on some work to start and logged in, spent about 20 minutes confused at what it was. From there went away then came back a few days later. Friend gave me a tour around Caledon and I’ve been here ever since.

AV: Do you have other experience in creating things in other virtual worlds or games?

UN: I had no prior experience creating content for virtual worlds or games, but had experience with Photoshop and general technical drawing.

AV: Are you designer/artist in Real Life? How long have you been doing this?

UN: As my trade no, I played with various image editing packages for fun but never really focused on creating anything till Second Life.

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AV: Did you start making things in SL right away? What was the first thing you made?

UN: Not right away, maybe 2 months in before I started. I tended to buy things and create my space, or gardens of various types. The first thing I made was a Japanese Koi rock pool (also my first sculptie), which to this day I make a point of it having a spot in the store, to remind me where I started.

AV: What inspires you to create? Do you have any real life inspirations?

UN: It comes from various sources... I can be driving or walking down the road and see something nice, or be playing a game‌I spend more time looking at art assets than playing games these days (laughter), or watching a movie, and see something that gives me an idea.

AV: What do you love about SL? UN: The diversity, and wonderful things people create, from fashion, to aircraft. There are many brilliant creators out there.

AV: What do you hate about SL? UN: The loss of many beautiful regions, Kenroku being an example, some of Linden Lab’s decisions over the past couple of years.

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AV: What else are you planning to make? What do you have planned for Forest Floor?

UN: Time will tell, once I get moved and settled I hope to work on several shelved projects and bring some new things in for the coming year! Possibly do some rebuilding work on the ground floor and store, again time will tell!

We are pleased to feature Uni Ninetails and her showcase of dreamscapes and gardens in our pages this month. From the garden store and the forest, Forest Floor will definitely become your regular go-to garden place for many years to come.

Visit in-world at Forest Floor [126/125/1764]

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Architecture & Interiors

Scarlet Creative Writer Cajsa Lilliehook Photographer Neva Crystall

T

here is a second Green Revolution changing the ethos and practice of architecture in real life.

Sustainable materials, new construction methods, and environmentally conscious design work used together reduce the carbon footprint and maintenance costs of modern buildings. The advent of mesh has brought a similar Green Revolution to Second Life速. Conservationist home and furniture builders are using mesh, smarter textures and sleeker scripts to reduce the land impact of their builds. To extend the metaphor, reduced land impact cuts energy consumption (lag) and maintenance costs (tier).

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Charlotte Bartlett of Scarlet Creative is on the leading edge of Second Life’s Green Revolution.

Keeping abreast of the latest technological and viewer developments, she eagerly transitioned to mesh last year.

However, she also minimizes her use of large textures, offers builds with or without scripts and often offers two options in her furnishings, one with fewer options and lower impact. This consideration for recognizing and working within the limits of SL® makes Scarlet Creative a popular and well-respected lifestyle brand.

As Bartlett explains, the greatest challenge for “green” design in SL is balancing functionality against land impact. “I think it’s key for designers to still mix these. So having working blinds for example, scripts will add to the impact cost. However the functionality is really nice for customers. The greatest challenge is getting to a balanced point. I think it’s why some designers, including myself, are now offering different versions of the same models for the more complex builds so people can pick and mix higher land impact with more functionality versus less features.”

Bartlett expects even more efficiency in the future as normal and specular maps are introduced.

This will allow more detail and amazing verisimilitude in how textures respond to lighting while also reducing land impact and lag.

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Bartlett’s focus on user experience is thoughtful and deliberate. In her words, “To me a design has to be about interaction and feel even in a digital format.

I always imagine how I walk through a build, what features I would want and how I would like it to impact emotions.” She recalls making the first blinds that actually worked, thinking how much better it was as an experience than textures. “Small touches like that I think connect us to the space and enhance our experience.” She plans to continue to focus on how space and experience interact as she continues to build and design.

When you first arrive at Scarlet Creative, you will instantly note Bartlett’s love of creamy white plasters - a signature element in her homes. This is an inheritance from the home she grew up in, an 18th century country cottage in Bath (in the county of Somerset in the southwest of England).

