By Kris Dibou

Cross in St. Devros Church

Jacada Ansar had a vision.  Like some who have visions, Jacada started a church; a church that can could previously be found at Woodbury Longcat sim.  While puzzling over many churches built in the name of love, yet inciting hatred over those who do not believe as they do, Jacada decided to create a church based on hate in order to make a statement.  And who better, in Jacada’s opinion, to direct that hatred towards than the furry community.

During my visit to Jacada’s church, I witnessed two attacks and one redemption.  The whole thing ran like preplanned role play and certain comments made by Jacada reinforced this supposition. 

Jacada Ansar: This is my church
Jacada Ansar: As you can see it’s a beacon of love.
Jacada Ansar:
You: lovely
Jacada Ansar: Its delightfully horrid
You: nice work on the furry cross
Jacada Ansar: Oh there’s two big ones at the front.
Jacada Ansar: We get furfags that try to "raid" us
You: ahhh…
Jacada Ansar: It’s a message to them to stay away
You: the Dracula method of striking fear into the enemy
Jacada Ansar: Indeed!
Jacada Ansar: We also have blooded furryheads on pikes
Jacada Ansar: They give a good friendly message across too
You: tell me about your church here…it looks fascinating
Jacada Ansar: Basically yesterday
Jacada Ansar: I was on the internet reading about the Westboro Baptist church
Jacada Ansar: Then i thought, wouldn’t it be a great idea to build a church that is devoted to hate. Because whether people like it or not, religion incites hatred and thus i built this i think its a good example.
Jacada Ansar: A few people think that due to the anti-fur stuff here that we are linked with the patriotic nigra’s who torment furries themselves.
Jacada Ansar: Which is quite simply bullshit
Jacada Ansar: A pn member came here earlier and attempted to "raid" the sim but teleported once people opened fire on him
Jacada Ansar: There’s a difference between us regular /b/tards and patriotic nigra’s
Jacada Ansar: The nigra’s aren’t even funny, that’s why i don’t understand why they grief.
Jacada Ansar: It used to be funny and people used to get angry
Jacada Ansar: But people don’t laugh and no one really gets angry anymore. It’s pointless
You: yes

(Jacada puts up a large black wall over the church entrance, blocking us in)

Jacada Ansar: I’ve put that door there
Jacada Ansar: because i was sitting behind the wooden screen
Jacada Ansar: and someone started firing glowing orbs in here
You: I’ve noticed that, in general, things have mellowed on the big grid
Jacada Ansar: yes slightly
Jacada Ansar: There’s not as many griefers as there used to be
Jacada Ansar: Something funny
You: did you see the article of the fellow who’s only goal was to get banned?
Jacada Ansar: I did
Jacada Ansar: Quite recent
Jacada Ansar: I think he’s an idiot, and compared to some of the other major griefers he hasn’t been banned that much so the idea of him being someone with the most bans is ridiculous
Jacada Ansar: Furries disgust me
Jacada Ansar: Theres something seriously wrong about finding animals a turn on
Jacada Ansar: DO you have any other questions?
You: blame is all on Walt Disney
You: lol
You: sure, I assume since you were born a few days ago, that you are an alt of a Woodbury regular?
Jacada Ansar: Actually this is a brand new account and i got rid of my old one
Jacada Ansar: and i was a lot more regular in visiting what
Jacada Ansar: With the w-hat group
Jacada Ansar: Then i started coming here as well and spend the majority of my time here
You: how did you come to pick your current avatar? Does he represent someone?
Jacada Ansar: well
Jacada Ansar: I built this one because
Jacada Ansar: Noone suspects an old disabled man in a wheelchair is ever going to cause any hassle
You: ….like Dr. X…
Jacada Ansar: Basically yes
Jacada Ansar: plus this av kind of looks like someone who belongs in a church
Jacada Ansar: It seems original to me
Jacada Ansar: I’m planning on erecting a graveyard around it
Jacada Ansar: and yes i think it would
Nodame Offcourse: that would be great
You: yes…
Jacada Ansar: and i do invite all furfags to come here and confess there sins
Jacada Ansar: i might try and build some form of gallows
Jacada Ansar: with a furry hanging from it
You: what name did you give the church?
Jacada Ansar: I have yet to think of a name
Jacada Ansar: so far its just "the church"
You: have you collected any followers?
Jacada Ansar: I think i might open it to the public
Jacada Ansar: Oh everyone here is a follower, otherwise i shoot them
Jacada Ansar: I have guns at the back of the church
Jacada Ansar: To the church!
Jacada Ansar: Now i was thinking of reshuffling the church into an entirely new religion
Jacada Ansar: Mainly protesting Furfaggotry
You: religious reform?
Jacada Ansar: Yes
Jacada Ansar: The role of God would have a very small part to do with the goings on of the church
You: like in rl
You: lol
Jacada Ansar: Yes
Jacada Ansar: Then the church would have a collection plate
Jacada Ansar: As i just placed
Jacada Ansar: Basically it should spread the message of how very evil furries are

