Victoria Lenoirre Explores ~(Not a Knot) and The Forest

Hi there! Have you seen Tyrehl Byk's ~Not a Knot exhibit at the LEA full sim and RazorZ's Forest at the UWA Sky Sim? If you haven't, you definitely should! These are the showcase 3d galleries this month only!



The Entrance to ~(Not A Knot)

Here I am standing in the foyer in front of the Transport Curtain. There are arrows on the floor pointing to it, for easy finding. And next to the curtain you should see a bulletin that says "touch" as you can see in the snapshot I took. Click on that for a performance calendar. And to the right of the calendar is a Transport Curtain to the Horizon Theatre where you can view Catharsis, a spectacular performance of particles, light, and more. You don't want to miss it!

Once you click to transport, you should find yourself on a stone terrace. To your right you should see a knot, a brown knot...called a rope knot. Click the knot for viewing instructions. You will get a notecard that explains what settings are best to use when exploring the body of work by Tyrehl. For example, you should turn off ambience and turn sounds to the max. Tyrehl has some animals sounds and voice clips.


Outward Look



Fire Extinguisher Area

This area which I captured above was one of my favorite spots. The sound of the fire in the torch sounded so  real and so loud, especially since I changed my settings as Tyrehl instructed in the notecard I got as I landed on the  terrace.

Here's the interview I sent him:

Why is this called ~(Not a Knot)?
I recognized those symbols from logic, Formal Logic.
==================================
The name serves to highlight the idea that symbolic communication (primarily language based communication) is a landscape trapped and then sealed by the chains of people's assumptions and expectations.  When communication is unclear, all falls to confusion, anger, and/or frustration.  A common myth is that words hold power.  Words can only point at places where the meaning (power) resides.  If that destination is absent, the words themselves are signposts pointing nowhere.
================================
Why did you choose to build a forest?
===============================
Is it really a forest that exists floating in unsupported space, ungrounded, and without roots?  Are you consciously aware of this characteristic while wandering the space?  If not, why not?
==============================
Water and fire seem  to be fundamental for this work. Are you referencing the elements: earth, wind, water, and fire?
==============================
The ~(Not-A-Knot) construct is non-corporeal in nature.  The elementals that you mention are referenced from your memory  and the words point at things that are corporeal at their most fundamental level.  Why do flammable and  inflammable point at the same thing, while finite and infinite do not?
=============================
Interesting choice of sound bytes, especially the one about Elvis. It seems to emphasize the feeling of isolation and separateness. Is that the feel you were going for?
=============================
Actually those choices (Elvis has entered/left the building) were nothing more complicated than humorous signals indicating that the artist has entered, or has left  the environment at the start and finish of a performance period.  I do have an obscure sense of hurmor sometimes.  :)
================================
Why do you have the Vietnames food takeout box in the sim? It seems incongruous to the surroundings.
==============================
If that was the only thing you found to be incongruous, then I’m almost certain you did not see everything in the space.  This is not a build which is likely to reveal all of its substance in a single brief visit, nor is it something that will unfold the same for a person wandering along, vs. traveling with a group of people, or experiencing it during the times I am installed at the piece performing.  It is easy to assume that it is mostly just a lot of pretty landscape, but that is just the surface. Many things can be touched / sat upon to reveal layers that are not apparent at first glance.  Truth is rarely superficial, and many times it is quite elusive and often times people are quite simply too pressed for time, or too impatient to look beyond surfaces.  If you like, I could set aside some time to guide you around in more depth.  Unfortunately, this is not an easy piece to apprehend, and it is quite likely that only a small fraction of people will uncover all of its subtle nuance.
===================================
I love how the terrain is rough. One has to walk up and down. And sometimes, you have to turn around because you can't walk any further. What's the message there?
=================================
How many people do you know who “escape” into Second Life as if it is some sort of refuge that they believe should be “easy” and “comfortable” all the time?  Why do people refer to their off-world experience as “real life”, with the implicit expectation that what occurs in Second Life is somehow NOT real?  Why don’t those people see the lack of truth in that belief?  Why would a person be surprised to discover that in-world experience has its own set of challenges and that not all things are easy and inconsequential?
If you'd like me to guide you around a bit, let me know when and I'll make arrangements to meet you.
Thanks for your interesting questions.  I'm sure I've probably raised as many new ones as I've answered.