She described her home lovingly, though she noted that its low ceilings motivate her penchant for airy builds. Her childhood home had “amazing wooden beams, inglenook fireplaces and open space to the ground floor. It was arranged over a topsy-turvy floor plan over three floors.” Like a princess in a tower, her bedroom was her private little studio reached by a staircase spiralling around the chimney. It was the stuff of dreams and imagination.

When Bartlett was fourteen, her parents received planning permission to add an extension

to the back of their historically listed home. This was a seminal moment in her design career.

As she explains, “my parents... were allowed to connect a “glass” cube which became the extended kitchen. This was my first WOW architecture moment as I could see how they blended modern glass to a very traditional old cottage. I think this was my first influence.

Now I live in the city and my style is much more modern mid-century, but with organic overtones in a loft.

But that house still plays a part in my love of white, creamy plasters, hidden rooms, and interesting architecture.”

Her style has evolved and today is very modern with Bauhaus elements such as smooth facades, radical simplicity without ornamentation and a harmony of form and function. Her newer releases are more traditional and she has an upcoming release that features sleek modernism with rustic organic materials and inspiration. As she notes, “I love running the different styles in tandem but tie them together with my signature soft whites.”

Her furnishings also exude exuberant modernism combined with lighter-than-air simplicity.

They’re designed for light, breezy comfort. She favors sleek, smooth forms wih organic textures and materials.

Bartlett thoughtfully works to solve the basic challenge that confounds all SL home builders – the problem of scale. So long as SL’s default camera position

remains where it is, scale will be a problem. To accommodate this challenge, she uploads her mesh models at a very small size and links them so they can be stretched. Smaller avatars will be happy as is, but larger avatars can enlarge them if they need, and bear the additional land impact. Bartlett thinks the best way to deal with scale is to provide these options and educating customers. She also adds a link in her instructions to Penny Patton’s Guide to Better Camera Placement http://sl.governormarley. com/?p=483 She has some original suggestions for improvements and innovations to Second Life, including more sim options. She would love to see a 7500-prim sim, or a large mega-sim comprising four regions. Think how amazing conceptual art could be, or drag racing, or surfing, if one had no sim crossings for a four-region area. It is just space on a server, so certainly configuring it in different allotments is possible. As Bartlett notes, “The core thing is Linden Lab has to expand their product base. Combined with reducing the tier this will allow more opportunity in the market which ultimately supports the longevity of the platform.”

Bartlett finds inspiration for her work on a daily basis. She loves to browse ffffound (link: http://ffffound.com), an image bookmarking site. Family and friends inspire and encourage her as well. Her goals are simple,

“that people enjoy a nice design at an affordable price. That they enjoy the time they use it, and have fun making it their own. I hope they think of Scarlet Creative as a nice brand that they can rely on for quality and good support.”

For Bartlett, Second Life’s great promise is its people, and she hopes “to keep making little things that make people smile for many more years to come!” http://scarletcreative.com Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife. com/stores/6345?

Vanilla Twist [247/126/21]

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Perspectives

Second Life updates Writer Huckleberry Hax Photographer Ziki Questi

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n the days when I was new to the metaverse, it was unusual for a week to go by without some sort of blog update from Linden on the Second Life® home page. In recent times, this frequency of communication seems to have dropped considerably. There were just nine posts made in the whole of 2012. Without wanting to sound like I’m jumping on the The End Is Nigh bandwagon, it is tempting to ascribe this to the general decay of SL® that’s commented on in so many places these days. Last week, I flew down from my skybox and took a look around some of the mainland sims surrounding the region I’ve lived in since 2007 and was staggered

at the amount of abandoned land I found. It was like walking across a wasteland: parched, undulating ground stretching off in all directions, almost as far as I could see. All it needed was a piece of tumbleweed bouncing past or a post-apocalyptic, skeletal hand reaching out of the burned soil towards the scorched, tear-stained sky.

But wait. 2013 seems to have got off to a much more talkative start, with seven posts made in January alone. Does this denote a new direction for Linden’s communications policy? As we enter the final six months leading up to SL’s tenth birthday and

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the potential associated media attention, is Linden stepping up its Be Friendly Towards Residents campaign? My curiosity piqued, I decided to take a look at what topics our governors have deemed fit for discussion with us.

