Peter Greenaway, Acclaimed Filmmaker & Second Life User, Joins Protest Over Anti-Nudity Policies at SL Anniversary in Statement on Importance of Second Life as an Art Medium

SL7B protest photo by Marmaduke Arado

This week Second Life celebrates its seventh year of commercial operation, and as in previous years, world owner Linden Lab is holding an official anniversary party, known as SL7B. As was often the case during past anniversaries, this year there's some Resident controversy over how the company represents the culture of Second Life at the party. Much of the 2010 outrage centers around the metaverse art of Rose Borchovski, whose works contain abstract nudity. Because of this, her installation, "Susa Bubble", was summarily ejected by Linden Lab from the SL7B party grounds, which prohibits depictions of avatar nudity. Soon after, a number of sign-waving Resident protesters assembled on Rose's land, railing against "Thought Police" (as seen in the video below.)

This time, however, the protesters have a strong ally: Peter Greenaway, the acclaimed British director of The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover starring Helen Mirren, and The Pillow Book starring Ewan McGregor. Greenaway is a Second Life user himself, and has incorporated SL into some of his own art (see below), some of which he's done in collaboration with Rose Borchovski. Over the weekend, Rose has been passing around a notecard authored by Greenaway, a statement directed at Courtney Linden, the company staffer who helps manage SL7B.

Greenaway declines to give his Second Life avatar name for privacy reason, but I have confirmed with a close associate that he did indeed write it. Ironically, it contains one of the strongest endorsements by a world-renowned artist of Second Life as a powerful new medium:

"Whatever else you think you may be doing with Second Life," Peter Greenaway writes to Linden Lab, "you have created a very sophisticated tool that combines traditions of painting with cinema and the graphic arts in present tense terms that permits visual expression of language like never before. Do not underestimate what you have created..."

"The Kiss" by Rose Borchovski, courtesy The Metaverse Journal

After the break, Greenaway's full statement, words from Rose Borchovski, and Linden Lab's response to both. For the record, I personally believe some of the protest rhetoric (even from Greenaway) is overwrought; after all, it's entirely permissible to stage artwork with nudity in much of Second Life. However, by not including a Mature-rated area in SL7B, the Lindens do open themselves up to these kind of protests, and charges that the anniversary event doesn't welcome the full breadth of SL creativity and free expression to a party that's supposed to celebrate it.

Greenaway's letter:

"Dear Courtney Linden,

"As a reaction to the rejection of Rose Borchovski's art installation 'The Kiss' at the Celebration Sim, I would like you to read this. It seems to me incredible that you are enforcing censorship concerning nudity in public forums on Second Life.

"Traditions of nudity in Western Art have for centuries been legitimate, honourable and creditable. The cyperspaces of Second Life - and Second Life has so far proved itself to be among the very best of such events - are among todays' cutting edge of visual languages - continuing an enviable tradition of new technologies in the visual arts now that the orthodox cinematic arts are proving themselves moribund and archaic, and enforcing new efforts to avoid artistic elitism and the encouragement of egalitarianism in artistic expression. Any artist worth his or her salt, always must engage in contemporary technologies - it has been the very reputable tradition of the most worthwhile artists that has benefitted us all. Visual artists have always taught us to look. The man-made world owes them everything.

"Just because you have eyes does not mean you can see. And the political and social emancipation of the naked and the nude by artists has been essential for humanist civilisation - it has given you and me great liberalities of thinking and self-respect.

"Whatever else you think you may be doing with Second Life, you have created a very sophisticated tool that combines traditions of painting with cinema and the graphic arts in present tense terms that permits visual expression of language like never before. Do not underestimate what you have created - but to remain creditable you simply cannot enforce reactionary hypocritical standards that have been so discredited over the last five hundred years.

SL7B Protest video shot and narrated by ColeMarie Soleil

"Like any self-respecting artist of course I am against gratuitous exploitation that demeans and insults intelligence and sensibilities but by your blanket censorship you are now doing both those things - insulting artistic intelligence and demeaning sensibility.

"I suspect you are responding to pressure, to some form of mind-police, certainly to some form of political correctness that is related to money and the slow swing to the political right that is happening all over the world related to civilisation's fear of financial insecurity. Don't go that way. You are endangering a tool that is greater than you.

Second Life machinima footage incorporated into theatrical production "Blue Planet" co-created by Peter Greenaway

"When the cultural histories of the early 21st century are written from hindsight, you will undoubtedly find the possibilities and successes of Second Life being eminently lauded and praised. Too many art forms in the 20th century have been stunted and deformed and deflected into ineffectuality and banality by small mindedness. If you really insist in so-called protection of innocence (and I really wonder what that really is - is it a synonym in fact for ignorance and intolerance?) then do so on a careful case by case basis with intelligence and foresight. This will be troublesome for you to do, if you want to do it well. But it will be very well worth your while.

