Gracie Kendal — Post 6 Grrrrl
by Alphaville Herald on 20/02/11 at 11:03 pm
[I have had the honor of meeting many "SLebrities" in the course of my virtual travels, and I want to start by saying that Gracie Kendal is among the nicest and most down to earth of any I've met. She is as charming and friendly as she is talented, and as anyone who has seen her art or been a part of her 1000 Avatar project can attest, her talent is off the charts. For any readers who aren't familiar with Gracie's work, I'm including a short bio of her, and then her Post 6 column. It is a real treat to have worked with her, and an honor to present Gracie as this week's Post 6 Grrrl ~Timothy Morpork]
GRACIE KENDAL: also known as Kristine Schomaker, is a Los Angeles based new media and performance artist, painter and art historian. She received her BA in Art History and her MA in Studio Art from California State University at Northridge. For over 12 years, she has been experimenting with various interdisciplinary art forms including using online virtual worlds and social networking technologies to connect with international audiences and local arts communities. Gracie’s current work explores notions of online identity, specifically the construction of Avatars. Her work as a whole stands as an allegory of the relationship between appearance and identity, illusion, belief and reality. Two projects she is presently working on include, “My Life as an Avatar: The Gracie Kendal project” and “1000 Avatars” a contemporary anthropology of portraits of avatars in the virtual world of Second Life. Her paintings can be seen a her website.
I was very honored when Timothy asked me to pose for his column in the Alphaville Herald. I thought how fun, how cool. Then he asked me to write a bio and a little bit about my experience being an avatar. I thought, how scary. LOL I am an artist and much of my work has to do with identity, especially online identity and how we represent ourselves in this virtual world. I have been working so much on my projects that to actually sit down and have to think about them seriously, was definitely a scary proposition.
So many questions come to mind when thinking about what it means to have an avatar. Who are we? Why do we choose the incarnations we use to represent us? Or do they choose us? When you can be anything you want, why do so many chose to be human?
I often talk about how Gracie is me. She is an extension of my real life. Now, she doesn’t look like me. Well not entirely. We both have blond hair and blue eyes and wear jeans, a black t-shirt and Converse shoes most of the time. But that is where it ends. She is an ideal version of me. She is the person, I want to be. I have received a lot of flack for feeling this way. But isn’t it true? Don’t most of us yearn to be thinner, more beautiful? I do.
When I first entered Second Life, I felt empowered. I felt this new found freedom to thrive. In my real life, I was suffocating. In Second Life I could breathe. Becoming this attractive, classy woman opened up so many doors for me. I dated more. I socialized. I created. I began a journey of self exploration, searching for spirituality, love and friendship. I started to think about my future, what I really wanted in life. And I never look back… Well sometimes.
James Freud
Feb 20th, 2011
TITS OR GTFO!!!!
April Cordeaux
Feb 21st, 2011
Hey, Gracie good to see you got the appreciation you deserve.
Oh noes
Feb 21st, 2011
Gracie
How many furries have asked if they can pose naked before?
Nelson Jenkins
Feb 21st, 2011
Please return to:
Second Life Photography School
16 Tutorial Lane
Welcome Island, CA
This is undoubtedly the most boring photo shoot I’ve seen here. I could take better snapshots with Radegast.
Oh noes
Feb 21st, 2011
I bet neslon asked and got denied
Yep
Feb 22nd, 2011
Go getem Tiger
Pappy Enoch
Feb 22nd, 2011
@Oh noes,
Furries cain’t git real nekkid, like I done did.
You gots to shave ‘em and we ain’t a-goin’ there.
Scylla Rhiadra
Feb 22nd, 2011
Wow.
I’m sorry, Gracie . . . I have respect for your work and the interests that motivate it, but this post is kind of a bust. Your work is on identity and the relationship between RL self and 3D graphic projection and representation, and yet you have *nothing* to say about what it “means” to have your avatar pose naked here? You don’t think that commodifying yourself by doing a cheesecake feature in the Herald has any implications for this? Really?
As for this statement:
“Becoming this attractive, classy woman opened up so many doors for me. I dated more. I socialized. I created.”
. . . well, that’s probably about as vapid and superficial an “insight” as any that I’ve ever read here. Didn’t you want to talk about how much you enjoy shopping in SL too?
A disappointment, to say the least.
Raven Haalan
Feb 22nd, 2011
I of course have always loved Gracie’s work exploring identity and the interactions of the actual and virtual selves.
