Backflash April 2022 “Simploring 2017 (31) The Last Forever – Marfa” (April 25th, 2017)

29 Apr 2022 Leave a comment

by diomitamaurer in Backflash of the month, Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In the “Backflash” series I select an old entry once a month and present it here. This way I force myself to browse in the archive and to fresh up a few of the many memories. For our readers the new series shall provide an insight into our Second Life without reading back the many posts and it might also give reason to browse through the archives.
For April 2022 I selected a post from April 2017 “Simploring 2017 (31) The Last Forever – Marfa”.
Back in 2017 I had never heard about Marfa, TX and thus I did some resaearch und learned a lot about this famous place in the middle of nothing. Snce then I came across Marfa in Second Life a few times and for me it feels a bit like I’d have been there in RL. At “The Last Forever – Marfa” I also saw Melusina Parkin’s minimalistic art for the first time. Whenever I get aware that Melusina has opened a new exhibtion I visit it nowadays – and often remember my visit to her exhibtion at “The Last Forever – Marfa”
Enjoy reading…

Simploring 2017 (31) The Last Forever – Marfa

I went on a simploring tour Saturday, April 22nd. I decided to visit “The Last Forever“, a landmark that I picked from Nix Bubbles’ blog. The landmark description was not really revealing for me: “The Last Forever is a new sim/full region inspired by Marfa, TX from the creators of West of The Rain, Oobleck Allagash and Nodnol Jameson (KraftWork), along with the creative team of Kai Mannequin, Brooke Barmy, Rooky Yootz, Triin, Misty and Jack Hanby.” I haven’t heard about Marfa in Texas before nor did I came across of any of the mentionened names. Most of “The Last Forever” I understood later, when I looked up some profiles and after reading about Marfa, TX.

April 22nd: The Last Forever – overview

Marfa was founded in the early 1880s as a railroad water stop. The town was named “Marfa” at the suggestion of the wife of a railroad executive. The Marfa Army Airfield served as a training facility for several thousand pilots during World War II. It was closed 1945. Marfa has a population of about 2,000 people, hence it is really small.
Today, Marfa is a tourist destination and a major center for Minimalist art. Attractions include Building 98, the Chinati Foundation, artisan shops, historical architecture, a classic Texas town square, modern art installments, art galleries, and the Marfa lights. The city is also 37 miles (60 km) from Prada Marfa, a pop art exhibit, which might be the most photographed and visited site in Marfa. The area around Marfa is known as a cultural center for contemporary artists and artisans. In 1971, minimalist artist Donald Judd moved to Marfa from New York City. Since Judd’s death in 1994, two foundations have worked to maintain his legacy: the Chinati Foundation and Judd Foundation. Every year the Chinati Foundation holds an open house event where artists, collectors, and enthusiasts come from around the world to visit Marfa’s art.
(Source: wikipedia) 
The landing point is at the Marker of Marfa, which is based on Marfa in the reality. Upon your landing you get a welcome “Welcome to The Last Forever SIM home of KraftWork, BIGBULLY, Powder Pack, Kiss me Poses and Triin.” KraftWork and BIGBULLY are shops for mesh creations for decorations and furniture in Second Life. Powder Pack is a store for make-up and skins for mesh heads and Kiss me Poses is a store for poses. The Last Forever is the home of these stores. I didn’t find out what Triin is.
Marfa in Second Life looks a bit like I would imagine a little town in Texas. First of all it is in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by a desert. There are some modern buildings but also some buildings that have seen better times. And there are some ruins and abandoned homes. The infrastructure is dilapidated and some corners and areas look shabby. What I noticed before I did the above research about Marfa in the real world is the art spreaded all over the sim.
I walked around town and collected some impressions of Marfa in SL. I explored the mainstores of KraftWork and BIGBULLY. I went into the radio station and I couldn’t refrain from peeking into the local sex shop. I visited the exhibit Americana, American Icons in Second Life by Melusina Parkin. Outside of the town is the famous Prada Marfa, a camping ground, and some houses. The atmosphere is dense and The Last Forever looks quite real, in particular when you know about Marfa in reality. Monday, April 24th, just 2 days after my visit, I noticed that Inara Pey published an entry about Melusina Parkin’s Americana exhibit titeled “Melusina’s American Icons in Second life“ in her blog, just the very same day that I visited Marfa. What a coincdence!

Thank you Oobleck (allagash) and Nodnol Jameson (owner of KraftWork) for providing The Last Forever to the public. You understood how to combine the site of some mainstores (including your own) with the experience of a great place in Second Life and you contributed to my education as I now know about Marfa.

