SL Art World Notes
by Pixeleen Mistral on 06/12/06 at 6:33 pm
by Budka Groshomme, raving reporter
Golam’s gallery
The SL art world was abuzz with talk when Tayzia Abattoir bought four of Golam Amadeus’ paintings – two of which grace the walls of her Crescent museum in Tabor (233,77,23). Tayzia is well known as an avid collector as much as for her discerning taste for fine SL art. Her current collection contains thousands of in-world created pieces. Golam (not his RL name) is a self-taught Portuguese artist who has studied widely in Europe and has even taught fine art to students while resident in Florence Italy. He is completely dedicated to his art and has a achieved considerable recognition. Golam was attracted to SL almost by chance when he was looking for new sources of inspiration, a desire to taste something different, but mostly, like most of us, a burning curiosity about this new world.
Budka: Do you have any plans to use the SL tool sets to strike a new direction for your art? Or can you see a time that might happen?Golam: I see Sl as a whole new medium with endless creative possibilities. The only real limitation to SL’s endless possibilities is yourself. Here, I want to learn, to go and do so much. I love to explore as well.
Budka: So how do you intend to make use of these “possiblities”?
Golam: I’ve been doing some “sculpture houses” as experiments and plan to begin sculpture soon. The problem is that I can not find the time.
Words notwithstanding, Golam has found the time to create a small, minimalist gallery from which to exhibit his works in Bluenose (152, 154, 114). The theme of this gallery is “transitions.” In the real world, Golam was always struggling with galleries and frustrated with having the gallery stand between him and those attracted to his work. Here he can interact with the visitors and talk directly about the art. All of the images in this gallery are scanned versions of RL pieces he has created. Instead of selling the originals and paper prints (which he hates) he sells the originals and digital prints. This makes them very affordable and helps to spread his work both in SL and the real world. You can buy digital copies, as did Tayzia, for your own use in SL.
On the first floor of his gallery he exhibits his interpretations of the Flemish artist, Vermeer. These are scanned images of oils, his favorite medium and are largely focused on technique. There are deliberately few paintings because Golam wanted to give the gallery a contemporary look and allow visitors to concentrate on the art itself. He intends to change these paintings on a weekly basis.
The second floor presents images of acrylics and some other oils. This floor currently features a collection of wry, impressionistic, and surreal colorist representations based loosely on human forms. These are, as Golam says, “intestinal and intensive” works that grip the heart with their emotional content. The roof features images of pencil, charcoal, and ink on paper drawings. The rendition of these leaves something to be desired because of the resolution. Nevertheless, these show that he is quite capable of purely representational work when he chooses to do so. Golam works with great intensity, often working on four or five pieces simultaneously, which provides time for the oils to dry. He works in series, modifying pieces as he goes and, occasionally, destroying the failures. To him, each group of paintings are like chapters in the visual book the series will become.
Budka: Do you have a long range plan for your work?Golam: My long range plan is focused on every series. When I finish it, I move into next. While I am working, I try to control my imagination and forget about the next series to focus on the current one. Many times when I am working on a painting I’m thinking three or four paintings ahead. It helps me..like reading two or three books at the same time.
Golam is an intensely private person for one so anxious to be in the public eye. In some ways he hides behind his brush and speaks through his colors and form, media and concepts. He is trying to emulate Balthus, who, on his first big show, sent a note saying this: BALTHUS IS A PAINTER OF WHOM NOTHING IS KNOWN. NOW LET US LOOK AT THE PICTURES.
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