Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting
After a long absence, Mr. Godard has returned to posting his work on Flickr which is a good thing for all of us. He makes photos that seem so real even though they are taken in Second Life. One of the ways he does that is by adding age, wear, and tear to his pictures. For example, this snap of a motel sign and water town is given an aged look through the use of a light leak overlay that lets us imagine the picture comes from a different era.
Mr. Godard also enjoys a visual pun. See below.
The script reads “The Facebook of Mr. Godard.” I love it. I also admire the age he imbues with overlays and actions. The picture lays on a wood texture layer and is broken, cracked, and torn by another layer laying over it. There are filters that achieve this effect in various software programs such as Filter Forge. Some think that great effects achieved through software rather than painting are not art, but the idea is the art, not the process of executing the idea.
Another stunning picture uses light to invite us outside. I like the cool shadows indoors and might just stay inside. Again, he adds age with an overlay exposing the edges. Here’s the thing, most of us do not like perfection. We like to see some wear and tear. Mr. Godard understands this and gives us beautiful pictures that reach out and draw us in, or in this case, out into the light.
Mr. Godard’s photostream is a restful respite from the fashion and erotica that floods SL Flickr. It is about finding beauty in small things. There are closeup photos of leaves, a spider, flowers, breakfast cereal. All beautiful in his eyes. Then there are the landscapes with a special love for the mid-century Americana such as the motel sign. There are not many people, but those who have a place in his stream are intriguing and not looking out at us, but are living in his world.
See all of Cajsa's Choices here. Follow Cajsa on Flickr, on Twitter or on her blog.
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