 

Landmark to The Last Forever
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Last%20Forever/181/97/23
(outdated!)
Inara Pey’s blog entry about Melusina Parkin’s Americana exhibit at The Last Forever
https://modemworld.me/2017/04/21/melusinas-american-icons-in-second-life/

Link to the orignal post:
https://themaurers.me/2017/04/25/simploring-2017-31-the-last-forever-marfa/

Simploring 2017 (73) Good Memories & Mirage

12 Sep 2017 3 Comments

by diomitamaurer in Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , , ,

Monday, September 4th, I found some time for a simploring tour. I selected to visit “Good Memories“, I found the landmark in Nix Bubbles blog “Places in SL with a tiny pinch of fashion”  (link to Nix’ blog is on the right under Active blogs). There is no description for “Good Memories“.

Impressions of “Good Memories” (1)

The homestead sim is owned by Nicasio Ansar and it is an adult sim. Actually “Good Memories” is a lovely Mediterrean peninsula. The landing point is on a landing stage that leads to a large terrace with some chairs and tables. Just adjacent is a large beach. The village looks picturesque, somehow it looks as if you visit during the midday break.

Impressions of “Good Memories” (2)

If you explore further you’ll find a big residential house and a boathouse, which I visited both. The rest of the peninsula is used for agriculture. “Good Memories” is connected to a larger island, the main island that is called “Mirage” and which is also owned by Nicasio Ansar.

Impressions of “Mirage” (1)

I found a short description on Nicasio’s profile: “Mirage is my sim. Feel free to stop by and photo, date, hangout or explore. There are plenty of places to sit and secret places to find. Mirage is also home to the Mirage Gallery. A Gallery devoted to highlighting erotic photography, art and films by Second life artists.”

Impressions of “Mirage” (2) – the galleries

“Mirage” is a lot larger than “Good Memories” and it is a full adult sim. I offers a bit of everything. There’s as well a marketplace and a village. In the village I visited a night club. As I was all alone I tried out the dancing pole. I found two gallery buildings with a lot of SL pictures. It seems that these galliers are not used for changing exhibitions, at least I found no boards indicating something like that. The sim is layed out in terraces and on the top level I found a gallery, most probable the above mentioned Mirage Gallery. The current exhibtion is by Isa Messioptra and titeled “a Romance in Brooklyn”.

Impressions of “Mirage” (3) – cosy place and other points of interest

I continued exploring and saw the amusement park as well as an obviously abandoned Japanese house that is slowly covered by trees and plants. I found many cosy places at “Mirage” as well as places to meet and I’m pretty sure that I didn’t discover all. Under the terraces is a large dungeon and a system of many seperate, but connected rooms for play. I didn’t find the offical entrance to it. Something I need to discover when I visit next time. “Mirage” is a very varied sim, my many pictures do prove it.

Impressions of “Mirage” (4) – dungeon and play rooms

Thank you Nicasio for providing your sim “Mirage” and your homestead “Good Memories” to the public. I enjoyed my visit and I intend to return.

Landmark to “Good Memories”
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Good%20Memories/14/12/23
Landmark to “Mirage”
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Mirage/118/210/51

Simploring 2017 (31) The Last Forever – Marfa

25 Apr 2017 4 Comments

by diomitamaurer in Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I went on a simploring tour Saturday, April 22nd. I decided to visit “The Last Forever“, a landmark that I picked from Nix Bubbles’ blog. The landmark description was not really revealing for me: “The Last Forever is a new sim/full region inspired by Marfa, TX from the creators of West of The Rain, Oobleck Allagash and Nodnol Jameson (KraftWork), along with the creative team of Kai Mannequin, Brooke Barmy, Rooky Yootz, Triin, Misty and Jack Hanby.” I haven’t heard about Marfa in Texas before nor did I came across of any of the mentionened names. Most of “The Last Forever” I understood later, when I looked up some profiles and after reading about Marfa, TX.