              Peach Robonaught inside the cockbox

(Suddenly we are attacked by what appears to be Christmas ornament cages, sent in by Peach Robonaught)

Sangria Singh: peach you furfaggot
Jacada Ansar: THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS
Peach Robonaught: :[
Jacada Ansar shouts: PEACH FIX THIS, THIS IS A CHURCH NOT A PLAY AREA YOU FUR FAG
Sangria Singh: a cockbox upon your house!

(Sangria places a box-cage around Peach, filled with penises)

Jacada Ansar: GOD HATES YOU
Jacada Ansar: FURFAG
Peach Robonaught: fine, no 2L$ for you! >:[
Sangria Singh: she lies
Sangria Singh: she only pays in favors of the flesh
Jacada Ansar: disgusting
Jacada Ansar: We should feed her to furfags
Sangria Singh: harlot
Jacada Ansar: Are you writing all this down Kris Dibou
Jacada Ansar: This is why the Church must get bigger and more popular
You: collecting it along with pics
Jacada Ansar: I might even hire pole dancers
Jacada Ansar: But in religous attire
You: or even czech dancers
Jacada Ansar: Yes

(Peach puts money in the collection plate, thereby absolving her sins against the church)

Hi-Techno Tipjar Blue Giftedition 1.0: Thank you for your donation.
Jacada Ansar: Thank you Peach
Jacada Ansar: God forgives your sins
Jacada Ansar: Yes that’s a good idea
Jacada Ansar: If someone sins they are encouraged to donate to the church’s charity
Jacada Ansar: Which will go towards helping infants who are in need
You: to escape the confines of hell
Jacada Ansar: but not of a furry nature
Jacada Ansar: that way the money can be transferred via the interweb to charities such as christian aid
Sangria Singh: be careful, bebe, you might catch the aids
Jordge Schmergel: cant give me anythin i havent already had

(Enter Il Thor, with a flat ‘Luigi’ avatar)

Jacada Ansar: I hereby announce this Church as the St Davros’s due to the holy nature of Daleks
Il Thor: so these orthodox icons have subliminal hidden ‘when you see it you’ll shit bricks’ mindfucks in them right?
Jacada Ansar: Because they give a good example across
Sangria Singh: ill mix the chloroform
Jacada Ansar: Yes they do
Jacada Ansar: I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THE AMOUNT OF VIOLENCE IN THIS CHURCH

             Furry in a cage covered in anti-yiff spray

(…and enter Idair Vhargon, a furry)

Jacada Ansar: FURFAG
Jacada Ansar: FURFAGGG
Alazar Kuhn: Oh Jaysus
Idair Vhargon: WOT?
Idair Vhargon: Wot Jacada?
Idair Vhargon: BISCH >=O
Jacada Ansar: You have to fight to the death with SAngria
Idair Vhargon: kk
Jacada Ansar: You disgust me furfag
Jacada Ansar: How dare you enter this church
Idair Vhargon: WHO TOOK A PIC
Kiddoh Korobase: D:
You: I did
Idair Vhargon: >.<
You: for the paper
Jacada Ansar: Then the menace of your furfags will be known to the world

