This week, together with Duna Grant, we made a small interview with Solkide Auer where we talked about RL artists who influenced him, how he started doing art in SL among other things. I hope you all enjoy it.
K: Can you tell me where you were born and if you had studied art in RL?
S: I'm Italian and in RL I never studied art, anyway I love it and when I can I go to museums around Europe and once in USA.
K: Do you create art in RL?
S: No, I do not create art in RL, but I use a computer, which is a RL object.
K: When you entered SL did you think about creating art here, or did that idea come later?
S: It came later. My first idea was to visit SL, to see places and live adventures. Then I discovered that this world was created by people in world, so I thought, I too could try to do something and I started to learn how to build.
K: Did you visit art shows and galleries?
S: Yes the famous Louvre, a gallery that now I think doesn't exist anymore. It was full of 3D works. I am talking about 2007 and I was fascinated by these works that were so beautiful. So I visited many others galleries.
K: This was a long time ago, when did you start creating art in SL?
S: In May 2007, 3 months after I was born in world. But my first works were sooo simple:)
K: What tools did you use at your first time?
S: The build, internal system to create object and now after 8 years? The build:)
K: Prims, basically?
S: Prims forever. :)
K: Do you use mesh?
S: Not for my art, maybe a few times but for small objects. I don’t like the resolution of mesh for my kind of art. I create geometrical objects mostly and mesh sometimes is not perfect for these things.
K: Is there any RL artist who influenced your work here?
S: Yes. For example Escher and Buckminster Fuller, the second is not properly an artist, but a master in geometrical works. He is an architect.
K: Do you like others like Le Corbusier?
S: Yes and Palladio too, for his perfection in the lines
K: What things do inspire you in SL to create your art? Where do you get your ideas?
S: Sometime visiting places or seeing works that then I think... how I would like that be for me? But most of the time I take inspiration out of SL. The brain runs always and I imagine how to do it in SL.
K: Why did you accept this art show?
S: I like Ranadeep's works. And I did something contrary than what always happens on SL. Many artist create 3d works, then make pics of it. This time has been the contrary. First the pics and then the works in 3d ㋡ and it is not simple.
K: What was the most difficult for you in this art show?
S: To keep detached from my works, as basic works were made by Ranadeep. So I have used my know-how and see the works with the eyes of Ranadeep.
K: What do you like in Ranadeep's works?
S: I like Ranadeep’s works for many reasons. He loves colours exactly like me, but not one or two colours but all of them and he uses all colours in most of his works, Second, because he mixes geometry with lights effects, it looks simple, but it isn’t. And he tries to convert an image into an idea. Behind each one of his works there are many hours of study. He creates the work is not just a frame and I think and hope that people can see this. And also the construction of the 3D work needs long hours in order to result closest to the image.
K: What did you like most in the final result of this work based on his works?
S: My personal satisfaction to do my best to transform images in 3d works. It is always a challenge.
K: Is it the first time you did something like that?
S: No. I have create works by prints of Escher, 3 works and have created in 3D some cartoons characters.
D: But haven’t you ever done this kind work based on works of another artist SL, haven’t you?
S: No.
K: Do you have any final thoughts about this work with ranadeep?
S: Yes and I hope he likes it ㋡ and I would like to thank Duna for her great idea
D: I knew very well that was a very difficult work. I know the work of Ranadeep, as Solkide said. Two SL artists, whose works are apparently far apart work together. It seems simple, but it is not all at all. What do think of art, in general, on SL? Is it worth it? The long hours you have spent working for him?
S: Yes. First because in SL there are many kinds of art. And it makes possible for people to see art in SL that they would never see. I am talking about RL art too, not just art created in SL. And in SL is more simple to visit a gallery than in RL, with the same works that can be viewed in RL.
D: I agree with you, Solkide.
S: For example there is the Dresden museum. I have seen the entire collection of Van Goghs' works in SL with pics in HD. And the visitor also can see what is created in SL by builders, photographer, dancers and singers.