To neuter Gracie or Kris, or to insist that they are forever “on point” and “serious” or even “quality” is of course to entirely miss the point that sometimes, fun is part of it all, sweats are damn comfy, forever serious is just too darned stifling, and as fun goes, this is fabulous whimsy.
Sexah butt meets sexah mind, with a wink and a giggle. Always a fan, and happy to cheer your growing “SLame.”
Sitearm
Feb 23rd, 2011
Well, first of all, being a friend of Gracie’s, I’m glad to see she’s NOT gone and exposed her Nipple Area. As everyone knows, classy artists stop short of that. However, I do agree, it is a bit of unfair teasing since Post Six Grrrrl Standards really DO require Nipple Area Visibility.
More to the point, I am an advocate also of Groinal Area Visibility. Or as it is called in the more classy fashion journals, The Kitty Area.
Now that Gracie’s display has raised the Post Six Classyness Factor, might we please return to Post Six Grrrrl Standards? Yes, More Nipple Areas Visibility, and More Kitty Areas Visibility too.
It is so important to keep up with SL designer state-of-the-art work in these areas. Speaking of which, I am quite ready for a Post Six Guuuuy section as well. Purely in the interest of The Arts, of course.
Aesthetically Yours;
Site
AM Oderngrl
Feb 23rd, 2011
Damn, Gracie! All this chance to show off your galleries and your artwork and not a link in sight! At least let people know where to look at your stuff!
Y’all, Gracie has been shooting pictures of 1000 avatars and she will take your picture if you are very lucky!
And she does kick ass paintings and art work that you can buy in SL. Check it out!
Gracie Kendal
Feb 23rd, 2011
You guys crack me up!!!
Here are links to my projects:
http://1000avatars.wordpress.com/
http://graciekendal.wordpress.com/
If I would have known I needed to show more boobies… I would have.. I didn’t know this was a contest to see who could show the most skin..geesh..LOL
This was definitely a fun little project Timothy asked me to pose for. And I appreciate the opportunity.
A disappointment, eh? WOW!! What can I say.. can’t please everyone
Gotta love critics…LOLOL
April Cordeaux
Feb 24th, 2011
The point of the article was to show how SL has given Gracie more opportunities artistically and socially. If you want to learn more about her art, try reading her blog.
As for the comments about her nudity, the point of nudity in art is to show fraility of humanity, the beauty of the human form, and freedom. If you people need to see porn so badly get yourself a play boy. Some of these comments sound like they are coming for a hormonal 14 year old boy. lol
Scylla Rhiadra
Feb 24th, 2011
April, I had no idea that Gracie even had a PR agent!
I think, frankly, that you make my point for me with your handy little “gloss” on what Gracie “really” means here . . . because lord knows, none of these legitimately interesting points is evident from her own write-up.
For quite some time, some of us have been asking that the Post 6 feature people of some substance, and not just pretty avatars in various stages of undress. The notion — foolish as it now sounds — was that the feature highlight women (and men) of some accomplishment who might perhaps have something interesting and intelligent to say. Gracie would, one might think, have qualified in both regards.
Unfortunately, what we have instead is a visual artist of some celebrity featured in a series of some of the most lacklustre photos I’ve ever seen here, and presenting us with a fairly vacuous blurb that could, frankly, have been thrown together in a few minutes by just about anyone. The best I can say about it is that at least it is reasonably literate.
Timothy and/or Gracie have thrown away an opportunity to make Post 6, for one of those increasingly rare moments in its history, shine with something a little more than its usual vapidity. Neither seems to have cared enough to do so.
Hence, my disappointment.
/me shrugs
Judge Dread
Feb 24th, 2011
Scylla-
Why don’t you pose and show us how it’s done?
Which, roughly translated is Tits or GTFO.
Give Timothy a call, I bet he’d feature you.
Sententia
Feb 24th, 2011
Second Life is supposed to be fun right?, Without all of the serious shit of Real Life?
I think Gracie is wonderful, very brave and talented and these pictures rock!
Wonderful post!
/me smiles
Orca Flotta
Feb 24th, 2011
Second Life is supposed to be fun right?, Without all of the serious shit of Real Life?
—————————————————————————–
OMfG
All this fun fun fun all the frigging time … how boring, how senseless, how useless, how utterly uninspiring and mindnumbingly stupid.
