Friday, December 10, 2010

Georgia

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Puffball/71/135/21/?title=PRAKA%20Fine%20Arts%20Gallery&msg=Sledge%20Roffo%27s%20%22Georgia%22 Saturday, December 11 6-8 pm Opening Event at PRAKA gallery In this series, a challenging one I might add, I attempted some Georgia O'Keefe itype mages using only one prim shape - the torus. I wrote about this series months ago and this opportunity for a solo show presented itself - thanks to Morgana. The poster is fantastic! Updated: The Opening is a Success and still going strong! Here's a little something someone wrote about it: http://nordanomjorden.wordpress.com/2010/12/12/review-praka-twilight/

Friday, November 19, 2010

Dots and optical Illusions

Cool stuff........due in part to exact complimentary color usage.

Dot Crazy - Yayoi Kusama

She is 80 now...but was avant-garde in years past. She is crazy for dots!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

E-Motion in Berlin

This is a picture of my entry into the E-Motion contest - "Prism Angst" This scripted sculpture received 121 jury votes - with the top jury votes at 125 - :) But the real winners got the public votes too...and they all cool! Here were the rules:
1. The artwork has to be new and created exclusively for this specific contest.2. The topic is "eMotion" This has two meanings, "electronic motion" and "emotion" in the sense of "moving the mind"3. Something has to "move" in the artwork, either animations, particles or through scripts. Flat pictures without movement are not accepted.4. You can use up to 25 prims.5. One piece per participant!6. As usual in my contests there will be a public and a jury panel voting.
The sculpture is for sale. Come look at all the entries! 300 visitors so far....

Friday, October 29, 2010

The City Burns!!!

Burn2 ends.........the city burns today...explodes tonight!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Here Comes the Sun

Welcome to the City! This picture of our build was taken by Honour McMillan for her blog http://honour-mcmillan.blogspot.com/ Jewel and I had fun again on the Playa. It runs from October 16-24. Soundy did it again and provided some great sounds that add to the work. Jewel's textures of the city were awesome and take a look at the sillouettes in some of the windows! :) Great fun! Click on the sunburst and change the colors and initiate some new sounds. Turn the music stream off to hear the sounds or turn it on and do some dancing in the streets!

Monday, September 27, 2010

THE DIORAMA OF SECOND LIFE

After a few weeks of working on the small plot for BURN2 I acquired, I've come to realize that the work would be well represented on a tilted plane like a diorama, with a background of distant objects, a false perspective, with objects in the front much larger than those farther away. This is done to reinforce the illusion through depth perception of viewing a larger space— in this case a city based loosely on New York City. The background will be on a curved surface so that the viewer is not distracted by corners, seams, or edges. All of these techniques are means of presenting a realistic view of a large scene in a compact space-- an attempt at binocular perception of depth.
I enjoyed an interesting bit of history researching the typical diorama --the Daguerre Dioramas from Paris in the early 1800s. The Daguerre Diorama was a theatrical experience viewed by an audience in a highly specialized theatre in which large landscape paintings were viewed. The audience rotated on a massive turntable to see several scenes. These Daguerre Dioramas often had two paintings, but in some cases there were three. They consisted of semi-transparent linens that overlapped in a deep tunnel to create the depth the artist wanted to convey through manipulation of natural light, making the scene change like a live-action movie. The inventor and proprietor of the Diorama was Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre (1787–1851). He later co-invented the daguerreotype , the first widely used method of photography. Some "typical diorama effects included moonlit nights, winter snow turning into a summer meadow, rainbows after a storm, illuminated fountains," waterfalls, thunder and lightning, and ringing bells.
I'm reminded of Alizarin Goldflake's immersive containers and some other immersive artworks of SL. The landscapes in the SL sims are like dioramas that our avatars roam through, representing something we know in real life.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Art Deco - Metropolis Theme Burn2

http://www.burn2.org/ Opening October 16-23. I donated L$8K to acquire a plot this year. I figure it will help support the arts and this event in particular. I also missed the deadline for the lottery. :( The plot is 1024 m and 351 prim limit. The plots are close together, unlike last year. My plot backs to the sim edge and is facing a roadway so that it doesn't necessarily have to be viewed from every angle. Some more famous SL artists were given larger plots in which to work with over 2100 prims available to them. The rest of us are crowded in the ghetto surrounding the main buildings. This year's theme is Metropolis. The style is art deco. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Deco