The first was the announcement that SL is now available to purchase as a product from amazon.com.

Yes. It’s listed under the ‘Video Games’ section of the website, in fact (and let’s not get into the ‘it’s not a game’ debate right now; no matter how right you are, the people you’re making the point to will always regard anything that moves on a computer screen and isn’t a video of an amusing cat on YouTube as a game; in any case, there isn’t a section at Amazon for ‘Metaverses and Virtual Worlds’ so where do you suggest they put it?

‘Patio, Lawn & Garden’?). As well as the basic free download, you can also acquire various inventory ‘packs’ for sums of actual money.

The ‘Premium Vehicle Pack’ bundles a sailing boat, a dune buggy and a hoverboard with L$4,000 for the real world price of $24.95, whilst the ‘Deluxe Vehicle Pack’, retailing at $14.95, contains only the hoverboard, sailing boat and L$2,000. I suppose the best way to think about these things is as SL gift vouchers, only ones which cost more than the value of the cash they come with and which have thrown in a couple of novelty items you might use if you’re a newbie for as long as it takes you to discover the experience of crossing a sim border.

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Speakingas someone who’s neither seen nor stepped on a hoverboard in SL, I’m struggling to accept this as the hitherto undiscovered hook that’s going to reel in metaverse newcomers by the million, yet the ‘Starter Vehicle Pack’ ($9.95) contains just this item and a mere L$1,000. Yes: out of all three vehicles created for this stunning new marketing tool, the one that Linden thinks people are most likely to buy by itself is the one that doesn’t actually exist in the real world, which can’t take any passengers, which is difficult to see and aesthetically appreciate when it’s being used and – let’s be honest – which is most likely to annoy other people. What’s more, the ‘Hoverboard Bonus Pack’ contains only hoverboard extras – no lindens whatsoever – and costs $12.95! I rarely use exclamation marks in non-fiction, but this surely merits a minimum of three (you should be respecting me for my restraint). But if you think I’m against the idea of Amazon SL packs then you’re wrong. In fact, I intend to dedicate next month’s column to an analysis of the virtual bundles we might actually find enticing.

Returning to the list of Linden January blog posts, two of these concern the all-new ‘Quicktips’ video tutorials prepared by Linden for newbies. The first is a one minute introduction to avatar appearance, the second a guide to buying and unpacking items. Naturally, the latter cannot possibly fit into a minute and spends instead a second under three trying to make

the various caveats to SL shopping (items bought should appear in your received items folder… except they might come in a box… and boxes need to be rezzed on land to be unpacked… oh, but not all land can be rezzed on… you need a sandbox (no explanation is given as to what a sandbox is)… click on the box to unpack it… oh wait, some boxes don’t unpack automatically…) sound easy.

All credit to the narrator – who sounds suspiciously like Torley Linden – for resisting the urge to scream hysterically, Why are sellers STILL packing items into boxes and not even providing land to unpack them on? Then again, it does rather sound like he’s reading from a pre-prepared script, possibly with a gun to his head.

Another of the blog posts concerns interesting developments in the SL use of the Leap Motion controller, an as yet to be released controller device that reads real life movement in a manner presumably not all that different from Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect.

A video clip embedded in the post demonstrates the use of the device to control with hand movements the movement of an avatar, the positioning and sizing of objects (because we’re all still building stuff out of prims), and the activation of gestures. Regular readers of my column will know I see a healthy future for real life movement metaverse interface; at the same time, anything which makes it any easier for people to unleash those twenty-something lines of ASCII spam across my

screen or pre-recorded, not-evenfunny-in-the-context-of-theoriginal-movie sound clips must carry with it the threat of the death penalty. So be warned, developers.

Be warned.

Last of all, Linden’s started posting on its blog highlights from its Destination Guide – a handful of destinations per blog post with a picture and a paragraph each to whet your exploration appetite. The most recent of these was themed around new art installations. It’s been a while since I looked at some SL art and I was in the mood for something to cheer me up from the wastelands below my skybox, so I picked a couple of these – Citysphere and Bryn Oh’s sim-sized ‘Imogen and the Pigeons’ and jumped into the teleport.