But answering your question on a more factual level: NO! SL isn’t supposed to be anything. SL is a platform, an empty canvas on which you can paint in all available colours and strokes. If you like to stick to a matchstick man level, fine. But please, don’t tell others they shouldn’t create their SL a bit more serious and intelligent.
Second fact: Gracie might be super talented, I just fail to see any bravery in those shots. And Timothy really really failed the job of presenting her in a nice way. The post wasn’t wonderful and the pictures didn’t rock! Not at all.
What the fox is wrong with you anti-intellectuals?
Pappy Enoch
Feb 24th, 2011
@Orca,
SL am for fappin’ and that-there last photygraf, wif Miss Gracie a-readin’ a book nekkid and showin’ some hind-parts, am first-rate chickkin-chokin material.
Cha-cha bingos am always good, but they am more to life’n tits: they am hind-parts on a good-lookin’ gal, hoo whee.
Orca Flotta
Feb 24th, 2011
@ Fappy
Yeah, the last pic is actually not as bad as the others but far from being great. Did Mr. Morpok blow his GPU or what went wrong with his graphics setting? Where’s the atmospheric bliss, where are nice sky settings?
It all looks so bland and uninspired. That’s the quality expected of pics made in 2006.
Scylla Rhiadra
Feb 24th, 2011
Dear Judge Dread
Would Timothy feature me? Maybe. But why would I want to see myself reduced to the level of mediocrity that seems to have become the standard here?
As for pixelated boobs . . .
*yawn*
A half year ago or so I started a thread on the SL General Discussion forum featuring my full frontal boobage (as you might say), in protest over LL’s policy of censoring pics of topless women, but not of topless men. The thread was pulled (of course): LL notoriously doesn’t approve of female nipples. Too bad: I’d just give you the URL and you could ogle to your heart’s delight.
Appearing naked here would actually be pretty small potatoes. If you *really* want to see pics of my avatar fully naked, and don’t mind the fact (*ick*) that they also feature me being disembowelled, crucified, impaled, and raped, then you can always check out my exhibit on representations of sexual violence in SL, “Is This Turning You On?” The exhibit even includes . . . words! (Warning though: the exhibit is EXTREMELY explicit, violent, and potentially triggering.)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Flagg/249/24/698
I’ve no doubt that for some readers the prospect of seeing me impaled is incentive enough, without the added attraction of nudity . . .
Derek Torvalar
Feb 24th, 2011
Schylla wrote:
“I’ve no doubt that for some readers the prospect of seeing me impaled is incentive enough, without the added attraction of nudity”
CFNM Schylla?
Sounds kinds kinky. Count me in.
You don’t mind being on voice though do you?
I would so dearly love to hear your exuberant exhortations “Oh! Yes! Impale me baby!”
;P
Persephone Bolero
Feb 24th, 2011
@Scylla You do know that pro-lifers use the same technique to demonize women who get abortions and all those that support that choice?
Yeah, get some gory pictures together that elicit an emotional reaction, which is always a great technique when the rational and intellectual quality of your arguments totally fails to persuade anyone, and then you can turn consensual behavior and personal choice into the equivalent of throwing women and babies into a giant human blender.
Look at the dead babies, Scylla. THE DEAD BABIES!!!!
Scylla Rhiadra
Feb 24th, 2011
Well, THERE’s an analogy that doesn’t hold in more ways than I can count. An exhibit, clearly labelled “REPRESENTATIONS of Gender Violence” (please note the emphasis), hosted behind a large content warning sign, and with hundreds of words of text to contextualize it is NOT the same as a public anti-abortion picket.
Your analogy could be similarly (and very carelessly) employed against *any* graphic or “shocking” museum or art exhibit, book, news story, movie . . .
The images are graphic because a suprisingly high percentage of SL residents are unaware that there are animations that allow one to RP simultaneously butchering and fucking one’s partner. They are nothing more, nor indeed do they pretend to be anything more, than snapshots of existing SL products in action. The most common comment of visitors to the exhibit? A variation of “I had no idea things like this existed in SL” . . .
Interestingly, in most cases, my pics closely mimic the ones used by the manufacturers on SL Marketplace to sell the products. Are they selling dead babies too? Or is it ok to be shockingly graphic in an advertisement?
When you find me thrusting one of my pictures, without warning under your nose while yelling “Look at the dead women, Persephone. THE DEAD WOMEN!!!!,” you can try you analogy again.