               Daleks as Holy Beings

Jacada Ansar: Raiding churches with your AIDs
Idair Vhargon: But I shall spread my AIDS to you nigglets
Jacada Ansar: No you won’t
Jacada Ansar: This is the reason this church exists
Jacada Ansar: To rid the world of you unholy cretins
Peach Robonaught: ANTI YIFF SPRAY GO!
Idair Vhargon: Hey
Jacada Ansar: Burn out the sins
Idair Vhargon: DAAAAMMMMMNNN
Idair Vhargon: Nuuuuu!
Jacada Ansar: BURN THE FURFAGGOTRY
Idair Vhargon: Nuuuuu!
Sangria Singh: ive had my gypsy tears
Idair Vhargon: YOU SMELL LIKE AN ASSHOLE!
Idair Vhargon: They smell like a pound of BULLSHIT!!
Idair Vhargon: Stop!
Idair Vhargon: It burns!
Jacada Ansar: Take a picture Kris
Jacada Ansar: Oh the burning has stopped
Peach Robonaught: THAT MEANS IT’S WORKING
Idair Vhargon: PENDEJOS
Idair Vhargon: MUERAN
Idair Vhargon: PARALE PUTA!
Idair Vhargon: NO MAMES!
Idair Vhargon: CHINGAO
Idair Vhargon: YA
Idair Vhargon: >.<
Alazar Kuhn: AQUI ESTA!
Kiddoh Korobase: D:
Jacada Ansar: Where did it go
You: I smell burning fur
Idair Vhargon: English muthafucker, do you speak it!?
You: ooo…daleks for the inquisition
Jacada Ansar: They are holy beings in this church
You: yessss
Idair Vhargon: Yes I am holy
Jacada Ansar: You are no Dalek
Idair Vhargon: I must get out
Jacada Ansar: The true sentient beings are Daleks
Jacada Ansar: With furries being at the bottom of the "triangle"

(I sent an IM to the furry, to get his take on all this)

Kris Dibou: would you like to tell me all about your battle with the church?
Idair Vhargon: What church?
Idair Vhargon: Who are you?
Idair Vhargon: Who am I ?
Idair Vhargon: >.>
Idair Vhargon: <.<
Idair Vhargon: Are you guys like gay?
Idair Vhargon: Its cool cuz Im gay too
Kris Dibou: I am a reporter
Idair Vhargon: A reporter?
Kris Dibou: writing on a story on this place
Idair Vhargon: Say what>
Idair Vhargon: Oh
Idair Vhargon: This place rox
Idair Vhargon: I love making this people mad
Kris Dibou: hehe
Kris Dibou: I think they love you making them mad
Idair Vhargon: Yep
Idair Vhargon: Their lives are so boring
Idair Vhargon: I come here to make them interesting

Sangria Singh: They are immoral, disgusting subhuman faggots who prey on the normal in order to feed their horrifying array of fetishes. They spread AIDS like wildfire and breed like rabbits. Furfaggotry is an enabler for the sickest fetishes imagionable, from vore to infantilism to pedophelia to male pregnancy, and most important of all, irl zoophilia. When was the last time you saw an infantilist that wasn’t a babyfur?

I went back to look again a few days ago, and the church was gone.  I could not find Jacada nor would anyone tell me what happened to the church.  Did Jacada take it back down?  Did the Lindens ask him to?  Did he just get bored and move on to the next project?  I don’t know, but I, for one, have not forgotten the images.

Now let us suppose for a moment that we are a branch of a southern Baptist church who are actively opposing homosexuals.  Inside we whip the congregation into a fury about the evil being done by these peace loving people.  Then our congregation goes out and makes their stand known to the world, protesting and being protested in return.  I ask you, readers- what is the difference?

by Kris Dibou

I went to the SL5B celebration the other day and witnessed Artfox Daviau’s wooden sculpture of a lady, sans breasts in order to comply with the rules of the exhibition.  Much to my surprise, only a few steps away was a sculpty rendering of the Statue of David, who was also missing his nipples; however, that was the only item missing! 