"Yours, hoping you will see sense, and not be influenced by short-term gain.

"Peter Greenaway, film-maker"

* * *

"When I did set up my 'Kiss' [at the SL7B site]," Rose Borchovski tells me, "it did not even cross my mind that I was violating any rules of the Linden Lab celebration. My Susa is a caricature, a cartoon, she is naked like Donald Duck is naked, she has no genitals, and a flat chest. She is not real, I do not even try to make her look real, she is a little creature telling a story. The story is about the dark inner life of us all." The SL7B policies allow exhibitors to include links to Mature locations. Since that's the case, I asked her, why not just put a non-nude excerpt of her installation at the site, and include a teleport landmark to the full, Mature-rated exhibit? "I was in the presumption this was an Art Event and not an alternative landingspot with an advertisement of a landmark to my sim," she told me.

I forwarded Rose and Peter Greenaway's protest to Linden Lab, and got this response attributed to company community manager Blondin Linden:

"As with past Second Life birthdays, we have implemented guidelines for the SL7B event to create a celebration that can be enjoyed by as wide an audience as possible. One of these guidelines notes that the event has a General (aka PG) maturity rating, as have previous Second Life birthday celebrations. As described on the wiki, the General maturity rating includes a prohibition on nudity. All exhibitors and builders agree to adhere to the policies for the event as a condition of participation, and these guidelines are available publicly on the wiki."

Much thanks to Marmaduke Arado for first alerting me to this!

Update, 6/22: Tweaked the title a bit to emphasize Greenaway's statement on SL as an artistic medium. Top photo of filmmaker from his Wikipedia profile.

Update 2, 6/23:: Replaced older iteration of Susa Bubble with "The Kiss", the work in question.

Comments

[Ghosty Kips]

M linden hates nipples.

[SecondLice]

Lets not also gloss over the removal of an exhibitor for using a texture of naked Barbie doll.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwm8KUJ2WY4

[X R]

In typical LL PR-'tard fashion, they miss the opportunity to restore a shred of squandered legitimacy with creators. They could have launched their statement with "We are pleased that an international artist of Peter Greenaway's stature and critical renown has discovered the unlimited creative uses of Second Life ... we hope his adoption of the platform will signal reconsideration of the medium by an art world which largely continues to either ignore or dismiss it."

But nooo. Nothing but wonk-headed, creativity-thwarting statement of rules.

[Ignatius Onomatopoeia]

Let's streak SLB7

There probably won't be an SLB8 at this rate. What have we to lose?

[Ignatius Onomatopoeia]

I should have said SLB7 and SLB8 but...

SLB8 sure sounds a lot like "celibate" which rings oddly true for this fiasco.

[Delinda Dyrssen]

Sometimes the "rules" need to be re-written. Linden labs I find it disgraceful for you to have shut down this art exhibit before anyone even got a chance to view it. Not to mention all the hard work that the artist probably put into it... poof. More thought needs to be put into things of this nature before just pulling the plug next time.

[Botgirl Questi]

Although some celebrities like Peter Greenaway believe such censorship is a bad idea, others have a different opinion:

Dolls for Decency interview: http://botgirl.blogspot.com/2010/06/dolls-for-decency-response-to-nude.html

[Ziki Questi]

Maybe someone can put up an image of Donald Duck, and we'll see if LL bans it for nudity. Let's see: "We need to exile nipples another continent, and make SL so squeaky clean that everyone's grandmother will just love it." Pffft. What astonishing ignorance of the value of art and of societal norms.

[Adeon Writer]

For the Barbie case they'd have done much better by simply claiming it falls under copyright. :)

[Ziki Questi]

@Adeon - Yes, God forbid something like a naked Barbie should get into the hands of children.

[brinda allen]

I'm so glad to see the art...how in anything that's holy could anyone possibly see this as sexual?
The Benevolent Monarchy has certainly stepped on their masculine genitals on this fiasco.

[Scylla Rhiadra]

The absurdity of LL's overly-literal and inflexible application of its "G" rating to Rose Borchovski's installation is highlighted all the more by the subsequent removal, which some have alluded to, of Misprint Thursday's image of "nude" Barbie dolls. Any content rating that is extended to such an absurd extreme is self-evidently very badly flawed.