Persephone Bolero
Feb 24th, 2011
@Scylla
Here’s the website of an anti-abortion group.
http://www.jfaweb.org/
Notice the warning for their “Virtual Exhibit?” Same as your warning. They too use the “oh most people aren’t aware of what an abortion really is” argument. And the most common comment for those that come across these displays? “I had no idea that’s what those pro-choice women want to do with their babies.”
What’s really interesting is that the pictures they use are of REAL DEAD FETUSES. Unlike your protest, which is against eviscerated avatars. Like you, though, they use those pictures to create an emotional reaction that smothers the more complicated questions about legislating the womb. This serves their agenda, and without stating my own opinions on abortion, I will say that their tactics are intellectually dishonest.
Your technique is no different, other than the fact you have no real dead women. Your protest is against images shared between consenting adults. But you use the same emotional blackmailing techniques to advance your agenda with an absolute lack of intellectual honesty.
I’m sorry, Scylla, but you are EXACTLY like those rabid pro-lifers who demonize those of us who disagree with them. I’d say my analogy is quite fitting.
Pappy Enoch
Feb 24th, 2011
@Orca:
“Fappy Peeknock.” Now that am a rite good name. How kin I git LL to let me change ‘er up?
Scylla Rhiadra
Feb 24th, 2011
So, by analogy, this web site and museum, featuring shocking and graphic pics and text about the Holocaust similarly uses the same tactics as anti-abortion rights advocates?
http://www.flholocaustmuseum.org/
or this one, relating to the Japanese slaughter of dolphins?
http://www.savejapandolphins.org/
The best analogy is with this anti-porn slide show:
http://stoppornculture.org/presenters-toolkit/
I could certainly go on with many other examples.
To hide these images is actually a form of self-censorship. If people in Second Life are mature enough to engage in this kind of role play, they are also mature enough to confront the issues that they represent honestly and thoughtfully.
What IS “nannying” is your assumption that visitors to my exhibit are too stupid, or too over-emotional, to be able to respond thoughtfully to the content that I provide them, which is, AGAIN, not much more than you can find via search on the SL Marketplace now.
Further, one rather important difference between ALL of these and my exhibit is that I explicitly am NOT calling for a ban on the items I depict. This is from the introduction of the exhibit:
“This exhibit is not an underhanded or implied call for a “ban” on simulations of gender violence in Second Life. While I am deeply disturbed and dismayed by such role play, and fear for its broader impact on such things as attitudes towards gender and rape, I am also an anti-censorship feminist. I abhor this kind of behavior, but believe it is the right of those who so choose to engage in it.”
The exhibit, which also explicitly states that it represents my very personal responses (rather than pretending to be a “truth” document) was intended to encourage discussion. That, it succeeded quite well in doing,
A final note: it may actually surprise you to hear that, while I utterly disagree with the views expressed in the anti-abortion web site, I fully support the right of the group to have such an exhibit online. But then, I believe that the majority of women and men are capable of exercising their judgement and intelligence on these issues.
Persephone Bolero
Feb 24th, 2011
@Scylla
“Further, one rather important difference between ALL of these and my exhibit is that I explicitly am NOT calling for a ban on the items I depict.”
No, you’re not calling for a ban. Just a mass shaming of those who engage in behaviors you don’t approve of. So, you’re not looking for the government to coerce people out of behaviors you disapprove of but rather society as a whole.
Okay, that does make you different from most pro-lifers, who do indeed want government to ban abortions.
“I fully support the right of the group to have such an exhibit online.”
No. That doesn’t surprise me in the least. Why would it?
Scylla Rhiadra
Feb 24th, 2011
Anyone who is left feeling “ashamed” of the kind of RP that they engage in as a result of my exhibit had best do some pretty comprehensive soul-searching about WHY they engage in it.
People who want feel-good reinforcement of the notion that, “if it feels good, it must be ok,” are certainly NOT going to find that at my exhibit: it is intended to challenge them. And why not? I fully expect my own attitudes, ideas, and activities to be challenged if someone believes they are wrong — and I am rarely disappointed in that regard.
If it is a rational and justifiable activity or behaviour, it should be able to withstand the scrutiny of exposure and discussion. Such discussion is precisely the point of the exhibit.
The debates that arises when ideas are challenged are the means by which we struggle, often painfully, towards something like “the truth.”