David was nekked as a jaybird – letting it all hang out – getting his freak on – swinging in the wind – au natural – in the kiddy park with an open raincoat – wearing his birthday suit – showing off his pingpong set – the man was butt-naked! Worst of all – this statue was being openly displayed on PG-rated land!!

nipple threat removed

So I walked back over to Art’s and looked at all the breast parts spread out on the table (btw, there is now a free nipple-hat vendor at the table) and decided to see what else was in the neighborhood.. Low and behold, I discovered a print of a famous sketch by Da Vinci and not only was this 4-legged man 5 legged — but he had nipples!!!  You heard it here in the Herald first- nipples!

abuse report this NOW – before a child avatar walks by!

OK, maybe we can excuse penises hanging out all over the PG sim, but nipples?!  How could they!  And worse yet, they were male nipples! 

CAUTION: some dangerous nipples may still be present at Linden Lab’s 5th birthday celebration

Now seriously, folks, what is with the double-standard?  Does an artist have to be dead before he can show everyone his penis?  You can’t even argue ‘established’ art, as this is simply another artist’s rendering of the first artist’s work. 

I say let’s give back Artfox’s wooden nipples and call it fair.

by Kris Dibou

LL lays down the law – these plywood nipples are banned!

I was visiting with Australian artist and writer Artfox Daviau on Sanctuary Bay the other day.  Although Art is best known for his Wildwaves product, you will find his artwork in various galleries across the grid, including a display at the Secondlife 5th Birthday celebration.

Artfox Daviau: Did you know I got censored? in SL5B?
Artfox Daviau: had to make my sculpture PG

Kris Dibou: what’s that?
Artfox Daviau: SL 5th Birthday

Kris Dibou: oh, like the fig leaf on the statue of David?
Artfox Daviau: yes ‘cept I just removed the offending parts
Artfox Daviau: and left them in a pile
Artfox Daviau: with a sign
Artfox Daviau: saying I have been censored
Artfox Daviau: let me find a photo

Kris Dibou: these are just tasteful shots before she was censored?
Artfox Daviau: yes

Kris Dibou: how did you handle the boobies, Art?
Artfox Daviau: gently
Artfox Daviau: sensitively
Artfox Daviau: it’s very sad
Artfox Daviau: it seems that we have to restrict art galleries in rl and sl to those over 18
Artfox Daviau: but interestingly, across the road is an avatar guns blazing
Artfox Daviau: and that is ok

SL 5th birthday – some disassembly required

Artfox Daviau: PG-13 no nipples (even textured in wood)
Artfox Daviau: no genitaliaArtfox Daviau: the offending nipples
Artfox Daviau: the coordinator said ‘it’s a great sculpture’
Artfox Daviau: I said ‘it was’
Artfox Daviau: I can take a close-up
Artfox Daviau: here
Artfox Daviau: sad
Artfox Daviau: I was told hands must cover the breasts
Artfox Daviau: I thought that will involve hours
Artfox Daviau: so I removed them entirely and left her still beating heart inside

Kris Dibou: you could make a black bar that says ‘censored by sl’….and lay it across them…
Artfox Daviau: I will take a photo of what I did
Artfox Daviau: I put up a sign too
Artfox Daviau: I was a bit peed off
Artfox Daviau: poor lil inoffensive dimpled prims
Artfox Daviau: but I didn’t
Artfox Daviau: I removed the offending prims and left them in a pile

formerly shocking and dangerous prims now safely disarmed and left in a pile

Kris Dibou: he made her an ambidextrous Amazonian warrior
Artfox Daviau: well I made it a statement
Artfox Daviau: it’s still art I guess
Artfox Daviau: and, having taken off her breasts
Artfox Daviau: so the kiddies 13-18 would not get scared
Artfox Daviau: I opened her chest and added a still beating heart inside
Artfox Daviau: the blog said it would be mature
Artfox Daviau: they changed their minds somewhere
Artfox Daviau: but I missed it
Artfox Daviau: I found it later on the blog site
Artfox Daviau: but I did ask the sim coordinator if it was too much
Artfox Daviau: and the coordinator made the final decision
Artfox Daviau: I am willing to comply but it was sad to pull her to bits
Artfox Daviau: moving all the hand prims would have changed the pose
Artfox Daviau: and taken a few days to redo

