Art in Second Life 2022 (19) Stillborn by Lex Machine

18 Feb 2022 Leave a comment

by diomitamaurer in Art in Second Life Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I got a group message from Lex Machine (Archetype11 Nova) announcing the opening of “Stillborn“, his latest installation.

Lex Machine (Archetype11 Nova) was formerly known as Schmexysbuddy Resident and created the Hotel California sims, which I visited in 2019 (read here and here). I saw Lex Machine’s installation “Isolation’s Passengers” in 2020 (read here), his installations Bermuda Locket (read here), “The House that Love Built” (read here), Numb (read here) and Nero (read here) in 2021 – and now “Stillborn” is his first installation of 2022.

Impressions of “Stillborn” by Lex Machine (1) – overview pictures

Lex Machine’s installations are collections of art objects from different artists, some of the objects were not intended to be art. Lex’ art is arranging them in his own way and setting them into a context and into an intriguing environment. As the title implies “Stillborn” is not happy art, a visit makes you thinking.  I use to zoom out first when I visit an installation or sim to get an overview and a first impression. If you look at “Stillborn” zoomed out what catches your eye first are bones, parts of a huge skeleton maybe of an dinosaur. The bones lay on and levitate above the island.
On a second view you notice the levitating bird cages and some oversized figures, one sitting on the island and a black and a white figure in the water at the shore.

Impressions of “Stillborn” by Lex Machine (2) – close to the landing point

Where you land is a colourful flowerbed, a real contrast to figures and the mood “Stillborn” radiates. There are 2 dollcases with oversized dolls. Their eyes are glowing like crazy. Next to one of the dollcases sits another oversized female with glowing crazy eyes. She has some syringes in her body. Then there is this faceless figure between the two dollcases which is wrapped in chains … and finally right beind the dollcases is a head without a skullcap and the head bearthes out bones.

Wlaking more towards inside you see several kneeling figures who try to protect themselves maybe in order not to be hit by one of the bones, the are squatted down like babies. And they have multiple heads are hands growing out of their bodies, abnormalities which can be found at stillborns.

Impressions of “Stillborn” by Lex Machine (3)

A bit apart from the stillborns you find a crying oversized figure sitting on the island. You can literally feel the pain the person is experiencing. She sits between the above mentioned birdcages, in which are birdlike beings with a clock between the wings, a symbol for the time flying by so quickly?

As usual the symbolism of Lex Machine’s installation “Stillborn” is hard to grasp. I once met Lex when I visited “Numb” (read here). Lex was a soldier and lost brothers in arms to suicide. In the end more veterans commit suicide than are killed in action. They have memories of things that used to kill people and the pictures drive them nuts. Far too often the only cure given are drugs … with the known results. At least some elements on “Stillborn” do remind me of this background, like the figure in chains, the female getting drugs, the head without a skullcap. It might be that Lex is expressing the pain about a stillborn, an event that is very hard to get over, something you don’t wish for anyone. I don’t know it.  And how do the two figures kneeling at the shore fit into this picture?
What I know is that the composition of art objects is again very effectful and impressing.

Impressions of “Stillborn” by Lex Machine (4)

I checked a few artists and builders of the objects collected and arranged at “Stillborn“, not of all: ЈiPe (jipe loon), Stabitha (what88 zond), Crai Conundrum, Eric Bloodrose, aki69, wassaabii, NESS (donotgivemyself), MedievalFantasy, Rogue Falconer and Galathir Darkstone, who made the dinosaur skeleton. Some of the names sounded familiar and I came across them on other installations of Lex. Some were new though.

Thank you Lex for another installation that made me thinking.

Landmark to “Stillborn” by Lex Machine
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Eve%20Bayou/15/134/22

Art in Second Life 2021 (7) Bermuda Locket

24 Jan 2021 Leave a comment

by diomitamaurer in Art in Second Life Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I came across “Bermuda Locket” when I scrolled trough scoop.it SL Destinations . The entry led to a blogpost from Maddy Gynoid “Simtipp: Bermuda Locket“. Actually Bermuda Locket is the newest installation of Lex Machine (Archetype11 Nova).
Archetype11 Nova was formerly known as Schmexysbuddy Resident and created the Hotel California sims, which I visited in 2019 (read here and here). I saw Lex Machine’s installation “Isolation’s Passengers” last year (read here).