Citysphere is a large sphere covered in skyscrapers that you can walk around as though it’s a small planet; sort of an SL ecumenopolis that – apparently – gets three times the land space of a sim onto its surface area, although the buildings have no actual function. Sticking to the ground as you walk around the miniature Trantor is achieved by means of a special sit script that enables you to walk normally whilst everything slowly turns upside down. It’s more than a little disorientating to see your avatar dangling from the ceiling – by which I mean ground – and I couldn’t decide whether a reorientation script hadn’t been included a) because the artist didn’t know how to

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write one or b) because however irritating, dizzying and nauseating it might have been, the effect is a powerful reminder that we’re all of us upside-down to somebody.

I’m guessing now probably (b). It is art, after all.

And then there’s ‘Imogen and the Pigeons’, which deposits the arriving visitor in a wasteland not entirely dissimilar to my local SL neighbourhood, except with added cooling towers. Wound around one of them, a thin spiral staircase (watch your step, there’s no railing) is one route up to the hundred metre high entrance to the main exhibit; a set of fallen blocks that arrange themselves into a staircase as you step on them (but turn the wrong way and they all fall back to the ground) is a second; a whirly chair for the can’t-be-arsed-with-precisionmovement avatars like yours truly is a third and if you’re really lazy there’s a teleport ball in the middle cooling tower that’ll take you straight there. Thus, you arrive at the reception to the Therapist’s office, one of many narrative signs informing you: An unfortunate space / that the printers missed, / changed the psychologist’s plaque / to read “The rapist” / Sadly the mistake / was not far from true, / as the therapist had / destroyed a mind or two. That sort of therapist, then. In the office, we discover him examining his dead butterfly collection, each insect labelled with the name of one of his patients, except the butterfly for Imogen is missing. He was the type of man / who felt he saw

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much clearer / from the darkened side / of a one-way mirror. A few locations later, we find Imogen in bed in her room in the hospital and gazing out of the window at her free friends, the pigeons, gathered together on the telephone wire.

On the sill, Imogen’s still alive butterfly flaps its wings in a glass jar and clicking this takes you to an online video clip of Bryn releasing a newly metamorphosed butterfly into the sky. ‘Imogen and the Pigeons’ is absolutely packed with puzzles and detail that I couldn’t even begin to describe here. What began as an intended five minute excursion ended up as a full hour exploring the various nooks and crannies of this enormous exhibit, and even then I left feeling I’d only scratched the surface. You could very easily spend a whole day exploring it. It is immense.

I’m glad that Linden appear to have decided we’re worth talking to again. ‘Imogen and the Pigeons’ was also the perfect antidote to all that nothingness now surrounding my home and the vague worry that SL has lost its ability to move and inspire me. Of course, the plus side of being surrounded by wasteland where I live is I could have a lot of fun racing around down there in some sort of buggy. Aha. Suddenly, the Amazon Premium Vehicle pack makes sense…

Huckleberry Hax writes novels set in Second Life®. You can download these for free from www.huckleberryhax.blogspot. com

Featured Artists

betty's god spot Writer Quan Lavender Photographer Zazie

S

ome artists are real busy bees, and Betty Tureaud is one of them. The Danish artist works tirelessly to create spaces in her unique bright and colourful style. Tureaud grew up in Copenhagen, and studied art and design; after a period of working as commercial designer she moved to the countryside not far from Copenhagen. She has her studio in an old farm: “ I love the light and free space here, and the clean air. The internet are giving me freedom to work where I want.

I suffer from dyslexia but in SL® I can communicate with the whole world and nobody cares that I write as a broken arm.” Tureaud laughs.

She came to Second Life® in 2007 after a presentation of Linden Lab at a 3D design conference in Copenhagen. As soon as she got home after the event, she created her SL account and has been an active resident since then; Second Life became part of her daily life, and she’s a well-known part of the SL art community. She loves to mingle with friends from all parts of the world who she frequently meets at art events to dance and have fun. Her friends appreciate her sense of humour; she’s always good for joking around and playing with prims.