Monday, August 16, 2010

POP ART LAB - Art Breakers

Art Breaker takes off! The participating artists: Bryn Oh (http://brynoh.blogspot.com/) Abstract Baroque Misprint Thursday Misu Susanowa (http://gomiso.blogspot.com/) Sunn Thunders (http://sunnthunders.blogspot.com/) Binary Quandry Sabrinaa Nightfire Sledge Roffo http://www.popartlab.com/news/art-breaker-takes-off/ The theme of my installation: De Stijl: [deh STILE] A movement among artists and architects in post-WWI Holland who sought to create a universal style in painting, architecture, and design, using rectangles and squares in flat planes of bold primary colors and black, gray and white. Update: Ok..so I started with De Stijl rules...but I had to BREAK them! Come see! http://www.popartlab.com/news/art-breaker/ 1. The maximum number of prims allowed for each artist/artist group is 400. 2. All installations/pieces should be inter- or reactive. 3. Building can take place from 2010-08-14 till end date 2010-09-03. 4. After a 2 months showcase all installations will be removed. 5. Scripts should be made low lag. Important dates: July 3 – July 31: Call for proposals (send/show us your ideas)July 31 – August 13: Evaluation (committee selects the 8 participating entries)August 14, Saturday: Rezz (build starts)September 4, Saturday: Event (showcase incl. happenings)October 6, Saturday: End (removal of builds)

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Goethe

Theory of Colours (original German title, Zur Farbenlehre) is a book by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe published in 1810. It contains some of the earliest published descriptions of phenomena such as coloured shadows, refraction, and chromatic aberration. Its influence extends primarily to the art world, especially among the Pre-Raphaelites. J. M. W. Turner studied it comprehensively, and referenced it in the titles of several paintings (Bockemuhl, 1991). Wassily Kandinsky considered Goethe's theory "one of the most important works."

josef albers

Josef Albers (1888 - 1976) was a German-born American artist (geometric abstraction) and educator whose work, both in Europe and in the United States, formed the basis of some of the most influential and far-reaching art education programs of the 20th century.
At the age of 63, Josef Albers began what was to become his signature series, the 'Homage to the Square'. From 1950 until his death Albers was to create over 1,000 variations on the theme of squares, abandoning the loose forms of the late 1930s and '40s and returning to the hard-edged geometry of his Bauhaus years. gogeometry.com/wonder_world/josef_albers_homage_square_golden_rectangle.html
The top piece is sandblasted on glass and painted in black, approx 44 x 31 cm.

De Stijl

The term De Stijl is used to refer to a body of work from 1917 to 1931 founded in the Netherlands. De Stijl is also the name of a journal that was published by the Dutch painter, designer, writer, and critic Theo van Doesburg (1883–1931), propagating the group's theories. Next to van Doesburg, the group's principal members were the painters Piet Mondrian (1872–1944), Vilmos Huszár (1884–1960), and Bart van der Leck (1876–1958), and the architects Gerrit Rietveld (1888–1964), Robert van 't Hoff (1887–1979), and J.J.P. Oud (1890–1963). The artistic philosophy that formed a basis for the group's work is known as neoplasticism — the new plastic art (or Nieuwe Beelding in Dutch).
Mondrian himself sets forth these delimitations in his essay 'Neo-Plasticism in Pictorial Art'. He writes, "... this new plastic idea will ignore the particulars of appearance, that is to say, natural form and colour. On the contrary, it should find its expression in the abstraction of form and colour, that is to say, in the straight line and the clearly defined primary colour."

---------- A transition------------

This is the influence that provides more satisfaction than any other influences in art for me....although in my work, colors are more expansive and the patterns have more variety. I keep coming back to this movement as a reference because it brings harmony and peacefulness. I'm rejecting any further struggle with organic forms. Unless I experience another evolution or backward glance, I feel the style I am most comfortable with is strictly geometric. It has taken two years of experimentation in SL to finally find a resting place. I am there. I see the potential to keep me occupied with unlimited experiences within this realm of expression.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Georgia O'Keefe

Soon I plan to unveil some distinctively O'Keefe style primagery. Her ability to see the abstract in nature by zooming in, closely parallels my relationship with the prim. Because I don't use sculpties (some day, maybe), I don't have the freedom of shaping the forms relative to my "canvas" but it is remarkable, just how much it still feels like it is working. In this series, I've challenged myself to utilizing one shape only - a version of a two-fold calabi-yau or my favorite twisted torus. The element of light will personalize it for me...setting up the photos..making them "feel" like a canvas. Abstract flowers and landscapes that evoke her style is my goal for this series I call "Georgia". http://tracymar.smugmug.com/Art/Painting/Georgia-OKeeffe/10434736_gVkrx/2/723516337_7sqX3/Original To see some examples Update: New Show scheduled for December for the unveiling of "Georgia" primagery series

Monday, July 19, 2010

InWorldz or Second Life

Lots of buzz going around and some artists leaving SL for a less expensive alternative. But, I visited InWorldz and there wasn't much there. So..yeah...its cheaper. Search didn't work so, frankly, I wouldn't have any idea what is there to explore. I love my SL home, my friends, and my experiences have been rich and rewarding - Don't want to give that up. My avie is me......my noob skin in InWorldz feels like an imposter. --- I don't think I'll be joining the exodus but as soror nishi points out....if you want a sim-wide creation - it may be the place of your dreams! http://sorornishi.blogspot.com/2010/07/second-life-vs-inworldz.html

