UWA Artists’ Choice Challenges An exhibition series of original digital art in a virtual world
Perfume FreeWee Ling, curator
UWA Studies in Virtual Arts | February 2012 | Volume 1, Number 2 ISSN: 2200-7865 (Print)
ISSN: 2200-7873 (Online)
UWA Studies in Virtual Arts February 2012 Volume 1, Number 2 ISSN 2200-7865 (Print) ISSN: 2200-7873 (Online) http://uwainsl.blogspot.com/p/uwa-studies-in-virtual-arts.html Jay Jay Jegathesan (SL pseudonym: JayJay Zifanwe), Project Director, Co-curator D. A. Newton (SL pseudonym: FreeWee Ling), UWA Honorary Research Fellow, Lead Curator, and General Editor Copyright © 2012 by D.A. Newton. All rights to the original works depicted are owned by their respective creators, and images thereof are used by their permission. All text and images by D.A. Newton/FreeWee Ling unless otherwise noted. Contact: Jay Jay Jegathesan School of Physics The University of Western Australia (M013) 35 Stirling Highway Crawley WA 6009 Australia Email: jay.jay@uwa.edu.au UWA Studies in Virtual Arts comprise exhibition catalogues, special editions, and monographs on the arts in virtual worlds. Focus is especially upon the 3D art competitions held at UWA’s virtual campus in Second Life. Citation Contributors retain intellectual property rights to their material and may re-publish it provided that UWA SiVA is acknowledged as the original place of publication. Material in UWA SiVA may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-profit use for the purposes of education research, library reference, or stored and/or distributed as a public service by any networked computer. Any commercial use of this journal in whole or in part by any means is strictly prohibited without written permission. Any use of this journal in whole or in part should include customary bibliographic citation. “Second Life®”and “Linden Lab®” are trademarks of Linden Research, Inc. The university of Western Australia and UWA SiVA are not affiliated with or sponsored by Linden Research.
Contents Introduction The Work
Introduction 2012 is the third year of 3D virtual art challenges at the University of Western Australia’s virtual gallery in Second Life® (SL™). Through these competitions, UWA in SL is recognized worldwide as one of the most imporant venues for the presentation of virtual arts. This year we feature two separate and non-concurrent challenges: the UWA 3D Artists’ Choice Challenges, and the UWA Centenary 3D Art Challenge. From January through March and August through December, we will feature monthly sponsored theme challenges, beginning with the January theme of “3D Self Portraits,” followed in February by “Perfume,” as shown in this issue of UWA SiVA. From April through July will be a single major open competition in celebration of the Centenary of UWA, with L$550,000 Lindens (about $2200 USD) in art prizes and L$775,000 ($3,400 USD) for “MachinimUWA V,” a related animated film competition. For the UWA Artists’ Choice challenges, a different theme is announced each month, but the core theme is personal expression. We want the artists to use this as an opportunity to explore some aspect of their personality, not only as a creative artist, but also as a critical observer. An essential difference in these shows is the judging. When artists submit an entry they agree to serve also as a judge for the prize awards. Thus the awards are determined by the recipients’ colleagues, making this a unique process of consensus among peers rather than a critical adjudication by an outside panel. As with most UWA challenges, participation is open to anyone and no qualification is required. There are technical limits to the number of parts contained in an object
and to server load. There is no size limit except to the extent that it impedes our ability to show other work. We accomodate media video and audio streaming, sound and light emitters, motion scripting, etc. Often we are confronted with work that presents special difficulties in presenting it properly. But we do whatever we can within reason to work with artsts to support their visions. For the second round of the UWA Artists’ Choice Challenge we turn to the sense of smell. The idea of communicating senses that are lacking in virtual worlds presents interesting challenges. We have no tactile sense and yet we flinch when hit by a falling object. We cannot taste here, and yet we put out food and drink at art openings. Our hope with the Perfume challenge was to communicate olfactory experiences by reference to other things. We see a flower or a picture of a grandmother and that evokes a smell, just as a smell can evoke a deep memory. The artists in this show express those cross-sensory synaesthetic experiences in many different and engaging ways. We want to acknowledge the generosity of our patrons and sponsors for this project: • JayJay Zifanwe and the University of Western Australia • fiona Blaylock and artFiona • armany Thursday and Dyce Underwood for DNA Art and Music Fusion • Eliza Wierwight and Patron • Cherry Manga and Anley Piers for Mysterious Wave • Ginger Alsop and Phi Designs • Zachh Cale and projectZ
The Work There were 14 entries by 12 artists: Charles Hera ~ Sweet Success Winner: Second Place Award, Non-Scripted Award Cherry Manga ~ Perfume: The Story of a Murderer Winner: Second Place Award, Non-Scripted Award Chic Aeon ~ The Last Rose Chic Aeon ~ The Scent of Memories Eifachfilm Vacirca ~ d-o-o-b flacon *FreeWee Ling ~ Parfumerie: La Roue Libre Huntress Catteneo ~ Perfumed Shopping Aisle London Junkers ~ Fragrance of Existence Menubar Memorial ~ Olfactory Synapses Nino Vichan ~ She will always be roses Praxis ~ Synasiezure Winner: First Place Award, People’s Choice Award Secret Rage ~ Mama’s Perfume Silene Christen ~ When I lie down on your chest Winner: Second Place Award Silene Christen ~ 8 am, approaching the work
* While FreeWee Ling received the highest voting score from her colleagues, she felt she may have had an unfair advantage in selecting the theme for the show and withdrew her piece from consideration for the awards.
Charles Hera - Sweet Smell of Success
Cherry Manga Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
Chic Aeon - The Last Rose
Chic Aeon
The Scent of Memories
Eifachfilm Vacirca d-o-o-b flacon
FreeWee Ling ~ Parfumerie: La Roue Libre
Huntress Catteneo ~ Perfumed Shopping Aisle
London Junkers ~ Fragrance of Existence
Menubar Memorial ~ Olfactory Synapses
Menubar Memorial ~ O factory Synapses
Ol-
Nino Vichan ~ She will always be roses
Praxis ~ Synasiezure
Secret Rage ~ Mama’s Perfume When I learned this month’s challenge ~ “perfume”~ my very first thought was of my Mother. Along with facepowder and lipstick, she wore perfume every single day of her life...she absolutely loved it. When I was very young, I would watch her “put on her face” and think how beautiful she was, and the memory of the wonderful scents she always put on last completes that memory and is a very, very happy one. Once, when she wore a new one, my discerning nose caught its difference...please cam in closely to look at the top of the bottle...when you touch it, it will open, and you will hear my reaction to her new perfume... “ohhh Mamma... you stink so pretty nowww...” ~ I remember her giggling and later telling the rest of the family what I had said. After that day...perfume was never referred to as anything else in my family but as “stink pretty.”
Next, touch the bottle iself. It will place you on the passion flower floating inside. You will then be holding an orb, and in it you will see the smiling face of my sweet Mother. If you touch the orb, it will give you a YouTube link [http://bit.ly/pcrmAe] to one of her favorite Doris Day songs...and it will tell you that I AM my Mother’s daughter. (note the title :D) ~Secret Rage~
Silene Christen ~ when I lie down on your chest
Silene Christen ~ 8 am, approaching the work