The thing that is most galling about this is that LL has been sending signals, particularly through the creation of the Linden Endowment for the Arts, that they value artists, and wish to nurture an even more vibrant arts community here. Sadly, events over the last few days have truly muddied the waters: it would be hard to imagine a better way to sabotage their own efforts than banning two artists from SL7B on such questionable grounds. LL has got some serious damage-control work to do with that community.

So, the question remains unanswered: does LL want serious artists here? Or not?

[Robustus Hax]

If you think that's bad we had an issue over whether a purple tree was realistic or not for the future of Virtual Worlds theme from SL6B last year. This year they don't seem as bad but it does seem like a lot of rigid enforcement, they have to come and inspect your parcel yada yada I don't know, maybe its just me but it seems the Birthday celebration has become more about enforcing these arbitrary policies than actually celebrating anything. I hope I'm wrong this year and there is actual some pep at this years events.

[DD Ra]

What's even more ridiculous, is that we have all seen on SL, unwillingly, things so crude that they certainly are against the TOS, in various places. And if you search for such, you will find a lot of it.

The Linden are not enought inworld (and they are less even now) too enforce their own TOS, but for the SLB's they come to have a TOS-Nazi stance (thing soup-nazi in Seinfeld).

It's very dommageable for SL's art, and could push artists to expose in Opensims instead of SL.

[LokiLoki]

lol bless

[cube3]

the "mural" on the wall? that's the offending image?

sad state at Linden Labs. What they consider morally correct activity and artifacts and immoral activity and artifacts to be "censored".

funny if it wasnt pathetic.

BTW- thought both of those Greenaway films were quite good.

keep up the press, keep up the pressure.
cube3

[Scylla Rhiadra]

@cube

In fairness, the mural shown in the "Thought Police" video was apparently NOT the main bone of contention. I've posted a pic of the image that was the main source of the mod's objections on the SL Forums:

http://blogs.secondlife.com/message/264998#264998

This other image employs full frontal nudity; I think that it is more clearly in violation of the event's "G" rating.

That said, I still believe that this exhibit should have been allowed to stand. And I think that LL needs to seriously rethink this "General" rating only policy for future SLB events.

[Hamlet Au]

Greenaway's most well-known movies, I thought to mention, also contain a lot of nudity and violence, often pushing to extreme levels. Inarguably they're works of art, but they've also provoked a lot of similar debate. *The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover* is so over the top, it was released unrated in the US. (It's the movie that put Miramax on the map, in the film industry.) I liked it a lot when it first came out, though I definitely recommend watching it *long* after you've had dinner.

[cube3]

the image i just saw then? a series of outstretched bodies with the inner two opposed?

well. its quite tame and about as "explicit" as a row of undressed dolls on the floor of a child's room.

one would assume "full frontal" is used to mean "genitalia" ---

anyhow- the decision to censor such an image, clearly designed as "artistic" and not as a "sexual titilation" artifact, seems sad and pathetic for a "visual" platform corporation in our society today.

"zero" tolerance is a binary concept- and why as a culture that uses art to inform, we are lessened by the attention and praise given to efforts like Linden labs Second Life and those who manage/offer it.

c3

[Rose Borchovski]

Hello, it is very curious that suddenly the discussion is about another work of me, It was the installation THE KISS, that was returned to me by Courtney Linden, not the image you are talking about.

Thank you Rose

[IntLibber Brautigan]

Not surprised. I hear a new protest group, Weather Underlife, made its appearance. Their twitter page was quickly banned. It appears the Silicon Valley mafia is cooperating at suppressing all forms of dissent that they themselves do not create.

[Ananda Sandgrain]

I can't help but feel that controversy like this is an essential part both of bringing notoriety to the artists and attention to the SL Birthday celebration. It is, after all, a tradition in SL, for the annual rite to be ostensibly run for the specific purpose of celebrating the anniversary of opening up the grid, and for it inevitably to be disrupted by some sort of resident protest.

It makes for a nice bit of theater, but I really can't take seriously any claims that this somehow adds up to censorship or that it damages SL's friendliness to artists when there are so many other venues run year-round specifically for encouraging artists and creative ventures.

or the short version: Oh please, this is just part of the annual fun. *gets out the popcorn*

[Scylla Rhiadra]

"Hello, it is very curious that suddenly the discussion is about another work of me, It was the installation THE KISS, that was returned to me by Courtney Linden, not the image you are talking about."

I've been told by a couple of SL7B volunteers that "The Kiss" was not, in fact, what was objected to. And this is the account of what happened given by Shawn Masters, one of the Moderators involved (and also the one who removed Misprint Thursday's image):

"Yesterday, some of us were asked to view a display at SL7B and to give our opinion on it's maturity rating. As one of the Moderators for SL7B, I along with several other Moderators determined that the display was of a mature nature and not appropriate for a PG venue. I will also tell you that the texture that is being shown to everyone is not the one that caused my concern. It was the one that was displayed on the back of the display. It showed total nudity of a image of a child no genitalia but clearly a nude texture. That being said. that disqualified it from being allowed at the venue."

http://blogs.secondlife.com/message/262928#262928

Was the other image at the SL7B installation also? If so, was it returned as well?

