In the Tact of Society by Sina Souza (click to enlarge)
Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting
I love to discover someone new to me whose work is fully-realized. I usually find people by looking at someone’s favorites or looking at pictures from a group. That is how I came across Sina Souza just two weeks ago. I was drawn to the image above even before I realized it was made in Second Life. The bold graphic aesthetic made me think of silk screening and the texture layer simply enhanced that impression. I immediately forgot all about browsing and did a deep dive down her photostream. What a ride that was.
Souza is one of the rare Second Life artists to exhibit her work in a first life gallery. She was featured in an exhibit at Loyola University in Chicago in 2015 after a professor had seen her work and wrote, inviting her participation. Called Virtual Explorations: Images from Second Life, the show included work from Philip Mallory Jones, Shirley Hunt and Souza. She currently has an exhibition at MetaLES that runs through the end of June. She also exhibits her work at her own gallery Mind Factory. Quality reproductions are available at Fine Art America.
After the break, Souza talks about her inspiration and methods.
Between Humility and Megalomania by Sina Souza (click to enlarge)
Where do you get your inspiration?
From everyday life. There is so much material in the world with which you can feed your inspiration, if you do not run through the area with blinkers before your eyes.
It is mostly my own life situation, the miserable life situation of other people, or just the completely crazy things that go on in the world, where I think "What's going on here? Am I living in a wrong movie or is this really happening?" We have an immense problem of lack of empathy in our society. People are dulled. Everyone is only interested in himself and can not put himself into others. So I try to think as far as possible outside the box and I guess that is one of the reasons why my inspiration arises.
Your work is very surreal. I look at it and just wonder where-oh-where does that come from? Where does such wild creativity come from?
If you would ask my art teacher from the school days, she would think you were talking about another person...I really have no idea, where it come from. It seems, that I have found it in Second Life. It usually comes when I lie in bed and try to sleep, first it is just a specific word, something that makes me think. Then the word turns into a coherent sentence and from this the image emerges slowly in my head.
From this point on I lie awake in bed until the picture is finished in my head.
Democratic Suicide by Sina Souza (click to enlarge)
A lot of your work has a political edge. Is that a constant, or provoked by the extraordinary circumstances of these times?
It is a constant, because politics unfortunately is often extraordinary stupid. Unfortunately, the people in the power seem to always want to beat their nonsense.
And as you can see, they are also still elected by the people. Seems to be a never ending story...
What artists appeal to you?
There are many artists that I appreciate in SL, for example Bryn Oh, Cica Ghost, Rebeca Bashly, Rose Borchovski, phew, I could probably fill the complete interview with names.
How much is shot in SL and how much is done in PhotoShop or other editing/digital art software?
It depends on the Image and how I imagine the end result, sometimes it is not many editing I need to do, but sometimes it is more. You know, sometimes I have pretty weird ideas, but I need for this image something specific, for example an object. And as all photographers in SL know, there is much in the marketplace, but far from everything. And I love to give the image a painting look, so it is sometimes a lil bit more editing. It is also important how many Figures are shown in the Picture, cause I just use my own Avatar. So, when you see for example five Figures in my image, then this is always my avatar and I have shot a total of 5 or more images for the final image. This will sometimes become a kind of photoshop puzzle.
Without giving up your secrets, what can you tell us about your process?
As I said, the idea begins when I for example lying in bed and think about something. Then I write it into my notebook, which is always beside my bed.
When I start to work on the image, I first look for all objects and things, which I need for the image. Then I look for the right pose or create the pose myself.
After I have everything I need, I build up the location on my platform if necessary and place everything on the space provided for it. Then I search the perfect Perspective, maybe move some Objects here and there, search the perfect Windlight and take a Snapshot. Mostly I take one to six snapshots of different WindLights to have a small selection and choose the best of them. In Photoshop I change the color, brightness, contrast, hide ugly spots, give it a painting look or add something into the image, such as figures, objects, textures, whatever. But very important for me is to hear music during the creative process.
I have to get into the right mood for the image. Mostly it is a piano sample or any classic film music.
Equilibrium by Sina Souza is her favorite. (Click to enlarge)
Can you pick a favorite picture and tell us a little about your inspiration and how you went about creating...not at tutorial level, but just a general idea.
Equilibrium is one of my own favorites. The thing is, that the image was an happy accident. I had previously made no plan, no sketch, nothing like that.
Just a spontaneous and senseless snapshot of a head with open mouth with a cool black and white texture. Then I have worked in PhotoShop a bit with this image and got the idea of balance in the world. You know, the rich are getting richer and the little man is exploited. The working society works for one apple and an egg and the rich take what they want, because the stronger eats the weak. Happy capitalism! If you were at the point that you did not have anything, because nobody gave you a opportunity or you working for a minimalist pay, it makes you kind of angry.
Visual Ignorance by Sina Souza (click to enlarge)
Anything else about your work you would like people to know?
My work is usually a kind of self-therapy or serves to open the eyes of others. Actually, I only create if something annoys me or bothers me.
If you want to see happy people hopping over green fields images, then I am definitely the wrong address. If you want to think, then you are right here.
How did you come to join SL?
I was bored, surfed the internet and I saw on some side a display of Second Life, clicked on it, registered me and installed it. Hello here I am.
Has SL changed your life? Is there anything you want to share?
It has definitely changed my life. Before, I would never have ever thought in life ever to make such pictures or any pictures at all. It helped me to find my creativity and it has expanded my life with it. Ah, and I think my English has become better than before SL.
Visit Sina Souza online at Mind Factory.
Cajsa Lilliehook joined Second Life in 2007 and has been enjoying the art of SL ever since. Disliking the common practice of critiquing poor photos, she decided to highlight good ones and explain why they work in hopes of inspiring with praise instead of criticism. Follow Cajsa on Flickr, on Twitter or on her blog.
It was very quaint
it was useful
Thankful
http://www.sabadshop.ir/
Posted by: فروشگاه اینترنتی | Friday, June 09, 2017 at 01:32 AM