SLArt, SL art, just art…or whatever…
Lately the word “art”is being a protagonist in Second Life and some related blogs and web-pages (as Flickr).
My friend Ganymedes Costagravas told me someone has contacted him because he was using the tag SLart in his pictures in Flickr. That person has registered the word “SLart” and he was asking him to take off all the tags!!!
Vint Falken wrote a really interested post about this stuff. I’m still surprised someone “trademarked” a work like that, first, I think SL is a trademark of Linden Labs, second, is a word of common use in Second Life.
Talking about the common use… I used the image above (with permission of the creator, Nebulosus Severine) to illustrate a bit that question. Is SLphotography Art? , the big question…
Art is a really open concept (SLart is maybe even more open) so the only think I can do (as everybody) is to give my opinion. Just some SLphotography is art, as just some RLphotography is, exactly the same as any kind of creation, some buildings in SL are art, most are not. What makes something art is not the tool or the technique, is the intention, the talent and the meaning, the expression of beauty (of any kind, not always the “mainstream” beauty), of fears, loves, hates, feelings and thoughts.
I’m not pretending to be an artist, I just enjoy using some tools to create things (images, objects, …) and, sometimes, even express myself. Sometimes I enjoy trying to create images that may push people’s mind, sometimes I’m just having fun. And I don’t need to be an artist to do all that.
About the use and abuse of the word Art. I don’t consider, personally, Art something beautiful, well done, but totally empty. Maybe is here where i find the abuse of the word, some people call themselves “artist” just because they have good (even great) skills using a tool to create something beautiful, but what is behind? some meaning? some feeling apart of the sense of beauty? For me this people are craftsmen (or craftswomen), but artists?
As always I’d like to say this is my opinion and I can be wrong, everyone is free to call oneself whatever one wants in the same way I’m free to express what i think. (I know this is a boring “disclaimer” but i don’t want nobody to misunderstand me) 
5 Responses to “SLArt, SL art, just art…or whatever…”
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It’s a bit funny…seems now we’re forbidden to use the term “SLArt “,which is the most common way to just describe what you think might be art in SL if we forget to use a space between!haha!
As of what IS art in SL, i agree with you, of course it’s a completely subjective matter exactly like real life.Your photos are art to me.Might not be for another person though.There is a thin line between technical skills that make a photo look great and real art which ( for me always) might be the strength of your expression,your passion,your feelings,your inspiration….or exactly the opposite,your bared weakness….Having gone deep in art as an observer,i’d only say Second Life is still a rather limited place for …masterpieces…
I agree, Chrisy, thanks for the comment about my photos ::hugz::
Art is, partially, a subjective concept, that is one of the problems in its definition. I think you used the right word, passion, i think that’s the key. I saw some creations in SL of people still developing skills and were art, just becuase the passion in them.
About masterpieces… well, i agree that maybe is too limited if we talk about SLphotography, but if you talk in SL itself, the tools are almost unlimited, you can build something inmersing and enviromental in a great way.
About the SLart story… well, is just a trademark, not a registered (copyrighted) word, so you can use it (not as a brand) so let’s start… SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart, SLart… now sue me
There is a really interesting article about the legal base of all this on Benjamin Duranske’s blog.
I’ve been thinking about this idea of “art” as well, as I am sure many of us have lately. Certainly “taste” is a very personal thing, but I agree with you that “art” should (for most people) evoke an emotional response, outside of any personal connection to the work itself. Put more simply, a personal photo or piece of music will always make you feel something, but it does it make a complete stranger feel something? Other than boredom of course! ;o)
On that basis, if someone creates a “photo” from Second Life, whether it is post-processed or not, and that picture creates an independent emotional reaction in its viewers then I think it is art.
Having said all of that, even the experts cannot agree on what defines art, as Wikipedia describes rather well:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art
I also agree that “passion” is a very useful word here. Whatever emotion is evoked by a piece of art, really good art evokes passionate reactions. If I were an artist, I would rather people hated my work with a passion than be unmoved by it at all.
By that definition Raul, many of your images are certainly art in my opinion. There are some that I really don’t like, and others that I adore, and that is EXACTLY what I want from art! If I liked everything you did then I would probably question it – LOL. Your work also shows many phases of your own journey and exploration in style and expression, which to me is another sign of an artist.
Thanks for your comment about my pictures, Wolf. If you liked everything I did then you would be liking even more than myself
Maybe i overuse the word “Passion” (i’m spanish
) but with that word i mean something emotional, powerful…
I thing passion is EXACTLY the right word
I am a very big fan of passion in all things!