Kris Dibou: oh, I know what you could have done….
Kris Dibou: tell them it’s not a girl, but an 80 year old man with a facelift and Grecian formula in his hair
Artfox Daviau: lol
Artfox Daviau: male nipples are banned too

Kris Dibou: oooo
Artfox Daviau: look in the blog

Kris Dibou: don’t blame them for that; I know when I see male nipples I want to blow buildings up
Artfox Daviau: lolol
Artfox Daviau: blowing up bridges is ok that’s just normal violence
Artfox Daviau: pictures of blazing machine guns is cool
Artfox Daviau: chopping a breast off is ok
Artfox Daviau: you just can’t kiss it
Artfox Daviau: hehe I think that’s what I have done effectively
Artfox Daviau: well the exhibition is about ‘culture’ so I guess it’s culture that imposes these limits

The Herald is pleased to introduce a new series featuring Second Life artists. In this series Second Life resident Frank Koolhaus (irl Mario Gerosa, the editor of Architectural Digest Italia) will interview a series of prominent and outstanding Second Life artists, beginning today with Daequix Scarborough. Artists should feel free to contact Frank in world. The rest of you, enjoy! –Uri

Frank and Dae in front of Dae’s piece: Magic Lantern Dreamer

Daequix Scarborough has a great gift. With her art, she can offer you instant fame. Her portraits always have an aura of celebrity that transform the ordinary people depicted into celebrity characters. You can see this by looking at the “Club Hex” series. These are screenshots taken in a Second Life disco, with people you can meet at any moment. But, then, when you look at the portraits of these dancers, waitresses, and clubbers, you have the impression you are in front of someone famous, someone you did not recognize before. The same happens with “Shopping Time”, another great work by Daequix. The work shows three women shopping — Daequix and her friends Gadget and Arteer — but the impression is that your are in front of a poster for the rights of women. These three friends look powerful, determined and strong, and they represent a sort of a bidimensional monument created to honour the girl power in Second Life.

Daequix obtains this effect mostly with lighting. Not ambient lighting, but with direct lighting, spread on the subjects, as in her work “Magic Lantern Dreams”, a pointillist style photo taken in the steampunk Victorian sim of Babbage Square. In this work the subject is completely infused with lights — with a thousand minuscule rays of light that makes the effect of a rain of sun and colours. But Daequix can achieve those results even reducing drastically the light, cancelling it at times, as you can see in “The Eyes have it”, where she made a great work in taking off progressively every sense of tangible light, to concentrate it on the face of the subject.

But which is the background and which are the inspirations of Daequix Scarbourough?
We asked her in this interview for the SL Herald.

Deep in Thought.

-What is your artistic background? Did you work as an artist before SL?
- Really only as a child/teen- it was frowned on in my family for me to pursue it….. so went into nursing.

- When did you start creating digital artworks?
- Umm, didn’t even know how to use Photoshop when I came to Second life in May of 2006. My boyfriend, Solivar is a graphic artist so he’s taught me many of the tricks of the trade over the past year or so.

- And he introduced you to pop art, I guess.
- Lol no not really…..that was me, and just really playing more so. Warhol was someone I remember as a youngster….and of course the entire Pop Art movement.

- But I think you have some artists who inspired you, in your works there is a 70′s touch. Could you mention other artists you like?
- I honestly love Julie Bell, Boris Vallejo, Michael Parks,Vargas type work as well.

- Which are the subjects you prefer? Have you some favourite models? Here in SL arte there models very requested by artists? Who are they?
- Myself honestly…and occasionally spontaneous captures. I’m a skin maker by trade so I can create pretty much any look I wish. – I have used on occasion Suki Oki who is a friend of mine….she has interesting features to work with.