But her main interest is always creation. When asked if she started building immediately after joining Second Life, she laughed: “The first day in SL i made a lots of prims and paint them and the next day i tried to move them

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around with a little script, it was like being a child in a candy store.” She spends countless hours working on her art. Her goal is always to get the visitors to her installations to interact with the works. She is not a scripter, but learned to read the scripting language and to modify for her needs. But her main joy is to “paint” with the possibilities of the electronic RGB (red, green, blue) colours in the virtual world to create wonderful combinations which would be impossible in real life.

She didn’t have much knowledge of 3D design before she came to SL: “But the combination of interacting with others and build in 3D was new to me and a big eye opener. I think that makes art so special here, and it can never could properly translate to real life. One day maybe we’ll be able to wear 3d glasses and walk into SL.” Her current installation, “The UFO” is a multi-layered work. Each level has different, highly interactive parts. The visitors travel via a UFO Teleport from level to level. In the invitation, Tureaud wrote in her typical humorous style: “Betty says: The inspiration comes from her god spot.” She grew up in a Catholic home mixed with Eastern philosophy: “Since then I wondered a bit what we do here on earth. One day I came across an article, ‘The God Spot’, about our brains and the way they handle religious thoughts, and it became my inspiration for the UFO installation. I think we all have a kind of a god spot; myself, I am an atheist, but i still wonder where we come from and where we going.”

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Tureaud is convinced that a world without religion is possible as long as we love our children and train them empathy: “I am an anarchist, so i dont believe in religious restrictions and politics – perhaps SaveMe Oh did not got enough love to create empathy when she was young; she is also an anarchist, but without human empathy.� The artist she is referring to, SaveMe Oh, is known for disturbing artistic actions at opening events of other artists.

Betty Tureaud has seen many artists leaving Second Life because they felt they had exhausted the possibilities of the medium, run out of ideas, or moved on to other challenges in real life. And she is aware that most galleries in real life will not present virtual art on large screens. But the progress of technology makes her expect that virtual art will find other ways to garner more appreciation in real life. She cannot imagine that this could happen to her. She uses the technology of second life as her paint tool and canvas. Tureaud does not need Photoshop or Gimp to create, because the usage of transparent textures allows her to get endless different results. She still has many ideas which wait to be realised in Second Life.

THE UFO is open until end of March, and can be seen at Rothko [62.227.22]

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Arts Feature

Empyreal

Dreams

Writer Carter Giacobini Photographer Ziki Questi

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pening a book is like opening a portal. You are drawn in. As you swim in the images, thoughts and storyline, you find that the world that you’ve been transported to is all around you. What better place to express that concept than in Second Life®? A wonderful new sim by Empyreal Dreams has been designed to teleport you inside of literature. There have been other builds that bring literature and art to life, but none quite like this.

Builders Remington Aries and Leira Soulstar have taken “Les Miserables” (the novel), “The Raven” (epic poem), “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (epic poem), and “The Owl and the Pussycat” (nonsense poem) and brought them to life in the most beautiful way.

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As you teleport in, you arrive in “The Raven”, by Edgar Allan Poe. Flying in uninvited, you are completely surrounded by the words and images of this amazing poem. Every texture, every image is as bleak as Poe must have envisioned when he wrote his masterpiece. You can almost feel the despair and sense of loss felt by the main character. The workmanship by Aries and Soulstar is absolutely wonderful. This first scene feels every bit as bleak and cold as Poe must have been feeling as he created his legendary work of prose. The black and white scene is filled imagery, as the only small bits of color are used in the flowers on Lenore’s grave, the and the lamp hanging from the tree. As Poe’s words dance around you, the images imagined by the creators of this scene couple with the words from poem and help to transport you inside the story.

Simply walking along a cobble path, we are able to leave and walk outside of this scene; leaving behind thoughts of Lenore and the mysterious raven who came “tapping, tapping” on his chamber door. We are then at a sort of crossroads. We can walk into “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, teleport to “Les Miserables”, by Victor Hugo or to “The Owl and the Pussycat”,

by Edward Lear. Or, you can walk along the halls and purchase these scenes for yourself.

Myself, I chose to go into Coleridge’s epic poem, first. As you pass through into this world, the sea

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churns and breathes all around us.

