My Second Life

I have to echo the comments of Marcie on the TC blog (I'm still unable to cross-post, my apologies for that). I had fooled around with Second Life a bit when it first came out and created an avatar but never entered the world. My husband and other friends are very much opposed to Second Life because it sucks the life out of you. I have to say I really enjoyed my first experience entering the world (campus island). I'm a novice of course but have always been building avatars for myself. These stand-in feel very much like me. I had a very intense feeling of presence in Second Life and must admit that my social skills are not improved in virtuality.

I had selected the most colorful avatar I could choose (without $) and am so far pleased with the Zultress Maven. She feels like me at 25 which is about right guaging her fine physique. I met another woman almost immediately who told me I was boring. I bumped into a man who was busily changing his appearance and two guys who were swimming and chatting together. The woman and I chatted via text which was really fun (for me I guess). I loved the way the avatar's hands pretended to type at the keyboard while I was. In fact the real-time responsiveness of the avatar is fantastic.

While I was examining the education board on the campus one of the swimmers flew up and snuck around the board to check me out. I ignored this and he returned to his buddy. They were using audio to communicate and I could also hear them speak. I much prefered being a third party and could ascertain that these two knew each other.

I'm still not sure of what to do in the world without some kind of role defined. However, I'm intrigued and would like to spend some time exploring. The graphics are terrific and there exist many groups to join. The social interaction still makes me nervous. I'm not at all comfortable approaching others in the new world but only time can tell how the Zultress will evolve.

Social Networking and me

I hold accounts on both Facebook and linkedin for mainly professional reasons. Facebook and linkedin allow me to maintain my contacts with artists I've known and worked with over the years despite that so many are living in foreign countries. I relocated to upstate NY and while "not that far" is still a journey requiring preparation that kills any kind of spontaneity. Now instead of getting a hold of LN at HERE (spring/broome) and going over to the eastside to one of many special spots to catch up, I can poke her on Facebook and find out what's up. I really like that I do feel connected and I think many other folks I know do too. The otherside is all these people from your hometown that find you out. And that is sweet too -- I like to see everyone I remember doing well. Even many of my cousins are on Facebook and I have MANY cousins.

Linkedin I need to do more work with I've been passive so far and hadn't had much time to fiddle. It feels more serious. MySpace, I spy on youth culture on MySpace for research purposes and am not into the music scene in a serious way so for me it's a great place to advertise (when I wear my day job hat) and that's about it. I also advertise on Facebook and have enjoyed this experimental marketing.

Twitter I haven't touched -- too immediate for my liking (I hate the telephone myself). But, perhaps it's just the demo I saw that introduced me to it. The lady was pretty snotty and was talking about how to keep lame people out of Twitter. I'm pretty careful about who I'm friends with online but at least want to believe in its inclusivity factor. It is still an experimental medium and the point is that people should feel safe to try things out (appropriateness ? is still hard to judge, enforce, define here).

Bookmarks

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These are my delicious bookmarks, I've had an account for over a year now but have not gotten totally into it yet. But, I am very excited about it for research purposes. I need to find time to spend on these, but here's what it is so far...

Cover Band

The video "Cover Band" is my educational video. I think doing an instructional video would be fun but I went this way today and consider it a sketch. The reason it's called "Cover Band" is because I sampled all the source off Utube, save my V.O. of the Port Huron statement (Tom Hayden). I am of techno DJ culture era and refuse to not work with popular material already out there. As a scholar, I am entitled to cite other people's written works and understand very well the process of gaining permission to use images. I think quoting is flattery that builds knowledge and that we create nothing new without doing so. I was fortunate enough to catch Creative Commons' Lawrence Lessig speaking this summer and have to say I'm really looking for creative freedom not an affordable lawyer. I still agree with DJ Spooky that it is the edit that is the art. But, while all this controversy over images continues, I'll post just a sketch of some thoughts I've been putting together.

The Listener

The Listener on Blip.tv

"The Listener" takes a look at listening during a narrative. I was looking for a common narrative, one that most people in New York could relate to, the "where were you when JFK was shot?" type of question for today's generation. I thought of 9/11 and the power outage of August 2002 as being collective experiences in New York memories. A lot of the listener's job is to pay attention to the other but often they zone out or begin remembering their own experiences while the other person is speaking. The narrative then becomes a layered text and a visual experience.

Happy Halloween

Some days it's hard to be Tinkerbell....

Home - video 1

I began tackling the 1 minute silent video and selected the home topic. I decided to capture what you don't see while you are taking an DL course and reveal new student study habits that form around this new interface for learning. I'm very keen on DL due to its' flexibility and access. Busy people who may not be able to otherwise juggle their personal and professional obligations around a class can participate with DL. And while we connect each week, I wonder what everyone else is doing while they are taking the class. The temptation to multi-task or disruptions (from baby in my case) sneak into the learning experience. And while I may never really get to know my class mates I wonder about them.

Although this sounds like it could be the education topic video, it really does reveal a lot about my home situation right now. Home is certainly the focus for me. I recently had a baby and that of course transformed our home life. In addition, I moved last weekend and was worried about not getting the assignment done on time. The real worry of squeezing in a project or time for education/art making was translated into this 1-minute short. I also speeded up the footage to hopefully add some humor but also to reflect the psychological speed in which I often find myself moving at.

Aesthetically speaking I am a big fan of Lars von Trier, especially his "Idiots", and of the Dogma DV movement. I was very excited by this work when it first emerged particularly because it valued the nature of the DV medium and its formal qualities. Doing this assignment made me think again of those earlier critical experiments with DV. It also made me reflect that it's not what you know how to do but what you can get done within the constraints of your resources. I'm going to call this a DIY aesthetical philosophy from here out!

New Media Constructions

New Media Constructions

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23903170@N00/show/

The link to Flickr.com shows some of my "new media constructions" all images sampled from the web. Just fragments about things I've been thinking about. Topics such as Iraqbirdflu or protest or bored come to fruition here...

First Entry

Thank you for your overview Richard, it was exciting to have such a "live" virtual experience. It far surpasses the classes I've taken online so far. I shot my portrait with Photo booth on the Mac (big Apple enthusiast). I like photo booth b/c it has the immediacy and fun of the old photo booth.

As far as my situation goes I've been engaged with the "new media" since 1993 and have worked with computer graphics imaging tools from PhotoShop to DV to animation. I was a freelance FCP DV editor for a long time and teach courses in the foundations of digital art. My research focus has been artists integrating technologies into their studio art practice. I feel Web 2.0 is another layer of opportunity for artists to maximize their potential. I am also very dedicated to tracking the "digital aesthetic" how art practices shift with technologies and how viewers see changes subsequently.

Do not mistake me for a technophile. I'm an artist myself who combines traditional art practices with digital technologies. I have a deep appreciation of traditional art making methodologies and am after the hybrid that results from diverse influences. Today is an age of hybridizations and I think Web 2.0 will be the great facilitator of this situation, thereby erasing C.P. Snow's boundaries and many others.

More info about me may be accessed at http://www.smayo.net