Thanks for answering my questions, Tyrehl. Give it up for Tyrehl Byk! Fantastic creation!
Additionally, the UWA Sky Sim features RazorZ's Forest. You should see it. RazorZ gave me a personal tour. I liked the scenery, the sound effects, and of course....the animations.

View from Above

This was taken with regular windlight settings. RazorZ has a notecard with recommended windlight settings so the scene will look very different and more amazing!

Flying back and forth over a "Real Water Pond"

Above, I have included a snapshot of my favorite aspect of the sim, I loved the flying animation as well as the sounds I heard around me. Listen carefully. What does it sound like to you?

Below is an interview I had with RazorZ:

So where is this forest that you based your exhibition off of?

There is no particular forest in real life that my work is based on.  My real life work is wood sculpture, tree surgery & landscaping.  And I pass by, & work in & around forests, glens, rivers & meadows all the time & I feel that this does inspire & connect me to the natural world, perhaps more than others.  I joined second life to further my study of sculpture & take it into 3D modeling, so I approached everything from this background.  After a few months of exploring in Second life & going to classes, learning.  I built my 1st large build, which was a fractal garden set in a 20x20x20 box.  I was exploring the link between Fractals & there equations in a digital form & how they relate to the real natural world.   That piece, (The Order of Fractals in a Digital World) went on to win a Peoples Choice award, and is currently displayed in galleries now.  There have been various updates & expansions on this project since then, & I entered another Mega Prim version (Mega Fractal Jungle)of this to UWA in August 40x40x40, which was more of a blend of real life pieces & virtual fractal abstraction. 
On the strength of all that work, Jayjay asked me to do the Sky SIM at UWA, with this 'Forest Theme'.  And now that I am working on it, it is taking a new direction.  You will have to come see it finished to understand what that is.

What are some techniques that you like to use to add depth or contrast to your work?

I have learnt about using shadow prims over the last few months & showing light & shadows is the best way to highlight the best parts & add depth & contrast.  But ever since I started building in SL, I have tested my builds by walking through them in 'Mouselook'.  This gives great view to explore how immersive a piece is, and allows me to adjust things to make it ideal & aesthetically  & ergonomically suitable for the environment.  I also like to use a lot of colour in my SL Art as I find others with more 1, 2 tone spectrum a little drab & depressing.

What do you love most about forests?  Did you try to instill that feeling in this body of work?

I adore the magical enchantment of forests in general.  Being in a place & feeling that connection to nature makes us realize that the world around us is more vast & powerful than anything we can create ourselves.  Connecting to this natural environment makes us all feel better & more relaxed & is something deeply embedded in the human psyche'.  So yes,  I do try to instill that feeling in my work & communicate it through this virtual world.
Did you use any experimental methods you haven't used before in previous builds?

I have been experimenting with Rez target scripts & Die on timer scripts over the past month or so & learning how they work.  I used this on my Wagon piece in October to throw the Barrel & Box out the back.  And I wanted to script my Unscripted piece, which was photographs of nature set on Flexi prims, with a gradient stepping on the transparency levels.  To use that script,  would of allowed me to actually make the Pictures, Photos on the Prims, Fall Over!  This occurrence happens in nature, from the leaves falling, branches breaking & falling in the wind & whole trees too.  Even the flow of water falls with gravity!   So I will be continuing my study into this & try to use it in my Forest build at UWA Sky SIM this month, November. 

Thanks, RazorZ for answering my questions! More great work from RazorZ!
So check out these two sims. They are fantastic and simply phenomenal. And don't forget to see Tyrehl's Catharsis and Particle Phantasmagoria. You'll be delighted out of your senses! Umm....well maybe just blown away. You need your senses. :-) Definitely keep an eye out for RazorZ's work. He may be a new artist in SL, but his stuff is quite impressive. Don't just take my word for it!

Enjoy  the art and have fun!