We can feel the guilt and isolation of our doomed storyteller as we are amid the slimy things that helped to bring our hero home so that he could begin his penance of telling his story to everyone he meets.

Again, we are treated to black and white textures, beautifully used to create not only a sense that you are actually in the old illustrations of this narrative, but to also help you to feel the desperation of the mariner.

As you head for dry ground outside of this scene, you can the go to “Les Miserables”, by Victor Hugo. As you walk along the impoverished French streets, the creators have chosen black and white, again. However, if you follow the path up into the heavens, the stars and planets come alive in vivid color as you are able to look down on the poverty so expertly recreated by the builders.

The novel was the basis for the amazing musical that first graced Broadway, then the silver screen.

You are then left to visit “The Owl and the Pussycat”, written by Edward Lear. In this scene, the builders have chosen to use bright, almost jewel tones to express this colorful tale of (what can only be described as) furries that embark on a journey in a green boat so that they may marry where the bongtree grows. The colors used not only express the story wonderfully, but also give the feeling of a true children’s story. The amazing craftsmanship by Soulstar and Aries capture the mood and tenor

of this classic poem perfectly.

One can imagine the exciting brainstorming and building that went on as these artists brought to life the tales that have been in our imaginations for generations.

They did not just create scenes from each story; they embodied the sagas that the authors so expertly wove. If you have a love of classic literature or prose, then you must see this exhibition of craftsmanship and love by two people that obviously hold these pieces of work so close in their hearts.

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Art Feature

Delicate Avatars Writer Quan Lavender Photographer Meilo Minotaur & CapCat Ragu

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reativity can be more fun by working in a team as many do in Second Life.

But not many teams are creating spaces of breathtaking beauty as the recently reopened sim Delicatessen. And much less are creating avatars full of fantasy.

But can you imagine that this team not only offers these avatars all visitors full perm for free, no, they ask to modify them and pass them back. The redesigned sim hosts the new creations - of course as free gifts for the visitors. Exploring the four stages of the exhibition at Delicatessen is double fun for the visitors. Enjoying the place and trying the many avatars. But it is not that what makes Delicatessen special, it is the fact that the team consists of mother and daughter in real life, Meilo Minotaur and CapCat Ragu. AVENUE took the chance for an interview.

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AVENUE: Thank you for doing AVENUE the favour of an interview. You are currently very busy with the reopening of Delicatessen. Congrats for the wonderful place. Please tell our reads a bit of your real life. Are you artists? And and was the wish to create the reason to join Second Life?

Meilo Minotaur: I was a ceramic artist, I used to do clay sculptures, but that was a long time ago. Creativity was the reason I joined SL. I was informed that it was a game where users could create the environment and avatars. I was immediately very enthusiastic. As soon as I joined I tried to start building. That didn’t work immediately, but bit by bit I got some progress, after deconstructing many objects to learn how they were built.

CapCat Ragu: My background is in Painting and Art Studies.

When I was younger I used to be in involved with art groups like Caldeira213, which was an artistic association and ZOiNA, a feminist art collective, that worked in the same way I do with Meilo, cocreating everything. We used to work mostly with installation art and drawing. Meilo brought me to SL. She was very excited with all the creative possibilities, she was already a resident when I joined.

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I was quite sceptical at first. I thought of it as a virtual vacation.

For me it was pretty much liking playing with dolls and I used to have lots of fun doing that! At the beginning I was just playing around, but I started to enjoy making virtual photos, that was my first creative output in SL. AV: It should be quite unique that mother and daughter join Second Life and create together.

How does that feel? And does it influence your relationship? Do you have conflicts?

CCR: We work as a two headed monster. We co-create everything and it requires a high level of intimacy to relinquish our own authorial mark in favor of the group’s authorship. This demands trust, not only in order to give up our creation to the other blindfolded, but also trust that the relationship won’t brake when you disagree. We also need complete openness to state our insecurities, fears, uncertainties and to speak our mind no matter what. Being mother and daughter, we already had all that! Working together comes very naturally…

MM: When I was a ceramic artist I worked with two other artists and our work method was very similar to the one my daughter and I use now. Work

was cooperative, no piece had a particular authorship. Everybody participated equally in each work.