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Second Life 7 Year Birthday Bash

Jewel and I feel very lucky to be able to participate in this year's SL birthday with a build that illustrates collaboration, rather than our individual creations. It was a quick build, given the time allotted of approximately 10 days and we started with nothing but an idea - a Confetti Cannon. Once we had the idea and got the go-ahead to build on the land; I had to learn some scripting for just the right effect. The Particle Lab built by Jopsy Pendragon contains a wealth of information and helpful templates to do just about anything you want with particles. http://slurl.com/secondlife/teal/200/50/23 (ride the hot air balloon up to the lab). One thing to remember - Particle generation is entirely client-side and does not contribute to sim load. This is a very awesome fact and one that has given me some ideas for exploration. It was a requirement for this build that all scripts be limited to those that don't need to collect data from the server, that there be no use of mega prims, limited use of flex prims and sculpties, and to have fun, most of all! Click the wicks of the candles and watch as confetti explodes! Take a gift - a scripted sculpture of "Forever Ribbons Color Changing", a happy dance and a party hat! Be sure and tour the sims for this event! Confetti Cannon - SLurl is http://slurl.com/secondlife/SL7B%20Contradiction/177/137/23

Monday, June 7, 2010

Clouds at PiRats

secondlife://PiRats+Art+Network/215/89/21
The first photo is of Cloud 99, a non-scripted entry in the June UWA 3D Competition. It turned out to be failed attempt to create a sculpture for a primagery series that had the appearance of alot of white paint, similar to Susan Rothenberg's works. The pictures were only half as good as the sculpture.
The second one is a photo taken from inside my latest scripted sculpture in the Cloud series and is the background for the poster for the Opening event. The alpha texture from Jewel. A confetti-like effect suitable for the SL7B parcel exhibit coming soon called Confetti Cannon, this sculpture is called Cloud 49, made from 49 active prims. Also, like paint splatters of Pollack but digital and dimensional - the photos are equally as successful as the 3D work.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Cybernetic Serendipity

Gordon Pask (Cybernetic Holy Man), «The Colloquy of Mobiles», 1968 A reactive, educable, computer-based system composed of five mobiles. By way of light and sound, the rotating elements suspended from the ceiling communicated with each other, independent of external influences.
Read about his "Maverick Machines" and be astounded!
Pask defined aesthetically potent environments as those environments designed to stimulate pleasurable interactions. Any work of art could be an aesthetically potent environment. It need not involve mechanical or computer-aided interactivity.

Phosphorescence

Of stored energy................................
Lets see where this idea takes me in SL art..............

Monday, April 12, 2010

Bloom Glow wins Non-Scripted Entry for March

This 55 prim sculpture has produced a number of flowery pictures that I will exhibit in June. A small version will be prepared that will represent the overall design. The version shown in the picture is normal size, although when I made it, it was supposed to be an immersive installation. It can be resized to any number of reincarnations.
One of the pictures is included in Forceplanet's kaBloom exhibit.
:: Force Planet :: and :: Gallery Tony :: are proud to present an extraordinary exhibit of new art, :: kÅbloom ::" :: kÅbloom :: combines the wild blooming frenzy of spring with Kå, the life force as described by the Egyptian symbol of two upraised arms."Twenty five artists (including yours truly) give their unique interpretations of this theme with works that can only be seen at this amazing collection.:: kÅbloom :: opens March 21st, 2010 and is scheduled to show until September 1st, 2010 at :: Force Planet ::

Sunday, March 28, 2010

DOTS Exhibit at Gallery of the Minotaur

Just two of many fun images (inspirations for paintings, perhaps) that these alphas have yeilded when sculpted together on boxes. This is the new series that has been the most fun to put together and I'm pleased to share it with you.
Opening Events:
Saturday, March 27, 2010 at Noon SLT - DJ Bard Wasp spun his great collection of Blues tunes.
Sunday, March 28, 2010 at 5:00 pm SLT Claudio Delvalle plays his original music
The show runs through April. There are 7 pieces each from two different sculptures. The sculptures are fun too...with dots floating on the transparent surfaces, like moving water, changing the perspective..drawing your eye in.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Pastiche Gallery Opening 2-21-2010

The Opening Event at this lovely glassed gallery was a success. Pastiche was kind to state that my Primagery is fresh and unique. To this day, I am the only one that is continuing to explore this technique of artistic expression. This series "Spatial" was initiated through the No Texture Imagine Challenge and evolved from some simple ideas. I'm always happy to share the excitement of my discoveries with others in Second Life. There were new people at the gallery who got to see a wide range of possibilities.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Thomas Schütte

This contemporary German artist is prolific and dabbles in everything. I really dig his stuff.
He makes architectural models and sculptures that remind me of some things I am doing in Second Life.
Kunst is the German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish and Estonian word for "art".

