The Development of Entropian Art 2003-2007

Introduction

This first exhibition in the Museum of Fine Arts traces the development of art in Entropia, with an emphasis upon the personal art now being produced with such energy and enthusiasm by Entropians. It includes over 20 pictures. These are by seven Entropian artists, two professional artists represented in MA's New Oxford Art Galleries as well as several earlier works from MA artists.

The Museum of Fine Arts is in the city of New Oxford, in Billton Tower 1, 4H. This is 150 yards east of Billton Towers TP (it is the second of the two towers in that direction). To reach it from the New Oxford TP run up to the DeerMoose and turn left- the tower is just past the New Oxford Art Galleries building. All the Entropia Museums (see siggy) are run on a non-profit basis; entry is free.

2003-06; The beginnings of art in Entropia

Early in the development of the Entropia Project as it was then known MA artists created a number of pictures for the country houses that were then becoming available. Endron, Exarosaur, Raven Valley and Wide Circle are on show here to illustrate the range available. These artists began art in Entropia, and their work is still popular with apartment and house owners (in the last 12 months about 1500 copies of these MA pictures have been bought). A number of rarer pictures also appeared early on; one of these was Charity 1. (It is presented here in a new 2006 content-adjustable picture frame.) These pictures too were developed by MA artists.

From the start then both abstract and representational art were present, as was a fascination with the Entropian landscape and the human figure. All of these facets are also represented in today’s artworks.

In 2006 content-adjustable frames were introduced. Though these are almost always used only for shop advertisements and nameplates, they also allow personalisable artwork to be created. This involves choosing one of around 40 preselected backgrounds provided by MA and adding an appropriate saying or message of your choice. The Empty Pot illustrates this kind of semi-personal art. This is an interesting and less expensive way of creating a distinctive piece, but of course the range of possibilities is limited.

Another and much more dramatic development was the introduction in Spring 2006 of around 80 digital works by established professional painters. These are all displayed in the New Oxford Art Galleries, just north of the Museum.

The professional artists’ contribution is represented in this exhibition first by April by Kika Karadi. She was born in Budapest, moving to the USA when she was 12. In 1994 she was the youngest artist to win the Morris Louis Grant for painting, which allowed her to travel to Paris. Her first European solo show was held in Naples, Italy in 2006. April is a very large abstract canvas, combining patterns of angular, fragmented shapes and surface texturing with a very subtle palette of subdued colours.

The second professional contribution is from Mark DeMuro. He was born in Washington State and now lives and works in New York City. He is a Founder and Director of the Beaux Arts Foundation and The Downtown Arts Club. He has exhibited paintings with galleries in New York, The Hague, Zurich, Los Angeles, Sedona, Southampton, Chicago, Miami and Washington D.C. His work is represented here by Blue Bridge. This is a deceptively simple picture, using space and emptiness as a key visual element to position and fix the image of the bridge itself.

2007: New Directions- the Introduction of Personal Art

In February 2007 new kinds of frames were introduced that have revolutionised the art world in Entropia. These frames made it possible for Entropians to create and show their own pictures. This section of the Exhibition shows something of the ways in which artists are using this new opportunity to show their own individual vision, often drawing on their experiences in Entropia. It also demonstrates the wide range of technical methods that are being used to generate these pictures.

The Diver (Finbar) is part of an experiment in using the simplest of all techniques for producing Entropian artwork- the printscreen or screenie. Apart from cropping and minor reediting the picture is the screen image as captured. The skill (as in RL wildlife photography) is in finding the best possible position for the shot and then waiting.

It took about 3 hours to find the precise spot from which this unstaged picture could be taken and to obtain this image. I like it because it captures the energy and enthusiasm of the OJs who sweat on Combibo Island, north of PA Mall. When they die they revive in the Mall and then rush down to the quay, dive in and swim back to the island.

Outer Chaos was created by Spiiral and uses a rich blend of colours and textures to create a varied surface. As the artist puts it:

This piece is a mix of emotions, exploding and erupting to the surface. The grey metallic symbolizes the cold, feeling of solitude, while the bright oranges and reds show the desire to break free from this. The brownish undercoating is the stationary repetitiveness of everyday life. The different textures represent change and movement of things yet to come, some flat and bland while others seem to jump off the painting. The blues show calmness and peace hidden in the jumble of life.

Hrafninn's Cornundacauda Summer was one of the first examples of personal art to be produced in Entropia. His pictures are characterised by a passion for lonely Entropian landscapes, with a use of colour that transforms them into places of mystery and unreality. In this picture the effect is mystical and muted. Neconu Freezeover was created later in the same series, using a colder and sharper style but still retaining an air of mystery. Hraf describes the motivation behind these pictures:

I have always been fascinated with feelings of solitude and desperation. I strive to capture and convey those exact feelings to the world in a warm, gentle and even loving way. By choosing imagery from Entropia Universe as my inspiration I hope my work might touch the Entropian community, closer to home than with random imaginary scenes.

The next picture Moonlight over Nymphtown is one of several created by Tidesong (her EU name is Tide). It was inspired by one of her travels across Eudoria. She took many screenshots while earning tps and outposts and one set of mountains just struck her with its beauty. The piece of land there is flush with vegetation and flowers.