This is how I work with CapCat now. The fact that we are mother and daughter adds the great advantage of having a common imaginary built to some extent by the two since her childhood.

And we know and love each other deeply, that makes obstacles easier to overcome.

AV: Your current installation is a follow up to “Meta_Body” you created full perm avatars and gave them the visitors to play with and to pass you the results as photos or machinima. That lead to a real life exhibition. Please tell about it.

And how was the interest in RL? CCR: Meta_Body was a part of the “All My Independent Women” exhibition in Vienna, curated

by Carla Cruz. We were invited to participate in this exhibition, but instead of presenting our avatars we decided to present the derivative work. 120 works were selected and presented as virtual photography or machinima, with a total of 80 people integrating the Meta_Body project in AMIW. Our selection tried to be as inclusive as possible and not based on criteria of personal “taste”, instead trying to sample the different sensibilities and cultures in the art of the metaverse and the different

approaches to the original avatars.

We didn’t present them all because there were too many entries, it would be impossible! Most people in the art scene react very badly to SL based work before they see it. It is very difficult for people that don’t use the platform to understand what all this is about. But we have managed to show aspects of virtual art that surprised people and we continued to be invited to show this project in RL, at Women’s Art Library, in Goldsmiths University of London and Vox Feminae Festival in Zagreb.

AV: The current project, “Meta_ Body II” was about newly created avatars under usage of your full perm avatars. They are now presented in your new redesigned sim Delicatessen. Please tell about the contributing artists and how you created your concept around it.

CCR: The idea for Meta_Body II came from a meeting with Fitch Woodrunner inworld, we ran into him by accident and we was wearing the Aquavariel Avatar. We recognized the parts from Meta_ Body avatars under his heavy and very interesting transformation. I congratulated him and told him it was a pity that he hadn’t submitted a photo or machinima of that avatar for AMIW. He asked me if we would ever exhibit derivative

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avatars. We thought that it would be brilliant to do so! We challenged people through social media (our Blog, Flickr, Koinup, Facebook and, of course, our Delicatessen group in SL). 22 creators built 26 new avatars, from well-known metaverse artists and designers to absolute new residents, trying SL and avatar creation for the first time. As an homage to these creators we built four installations in Delicatessen. In Stage 1 we have the more animalistic avatars, Stage 2 is for lace and ruffles, vintage and steampunk are on Stage 3 and the more disembodied and ethereal avatars are in Stage 4.

We also invited Takio Ra to do the soundscapes, and he was generous to share all the sounds with our visitors, so they can use them however they want.

AV: The design, the avatars, the sounds; I found the installation very inspiring and started to have fun with playing with the avatars and to assemble my own as many visitors do. A virtual world allows so many ways of creativity which would not be possible in real life.

What means creations in a virtal space for you and how do you see the future?

CCR: I think it’s the creative constraints that are different.

There are things one can do in virtual environments that could never be done in our physical world, and vice versa. The possibility of creating worlds and

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designing bodies is what really moves me in this kind of platform.

Both me and Meilo have shared creative experiences in the real world, but digital media and the internet add an all new dimension to it. In SL we have our collective process between the two of us, but we also have the distributed creative process, when other residents build up on our work. We love to see what we create being appropriated in a creative way!

The aesthetic experience of virtual art is often a creative one, and less contemplative than traditional media.

Whenever a new medium arises there are always two ways in which it will be appropriated (even if it wasn’t designed for it). One is to do porn, the other is to do art.

Remember photography and film?

And all media is under suspicion at first and is not considered suitable for art and so on… I think all that is still happening today with virtual art… One can never know how technology will develop and what new platforms may arise, but I don’t think virtual art is going away, even if the platforms we are using today may fade away.

MM: I think creation in the real world and in virtual worlds are the same thing… Only the media is different. Art in virtual worlds will develop and surpass the prejudices they are subjected to today.

Visions

by Axiomatic Clarity

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xiomatic Clarity explores Second Life® as a tool that goes beyond characterising SL as the atypical model of beauty or “excellence” but rather finding meaning in how it can be an ideal mode of expressing feelings and emotions to the fullest extent.

More of her work can be found at her flickr : http://www.flickr.com/photos/axiomatic/

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