Past, present... and future?

When I joined the virtual world of Second Life over 5 years ago, I was a painter showing digital copies of my work in virtual galleries. I immediately saw the potential of this online digital environment for artists, writers and musicians. I have met so many amazing and talented people from all over the world. I have often compared the art community in Second Life to Paris of the 1920s which attracted a similar group of artists, writers, poets and musicians who sought inspiration and an exchange of ideas.

Hi there, I’m Kristine Schomaker, a Los Angeles based new media and performance artist, painter and art historian. Because of my work with new media, and my projects in which I used Second Life as a medium; My Life as an Avatar and The 1000 Avatars project, I have been very lucky and honored to be invited to create a solo show- an installation/performance at Gallery 825 in Los Angeles opening in May 2012. For my upcoming show I will bring artists together from all over the world, in one space in Los Angeles , using the World Wide Web. I will transform a 700 sq ft gallery space into a 1920’s dining room inspired by Gertrude Stein’s salons. Opening night will see a performance involving a dinner party between artists in Los Angeles and Second Life.

Like Montparnasse in the 1920s, artists flock to the virtual world of Second Life to thrive in the creative, imaginative atmosphere where anything is possible. Second Life is fulfilling the promise of inspiration, innovation and experimentation just as Paris did. A community has been created, a lost generation of sorts where expatriates who are unhappy with their world gather and find freedom. Like Duchamp’s Rrose Selavy, Identities can be recreated and alter-egos emerge. Pseudonymity and anonymity become prevalent forms of identification. Why be yourself, when you can be someone else?

With your support, I will be able to transform the gallery space into a 1920s dining room. The walls will be lined with 70-100 Avatar portraits in different sizes, printed to look antique and framed in vintage frames. The walls will be painted and aged to a 1920s style. I will be able to purchase a vintage dining room table and chairs, chandelier, rugs and decorations. We will be able to rent costumes for the opening night performance. There will be dinner on the table that night, wine in the glasses and great conversation. I will be able to hire a videographer and editor for the performance as well as buy a projector that will project second life clearly onto the screen. I will also be able to pay virtual rent, costumes, video streaming and a DJ for the extension of the real life gallery within Second Life. I am also going to be hiring an audio/video engineer to create a communication/teleconference system which will allow the real dinner party participants to converse easily with the Second Life dinner party participants.

The Impact:

5 years ago I had no idea how much my life would change. My aunt and uncle had told me about an online virtual world where I could upload digital images of my paintings and show them to people who live all over the world. They were so excited when they met an artist ‘in person’ and were able to get to know them. Even when you go to a gallery in the physical world you rarely find the artist there.

I initially started showing and selling digital copies of my paintings in my own gallery. Then I was invited to have shows at other people’s galleries. Within a year, I had made a name for myself and I was selling 50+ virtual copies of my work a month. I also started to sell the original paintings to people who saw my work in this virtual world.

While working on my Masters Degree I explored ideas of identity and our online representations. It first started on a very personal level looking into the relationship between myself and my avatar. I then did a visual study of other people’s avatars looking into why they chose to create the avatars the way they did I took over 2000 portraits to document their diversity and published the avatar portraits in a 2 volume set.

Second Life is an amazing platform for self expression, building community, art, music, education, health and so much more.  I have met with a team at USC who are helping veterans work through PTSD using avatars that allow them to remain anonymous. Many of the major Universities hold online classes within Second Life. Musicians stream music from their home studios into concerts where people from all over the world are able to attend. And artists have formed communities where they gather and share their work, critique, exchange ideas and hang out.

While my paintings are one medium I share in Second Life, I have come to value Second Life as a medium in itself. Exploring notions of identity through my own avatar, who is tall, thin and virtually ideal, I have experienced the amazing potential that virtual worlds offer in helping others. In my project “Gracie and the Real Girl,” I examine media and society’s distortion of beauty, eating disorders, body image and self esteem.

This show I am creating for May 2012 is going to help blur the line between the virtual and physical world. It will help bring attention to the amazing possibilities of this medium. It is my hope, my intent for people to see how communities can be built, ideas can be exchanged and the imagination can be expanded beyond the 3^rd dimension.

After this show, I plan on doing more projects, installations and performances on a more personal level. I want to share our story with others by continuing the dialogue of media’s distortion of beauty and its impact on so many lives. I am really looking forward to the opportunities that this show will give me. It has been a rewarding journey in so many ways. Thank you so much for your support and encouragement.

Please help support expression, art and my future:

The estimated budget for this project is $10,000. Besides this crowdfunding site I am also applying for grants and using my savings and credit cards to put this together. So every donation helps out so much.

Please forward this to your friends and family. Share it on Facebook, Twitter, Plurk, Google+. I would love and appreciate your help so  much.