Bermuda Locket is a collaborative build of Lex Machine (Archetype11 Nova), Anastasia Falcor (Anastasia Nova), Mr. X Zenovka (Marcomr2 Zenovka) and Sheraton Falcor (Sheraton Voom). In the landmark description Lex writes: “As you enter into my curse, our dreams reverse and the demons burst…“

Bermuda Locket – overview and orientation map

Bermuda Locket consists of two islands. On one hand it is a lovely beach themed sim with two residentials houses, a beach hut, a boat house, two motor yachts and a sport boat and places to wind down and dream. On the other hand it is a collection of 3D-art, the visualisation of dreams, of temporary thoughts, be it nightmare or beauty or surreal.

Impressions of Bermuda Locket (1) – around the landing point

The presented art is quite dominating as most of the objects are very large. The landing is opposed to a broken lighthouse (which I came across already a few times in different sims) by the feet of a large laying female sculpture. You see two other oversized female sculptures kneeling and sitting nearby and strange fishes fly over your head. A surreal scenery. The fishes were created by aki69, most of the oversized sculptures at Bermuda Locket are from wassaabii.

When you look around you see many oversized sculptures. There are 2 beach houses, a traditional on one island and a modern beach house with boat house and beach hut on the other island. I first visited the traditional beach house. On my way to it I encountered an armada of “Wasp Angels” created by Bryn Oh. Close to the house is an intriguing sculpture created by CioTToLiNa Xue surrounded by flying shadowy females. At the beach are several cars sticked with their front into the sand. The cars are the work of Rena (guraa). And finally the ensemble of surreal art is completed by sculptures of Rebeca Bashly.

Impressions of Bermuda Locket (2) – around the traditional beach house: Bryn Oh’s Wasp Angels / CioTToLiNa Xue sculpture / wassaabii’s and Rebeca Bashly’s sculptures and Rena (guraa)’s cars

The tradiditional beach house is furnished quite with style and with love for the detail – and nothing reminds of the surreal world which is outside.

Impressions of Bermuda Locket (3) – in and outside of the tradional beach house / Rena (guraa)’s cars

The beach house on the second island is modern. Together with the boat house, the beach hut, and the 2 big motoryachts it radiates luxury. The furniture inside is similar to the furniture in the traditional house, again very stylish! I sat down outside on a swing and enjoyed the surreal scenery.

Impressions of Bermuda Locket (4) – in and outside of the modern beach house

In the corner of the second island you see a couple of horses (also created by wassaabii). On the beach lies anothter oversized female. Closeby I noticed a raft and sat down for a break.

Impressions of Bermuda Locket (5) – wassaabii’s sculptures, the raft, the beach hut and wassaabii’s horses

Bermuda Locket is an outstanding art sim. I rarely saw that many oversized sculptures and it is strange to see how they dominate the scenery. The mind (at least mine) isn’t able to differentiate between the lovely beach islands and the oversized surreal 3D art. Again Lex Machine created an outstanding composition of art and the featured homes of MZ Creations by Mr. X Zenovka (Marcomr2 Zenovka). And because of the dominance of art I categorized my visit under “Art” rather than under “Simploring”.

Thank you Lex Machine (Archetype11 Nova), Anastasia Falcor (Anastasia Nova), Mr. X Zenovka (Marcomr2 Zenovka) and Sheraton Falcor (Sheraton Voom). I enjoyed my art-simploring-tour.

Landmark to Bermuda Locket
https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Solveig/93/135/21
Maddy Gynoid’s blogpost “Simtipp: Bermuda Locket”
https://echtvirtuell.blogspot.com/2021/01/simtipp-bermuda-locket.html