[-empyre-] performing in virtual

[Alan Sondheim]

In our culture, at least in the US, frontal male nudity is constantly 
censored; it's overdetermined in far too many directions.

The aggression is definitely there, but actually, I've had more experience 
of kindness than anywhere else - from you, Liz, Jo, Garrett, Patrick, for 
example. It's a large and vacant territory and it's easy to avoid problems 
- until performance time!

In a way it's a punk aesthetic - issues of pain transformed, cathartic, 
and the lack of barrier as you say.

The idea of the offensive is always confusing to me; if you're at a punk 
performance and don't like it, you can always leave - the same in Second 
Life, or art performance, almost any cultural event. Instead censorship 
takes over - our ex-mayor Giuliani tried to have the Brooklyn Museum 
defunded because there was a painting by Chris Ofili he found obscene. 
Some stuff here - http://www.artsjournal.com/issues/Brooklyn.htm

- Alan

On Thu, 11 Oct 2012, Yael G wrote:

> Well don't get me wrong.
>
> Audience is what makes a performance a performance
>
> the fact it is witnessed
>
> SL as an environment is quite aggressive. Sometimes it's like everyone 
> around you shouts me me me at the same time.
>
>
> There is no barrier between performer and audience in Second Life
>
> They can be as loud as you are and what you do might seem offensive to them.
>
> Use male nudity and even though you're in the right frame, that they are 
> seeing something happening in fine arts context
>
>
> and they might choose to disrupt you for various reasons, none may seem valid 
> to you.
>
>
>
>