Spirit House Chandelier by Libeskind

the Spirit House Chandelier Royal Ontario Museum Chandelier Toronto, Canada Designed by Daniel Libeskind and donated by Swarovski, the Spirit House Chandelier will be installed on the staircase between the Level 4 Institute for Contemporary Culture Gallery and the Level 5 Crystal Five (C5) Restaurant Lounge. Completion: 2008Client: Royal Ontario Museum Technical Details:Dimensions:Length:29 ft.Height: 10 ft.Width: 10 ft.Weight: 800 lbs.Structure Details:More than 100,000 Swarovski crystals wrapped around an illuminum frame. Credits:Manufacturer: Leuchten Manufactur Wurzen GmBh
Something like this looks easy enough to make in Second Life and far less expensive than in RL.

Cubist Guitars

Pablo Picasso, Bottle of Vieux Marc, Glass, Guitar and Newspaper, 1913, collage and pen and ink on blue paper, 46.7 x 62.5 cm, Tate Gallery, London.
Exploring cubism and the guitar in the 21st ca using digital means via Second Life is my next journey. I have sounds to add to the sculptures which I think will prove to be an interesting evolution of the subject matter. Paintings experienced in 3D has driven me to this end. I hope it is fruitful. It sometimes is painful to break from the usual patterns. I'm anxious to put this idea to work soon in a series of primagery. This mode of collage lends itself well to the "prim painting" method of presentation but that really is still only 2D and scripted and so I avoid it. In cubist artworks, objects are broken up, analyzed, and re-assembled in an abstracted form instead of depicting objects from one viewpoint, the artist depicts the subject from a multitude of viewpoints to represent the subject in a greater context. Often the surfaces intersect at seemingly random angles, removing a coherent sense of depth. The background and object planes interpenetrate one another to create the shallow ambiguous space, one of cubism’s distinct characteristics. http://originalmind.tistory.com/entry/%ED%98%84%EB%8C%80-%EC%B6%94%EC%83%81%EB%AF%B8%EC%88%A0-Abstract-Art http://blogs.princeton.edu/writingart8/

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Kunst Galerie Opening Event 1-31-10

Sunday at 5 pm with guitarist Joaquin Gustav in Kunst Gallerie with two other RL artists, I am set to debut my new Spatial primagery series. The selection for this exhibit is taken from my sculpture called "Spatial Distressed". The gallerie is an awesome build and the owner is very talented and has ultimate taste.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Lisa Hamilton Paintings and Current Geometric Abstraction

60 x 50 inch paintings
Cool, painterly, subtle use of color, almost elementary and tentative with the grey. The tension excites the viewer.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Alma Thomas in the White House

Autumn Leaves Fluttering in the Breeze - 1973 http://venetianred.net/2009/10/27/alma-thomas-on-the-shoulders-of-giants/
Look at this beauty of a painting and then take a look at this article and discussion about what is art. Alma was a black woman artist who's work is being requisitioned by the Obamas for display at the White House. Modern art is still misunderstood and underappreciated. Artists copy from others, are influenced by those from the past and grow and develop a style of their own. I like her cut-out approach to painting and hopefully will be influenced by it and all her predecessors.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Something Close to Painting like Diebenkorn

Another example of one of the pictures in the primagery series called Spatial that I have developed that sort of demonstrates a similar style or clean lines and muted pastel colors. This particular grouping is more brightly colored than Diebenkorn's work. I will try something closer to his style as an exercise in the near future.

Richard Diebenkorn and the Ocean Park Series

Ocean Park #19
Ocean Park #122
(Excerpt from www.artchive.com/artchive/D/diebenkorn.html ) "....In 1967, Diebenkorn started a new series of paintings called the Ocean Park paintings-large canvases, each bearing the same title, Ocean Park, but individuated with a number that indicates, presumably, the order of its completion. The series had reached number 140 by late last year, which allows a rough calculation of Diebenkorn's annual output. They clearly are something more than abstractions with recurrent compositional motifs, cadences, pastel tonalities, scumbled fields and tapelike forms, and stunning juxtapositions of color swept on with masterful brushwork."
Someone in Second Life suggested that my new Spatial Series is reminicent of Diebenkorn. I'm very much influenced by painters but frankly was not familiar with this body of work. I see the resemblance and would hope some day to have as much finesse with the brush on canvas. As far as I am concerned, it will never be passe. But maybe I have found a way to enter the next century and still portray stunning images of an abstract impressionist style.