Persephone Bolero
Feb 24th, 2011
@Scylla “Anyone who is left feeling “ashamed” of the kind of RP that they engage in as a result of my exhibit had best do some pretty comprehensive soul-searching about WHY they engage in it. ”
Yes, this is the same shaming techniques used by pro-lifers who would say that if a woman who gets an abortion feels like a murderer after viewing dead baby pictures, well she should do some soul-searching.
“I fully expect my own attitudes, ideas, and activities to be challenged if someone believes they are wrong ”
And here I am to help you with that, Scylla.
“The debates that arises when ideas are challenged are the means by which we struggle, often painfully, towards something like ‘the truth.’”
What happens if you’re the one being shamed for your own intolerant judgmental self-righteousness? Have you done any soul searching lately to question your own motives and ethics? Did you come to the conclusion that you’re on solid ethical ground and feel no guilt for your actions and only an annoyance with those that tried to shame you for what you feel is your right?
Okay, then you know how we feel towards you, Scylla.
Skye D.
Feb 24th, 2011
I think Gracie’s write up was great. I relate to a lot of what she wrote about how “freeing” SL can be in many different instances.
But Timothy’s pictures? Other than the first one which is interesting, the other two are just underwhelming. Seriously Timothy…if you’re going to take pictures of someone who is KNOWN for their collection of portraits of other avatars, then bring your A-game to the shoot.
SlShapeshifter
Feb 25th, 2011
Ah, to see someone who’s intellegent on Post 6. Warms my heart.
@two ladies that I don’t have to name: Do you HAVE to turn the comments section into the bloody Kink Wars?
Scylla Rhiadra
Feb 25th, 2011
Oohhhh, name them Shape, name them, do! I’m dying to know!!
I take your point, though: we wouldn’t want them interrupting all of the more “intellegent” [sic] discourse occuring here . . .
Scylla Rhiadra
Feb 25th, 2011
… she said, misspelling “occurring” …
Orca Flotta
Feb 26th, 2011
Always when I have to read comments like those of Sentencia, Persephone and Shapeshifter I must think about Celestiall Nightfire’s forum signature from long ago. Goes like this:
“Anti-intellectualism, it’s hip but safe, old but fresh, & best of all, requires no effort! “Whatever,” can be your motto, “It is what it is,” your philosophy. Your life, the result of your views – small, weak, & unexamined. Buy it now! Sold everywhere.”
So, by accepting Gracie’s Post 6 shots as good or great you’re falling into exactly the same category of dumbness. Let’s not forget, and keep this clear, most critiism wasn’t against Gracie but against Morpok who hit a new low in his “career”.
And some other lady, I unfortunately don’t remember her name, wrote this in kinda the same regard:
“What is rude in one person’s eyes is just harsh reality in another’s.
Personally, I think the US (yes I live here) has gone way too much in to the “everyone needs to always feel good and never feel insulted or offended” crap. That is just not the reality of life.”
Meaning please don’t try to supress any open and intelligent debate in this commentary section. If you can’t stand the heat gtfo of the kitchen.
Here’s my final stance in the discussion about Post6. Another quote if I may:
“Some people think having large breasts makes a woman stupid. Actually, it’s quite the opposite: a woman having large breasts makes men stupid.” ~ Rita Rudner
Warm regards
Orca “25/25″ (insiders know what those numbers refer to) Breen-Flotta
Dinglefart Whobender
Feb 26th, 2011
Orca-
Or, it could be that you take yourself Waaaaaaaaay to seriously.
Get over yourself, you play in a cartoon world like the rest of us.
Persephone Bolero
Feb 27th, 2011
@Orca
I’m not sure exactly what you’re trying to say. But for the record, I had no criticism of this or any other Post 6 model. Not ever. I don’t do that. I reserve all my criticism for Scylla and she takes it rather well.
Pappy Enoch
Feb 27th, 2011
Orca done writ,
“Meaning please don’t try to supress any open and intelligent debate in this commentary section.”
My Gawd gal, you sure done come to the wrong place for that.
April Cordeaux
Feb 28th, 2011
I’m sorry but I just don’t understand about the criticisms of this article or why everyone expects it to be high art. The Alphaville Herald is an online magazine not the New Yorker. I guess Gracie waisted her time doing the article and the Alpha Ville Herald should
go back to doing cheese cake nudie photos for Post 6 Grrl.
How about another aritcle on adoption? Everyone seemed to like that.