Speaking personally, it doesn't much matter to me which was the focus of the objections: I find both acceptable. But there does seem to be some confusion about exactly which image created this stir.

[Rose Borchovski]

Hello,
The Installation that was returned to me is: THE KISS, the image shown in the video of Cole. The other image you are talking about was not returned. The image you showed in your blog is a different image then the one that was part of the installation (similar but different), this picture is taken by someone at my sim, cariacou, Two Fish. When I was not allowed to put The KIss back , I have asked them to return all my objects . After that I was total banned from the SL7B, I can also not enter as a visitor.
I have heard Shawn Masters has problem with nudity and Art: http://justjoonie.blogspot.com/2010/06/naked-barbies-ejected-from-sl7b.html.
But I never have met or spoken with him, Thank you Rose

[Rose Borchovski]

http://justjoonie.blogspot.com/2010/06/naked-barbies-ejected-from-sl7b.html
I hope this link will work )) sorry

[Hamlet Au]

Sorry about that, Rose, I couldn't find an image of "The Kiss" when I wrote this, but just did and added it to this post.

[Misprint Thursday]

I was one of the artists who made work responding to Rose's banned work. I felt strongly both her work and my work are PG. I chose to use an image from her installation (with her permission) and juxtaposed it to an image of a barbie with no barbie clothes on-a doll kids play with. Art is visual communication and I needed to communicate visually on this idea.

Then as expected I was asked to remove it. Which I may have if I was not accused of inciting pedophilia, interrogated of my parental status and further lectured that SL is a breeding ground for pedophilia by an SL7B volunteer while Blondin Linden sat by watching it silently. That for me now is the bigger issue.

My offending work was returned by Blondin who then ejected me. They left the remainder of my installation but banned me any access to it. YES-It is their playground. I never once disputed that. But now after 3 contacts to Blondin to either lift my ban so I can access my remaining work or to return my work I have still have had no response.

Guys-this goes way beyond people who are insisting "I wish people would just follow the rules". This is about corporate integrity at this point and I am waiting to see if LL has any.

Here is what I wrote in my ticket:

I would like a response from Linden Labs. Blondin Linden was silent while an SL7B moderator stated my art could incite pedophilia, interrogated me if I had children and then went on to claim SL is a breeding ground for pedophiles.

Blondin Linden returned the "non-PG" art and banned and ejected me. The rest of my art remains at SL7b.

I would like the following:

1. An apology from Blondin Linden or Linden Labs explaining that the volunteer statements are not Linden Labs statements.

2. A response to my inquiry asking Blondin Linden 3 times to either lift my ban from sl7b or return the remainder of my work.

The silence of a Linden given these harsh statements is not right. Also-disconnecting me from my work with no recourse is not right either.

I would like to be contacted as soon as possible.

Misprint Thursday

Best to all and yes Happy Birthday SL7b. I have been happy to be part of such a creative place but I have lots of places I can be creative as well with far less grief and disturbed interrogation.

[SaveMe Oh]

We can keep on discussing for ages, but It would for all be better just to vote for a new president who guarantees freedom for all within the normal boundaries of law, and not the company laws like the Youtubbies, Facecrooks, Flickrs and Linden try to enforce upon us.
Vote for SaveMe Oh as your new president.

[jane]

I think that the piece of art being discussed is wonderful for display for display as long as it is in a PG area

[BigDog]

I agree with the idea of no censorship for the arts. Just as long as it is on Mature or at least a moderate region, when it contains nudity or mature themes.

[Arahan Claveau]

Amy Freelunch critques Rose's The Kiss in her new podcast -
http://arahanclaveau.blogspot.com/2010/06/new-amy-freelunch-show-episode-4.html

When I first saw this piece there was something familiar about it, and now I've just learned of Peter Greenaway's involvement that must be it. I am immediately reminded of Prospero's Books in particular and the strong style that runs throughout his films, it is very evident in The Kiss. I'll be interested to see if anybody from Linden Lab responds to his letter, if they have even a vague interest in art they really need to take notice.

With regards to Shawn Masters, he needs to be held accountable for his quite unbelievably ill-informed and wholly unprofessional conduct. If these are the kind of individuals Linden Lab are hiring as their official representatives then we're all in serious trouble.

-Arahan-