- Do you make mostly portraits?
- Mostly……but I also like to set scenes as well.

- Which kind of scenes?
- Often shoot in Straylight, Apollo Gardens…… and I very much like to work with some sort of fantasy environment if I can work around the area’s visitors.

- And which kind of scenes you set up?
- Well for instance….in Apollo I set up one called “Slave to the Sunset”…it has an Asian Influence to it….and was part of a series. It depicts a very rich sunset which took alot of post work to get it right…..In addition I shot another one in there, “Final punishment”, it is a death scene….this was influenced by the strong Gorean Society here……

- So in your works there is also a narrative dimension….behind the picture there is a story, I guess.
- Often times…and at other times the story comes from the picture….the angle of the face, that chance expression that is so elusive here in SL. Often times to get just that right shot I may shoot 100, and in examining them…….one will speak to me.

- Have you many works by commission? People who ask you a particular subject?
- I have had some, not a major amount. I am on the board of Avatrait (www.avatrait.com), a Second Life and Real Life based company that focuses on the artists wtihin Second Life and promotion of their work, and sell works through them. As well as have had some private commissions really based on what people have seen in Flickr and have wanted a recreation of these works with them as the model.

- Is there an art market for SL? are RL galleries interested in these works?
- There is a beginning one. This is one of the areas that Avatrait is trying to capture…often times right now, its more a person wishes a picture of their own avatar.

- Do you know of RL galleries interested in selling these works?
- Only this one at this point, Avatrait, in Evanston Illinois.

- The prices are so different, there is not a structured market. here someone sells at 10 US$ and in RL some artists sold at 3500 euros. Is it going to change?
- Ahh, I know nothing of the prices honestly. I have no idea …..my entire focus in this is to have an outlet for my own creativity and…..to encourage others here to do the same.

- I tell you that because I sincerely think that the art generation of people here is going to become famous, as the backyard artists discovered by Juxtapoz.
- That would be wonderful in many ways, and ….scary in others

- Why scary? Too much work?
- Lol well, I like my privacy and my ability to create. Famous means no more privacy.

- Yes, anyway, none will force artists to come out.
- Very very true

- But I think the direction is that one.
- I think it may be, though time will tell…if not, I’m happy with what I do now…..its relaxing, and satisfying all in all.

- You have been working as an artist since two years. which differences you see in your earlier and newer works?
- My earlier works were often mistakes….but sometimes wonderful mistakes…. I am not more technically able to produce what I want…and often times I can go to the shoot with a picture in my head of where it will end….other times it takes me where it will go. I am now more technically I mean to say. My skills have gotten stronger…..but I still have so much more room to grow.

- Which are your favourite works, I mean among the ones you made?
- Well, some of my very favourites are “Magic Lantern Dreams”, “Slave to the Sunset”, “In Waiting” and most recently “Morning Delight”.

- In SL are there enough museums for SL art? which are the best?
- There are so many but I haven’t visited all of them…again Avatrait has a very nice representation….Code Red , September McKinney’s, The Cannery is brilliant.

- Which are your favourite SL artists?
- I would say that Stephen Venkman is one of my favorites……Gita Rau. Hmmm there are so many honestly I don’t know that I could name them….Codie, Shoshona, Corbett Howard, Looker Lumet….

- Do you work in a studio or in open air, looking for the good location?
- I do both. I sometimes perch here on the edge of my work platform even just to get the sky behind me well with no interference. I have a small private work area with Photosphere in it, and we have various backdrops as well

- Performances or figurative art? what is the best for the art of SL?
- I would say figurative would work best now but at this time performance is in its infancy ………audio/video are still with many glitches.