Thinking about its quiet calm made me want to portray it at night. I hoped to bring across the feeling of that quiet breeze on your skin even as the flowery smells of evening linger in the air. At the same time, the altitude and the pale moonlight would give it a sense of cold and surrealness. This I hoped to contrast with the warmth of the couple there. I was not sure why they had come to this place, but I knew that they were there together. The wide vastness of Eudoria contrasting with the human spirit of its inhabitants is the message that grew as I worked on this piece.

The second of Finbar’s printscreen photographs is Guardian. This too was conceived as a (very) wildlife shot and eventually needed the active but shortlived cooperation of a dozen Argos. Here the original screenshot has been not only cropped but also retoned, marking another step away from simple screenprints.

The intention was to use very simple methods to get a shot with a “Planet of the Apes” effect that would catch something of the ferocity and determination of Argos when their natural habitat is invaded.

Ankh is a minimally edited photograph of a stained glass window constructed in 1992. It is shown here with the permission of the owners.

The window was designed to capture the atmosphere and colours of a riverboat trip up the Nile to Luxor; it combines conventional stained glass construction techniques with paint-based texturing and patterning, done directly by hand onto the glass.

Unknown Woman is an unedited photograph. It is reproduced with the permission of the owners. After this exhibition it will be transferred to the Entropia Hunting Museum, where the original photograph was found. We hope to be able to tell you more about it at a later time.

While repairing the roof supports of a mansion in South Atlas a worker came across a dusty Midas tree box containing a young woman’s photograph, a man’s silver signet ring without initials and a faded yellow Christmas Flower- presumably the one shown in the photograph. Museum researchers are now checking historical records to see if it is possible to identify either the woman or the original owner of the signet ring. (Historical Research Unit Report 117, p2 March 2007.)

Fortunate Hunter and Fortunate Miner were created by Fezza Sanity Prozac (whose EF name is Nutter). He has taken one of the commonest experiences in Entropian life and visualised it as experienced by hunters and miners, using colour and design to bring out the similarities. He says:

These pieces were inspired by the conflicting emotions of HoFing miners and hunters...On the one hand they are ecstatic about HoFing, on the other hand they are distraught about the amount of peds it cost to get. I tried to capture this with dark atmospherics and the light of the swirlies.

Melee Fighter is a slightly edited and retoned scan of a larger framed pencil on paper drawing. It is reproduced with the owner’s permission. The artist wishes at this time to remain anonymous.

Melee is a rewarding but very demanding form of fighting and hunting, in which experience, fieldcraft, fast reflexes, close observation of the opponent and persistence are all very important. This portrait perhaps conveys something of this.

First Night: 28/3/07 illustrates how personal art can also be used to mark special events, in 'press photo' or 'group photo' modes. The picture also brings the historical trail this exhibition traces right up to date. It was taken by Spiiral near the end of the private view held two days before the museum opened. It shows (left to right): JBoy, Lexxy, Hrafninn, Spiiral, Dolores Dol, Moonfish and Finbar.

Lykke’s haunting picture Savior centres, both visually and emotionally, upon the relationship between the participants. Her inspiration was both personal and mythological, drawing upon ancient Egyptian religion, caught in her quotation from the god Horus:

Another prophet shall arise, and bring fresh fever from the skies; another woman shall awake the lust & worship of the Snake

Lexxy’s picture Impressions Valley uses the uncommon Xlite-W format to create a panoramic landscape view, that is both recognisably set in Entropia but has been transformed in a quite different way from that used by Hraf, for example. As Lexxy puts it:

Impressions Valley is a digital work in which I attempted to use impressionist techniques and ideals in order to look at a virtual universe in a different way. Rather than trying to recreate an image of the world I am trying to show the spirit of this particular area on Calypso. I was also attempting to create a digital work that had balance, texture and depth. Something that I find is more difficult using a digital medium than a classical technique such as acrylic on canvas.

How can I create pictures myself?

To see how to create your own pictures go to the Participant Guide link on the top of the EU login page and look under Ads. In addition Ido has done a very clear and helpful step by step guide. You can find this at: https://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58794

Where can I buy pictures like these?

You will find up to date information on where to buy pictures by most of the Entropian artists in this exhibition (and several other very good artists too) in this Entropia Forum thread:
https://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59361

That thread is also a good source for locating other places where you can see many personal art pictures not on show here. There are several interesting galleries, shops and auction houses described there which display as well as sell pictures. In addition some artists will sell their pictures direct- you can contact them with a personal message using Entropia Forum.

Professional paintings can be bought in the New Oxford Art Galleries, and in some cases the IRL versions from which they were developed can also be ordered. Just check the info section on the painting that interests you and the shopkeeper in the galleries. Some of these pictures also occasionally appear in auction. The early MA artist paintings too can be found in the auction or in some Entropia shops.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this exhibition or the Museum just send the Curator (Fin) a message via Entropia Forum.

Finbar Fin McCullouch
Curator, The Entropia Museum.



Published by the Entropia Museum, March 2007.

Great Initiative

A great initiative!

It is inspiring how many galleries have sprung up recently. This upsurge of creativity by players should be encouraged by all means. What was lacking so far was a true museum collecting the different periods of Entropian Art. This effort is really appreciated!

Good luck -- also to all the others who engage in the effort of bringing personal content into this Universe.

Glyphan

Great!, even more reason to visit Billton1 ....great initiative my friend i will be popping in very shortly! Remember when you've done admiring art come down to Club'3G' ( Billton1 '3G' ) and have a boogie with your friends!

Jam.