- Is there an avatar you would make a portrait of, maybe a famous avatar?
- Actually none that I can think of from SL….. Fame comes with so much baggage…ego, need to impress, the need to ‘show’ something or someone……so I prefer to work with random captures, or with my friends, family or other artists at this point

- Are there good art critics in SL? Are there reference books, catalogues of art?
- Not that I’m aware of as of yet

- Coming back to art in RL, which are the artistic movements you like the best?
- I’m very fond of the Pre-Raphaelites, and William Morris.

- Please name the three books you have on the shelf while you work
- Well not that you could call it an art book but a big collection of Julie Bell, “Art Through the Ages”, “Northern Italian Renaissance”.

- Daequix is a preraphaelite name, kind of Beata Beatrix?
- Well…. more so hadn’t really thought of that in that light at all, though one of my alts name is Gabrielle….so maybe that is the influence?

- If you had to define the SL art, which styles you would name? Digital impressionism? Ludic surrealism? New naif? Post raphaelite?
- Actually I like that name……Digital Impressionism.. There is so much cheesecake in SL sorry it seems to lend itself to that. I would say though that Digital Impressionism isn’t just obviously confined to SL, and that in reality that since art in SL is so new…that it as yet is to be defined.

- Have you ever thought about making limited editions of your works?
- I have….though haven’t really approached it yet as an option…but if it seems there is more of a call for my work then I would be more than happy to. Through again, Avatrait (not trying to publicize them sorry) there are limited editions in world.

- Which is the last art exhibition or museum you saw either in SL and in RL?
- Juno’s was his name? But prior to that September McKinney’s Haunted Gallery. She had artists all over SL displayed but it had to have a macbre leaning, or a Samhain, Halloween feel to it.

- Do you think the art of SL is similar to the one of graphic novels? Do you like them? which ones?
- It can be depending on the artists…..And yes I like them though I’d have to say Solivar is more the enthusiast of them…in terms of which ones..I like “The Doll’s House” by Neil Gaiman. “Stardust”…again by Neil Gaiman. And “The New Frontier” by Darwyn Cooke.

- Did you visit other virtual worlds? Do you like video games?
- Well, yes…..I’m a long time gamer…..I started ages ago in a MUD called Dragon Realms…Have been playing and still do play others… WoW, CoH, Guild Wars, Lineage II, Everquest II, Star Wars Galaxies. I’m a gamer at heart really

- Could you describe some of your works?
- Surely. This is “Slave to the Sunset” and was shot at Apollo Gardens, its the series I spoke of…..

Slave to the Sunset.

- I figure there is an history behind it….
- Well, in some ways I wanted to capture the feel of slavery…..when we first came here I was overwhelmed with the beauty of some of the Gorean Sims…..but also conflicted by them. So……I used this entire series to depict a conflict between freedom and slavery. The next one is “Magic Lantern Dreams”.

- Here I see the influence of Seurat.
- Thank you so much…..the effect though was mostly from the light from the projector behind me so…..wasn’t shot that way intentionally just a happy accident.

- It’s a bit victorian too.
It’s very victorian its taken in our Babbage Square Home the Phantasmagorium. I’d also like to point out that everything you see in that picture is made by myself and Solivar.

This is called “Thresholds”. The angle is very modern but the warmth, the light…..is more so owed to Caillebotte.

- Where was it shot?
- In the Varnish Scrapers, again shot in Babbage Square, a Victorian Steam Punk Sim. And was mostly again….just a happy accident

- In which way?
- There is a marvelous structure there with glass flooring and I was attempting to catch a different angle, and this just happened…..swirl of skirts…the pose, the lighting, the reflections are all after effect work though.

- You like to use reflections, lights, in a way you wok as a director of photography too…
- I love the use of lights, reflections…the add so much to the image and different colors, textures can enrich it so much.

- Did it happen by chance?
- Not entirely.

- Anyway, you made it seem spontaneous. that’s an art.
- Once I envisioned the angle….it blossomed but it took a long while to get what I was looking for. Much like shooting in the real world, inspiration often comes not from before hand…but by that happy moment when you capture or see something in the area…spontaneously.

- Do you feel more a painter or a photographer?
- Very hard question that….I like to think I am crafting the shot so much more a painter.

In Waiting.