April 22nd: The Last Forever – overview

Marfa was founded in the early 1880s as a railroad water stop. The town was named “Marfa” at the suggestion of the wife of a railroad executive. The Marfa Army Airfield served as a training facility for several thousand pilots during World War II. It was closed 1945. Marfa has a population of about 2,000 people, hence it is really small.
Today, Marfa is a tourist destination and a major center for Minimalist art. Attractions include Building 98, the Chinati Foundation, artisan shops, historical architecture, a classic Texas town square, modern art installments, art galleries, and the Marfa lights. The city is also 37 miles (60 km) from Prada Marfa, a pop art exhibit, which might be the most photographed and visited site in Marfa. The area around Marfa is known as a cultural center for contemporary artists and artisans. In 1971, minimalist artist Donald Judd moved to Marfa from New York City. Since Judd’s death in 1994, two foundations have worked to maintain his legacy: the Chinati Foundation and Judd Foundation. Every year the Chinati Foundation holds an open house event where artists, collectors, and enthusiasts come from around the world to visit Marfa’s art.
(Source: wikipedia) 
The landing point is at the Marker of Marfa, which is based on Marfa in the reality. Upon your landing you get a welcome “Welcome to The Last Forever SIM home of KraftWork, BIGBULLY, Powder Pack, Kiss me Poses and Triin.” KraftWork and BIGBULLY are shops for mesh creations for decorations and furniture in Second Life. Powder Pack is a store for make-up and skins for mesh heads and Kiss me Poses is a store for poses. The Last Forever is the home of these stores. I didn’t find out what Triin is.
Marfa in Second Life looks a bit like I would imagine a little town in Texas. First of all it is in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by a desert. There are some modern buildings but also some buildings that have seen better times. And there are some ruins and abandoned homes. The infrastructure is dilapidated and some corners and areas look shabby. What I noticed before I did the above research about Marfa in the real world is the art spreaded all over the sim.
I walked around town and collected some impressions of Marfa in SL. I explored the mainstores of KraftWork and BIGBULLY. I went into the radio station and I couldn’t refrain from peeking into the local sex shop. I visited the exhibit Americana, American Icons in Second Life by Melusina Parkin. Outside of the town is the famous Prada Marfa, a camping ground, and some houses. The atmosphere is dense and The Last Forever looks quite real, in particular when you know about Marfa in reality. Monday, April 24th, just 2 days after my visit, I noticed that Inara Pey published an entry about Melusina Parkin’s Americana exhibit titeled “Melusina’s American Icons in Second life“ in her blog, just the very same day that I visited Marfa. What a coincdence!
Thank you Oobleck (allagash) and Nodnol Jameson (owner of KraftWork) for providing The Last Forever to the public. You understood how to combine the site of some mainstores (including your own) with the experience of a great place in Second Life and you contributed to my education as I now know about Marfa.
Landmark to The Last Forever
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Last%20Forever/181/97/23
Inara Pey’s blog entry about Melusina Parkin’s Americana exhibit at The Last Forever
https://modemworld.me/2017/04/21/melusinas-american-icons-in-second-life/

Simploring 2017 (29) Bella Italia – Amandia

15 Apr 2017 3 Comments

by diomitamaurer in Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , ,

It seems that the Mediterranean appeals to many of us in a magic way. That’s true at least for me. Wednesday, April 12th, I came across Amandia by following Nix Bubbles’ blog “Places in Secondlife with a tiny pinch of fashin” (link to this blog is in the Active blogs list).Amandia is a little Italian village which offers a really great variety of living, roleply, fun and kink. First of all it is very picturesque and a place for those who like taking pictures. It is made with love and creativity and to me it looks really like a place to spend a vacation. Amandia also presents some art. I did recognize immediatly several of Mistero Hifeng’s art. In addition it has countless places to cuddle, to sit, to dance and to dream. Amandia has several beaches and patio’s, there are (public) vacation homes as well as one private (non-pubic) resident home. There are possibilities for roleplay, night clubs, sky boxes for voyeurs, lesbians and for extreme play. And there is a hotel that has also a suite for bdsm.I visited for about an hour and could just get a little overview. I roamed around in the village first. It is not large but the houses there are not empty and just facades, instead they are furnished very many with details. The village really make you feel like being in Italy. Amazing. I visited some of the skyboxes (kinky), the beaches with the many opportunities to sit, to take a sunbath, to cuddle or to surf. I went to the little half island “Though Isle”, which is more for meditation. I spent time walking along the shore promenade. I walekd up to the lighthouse. I enjoyed many many views .. and of course I couldn’t hold back and also visited the hotel suite for bdsm.
Amandia is a full sim and an adult sim (so you can sunbath naked .. and more). The landmark description lists all the activities: “Vintage city, beach, dance, outdoors, kid, garden, piano’s bar, farm, nature, forest, hangout, live music, sea,  photoset, photostudio, models, hotel, suite, dom, lesbian, bdsm, hospital, Mama Allpa clinic“. Amandia is owned and created by robb (robbaccia). He wrote (in the notecard you’ll get upon landing in Amandia): “I’m very glad to welcome you to Amandia, folklore, arts, nature and hospitality from the  people of ‘LeMarche’, an Italian Region.
The land is open to all ** Human Avatars and Pets **, the moderate area is open to ** Child avatars ** too. You can fly and rez (group required). No Nazis, No fascists. Respect other avatars and have fun“
There is not much to add but a big thank you to robb for providing this gem to all SL users.
Landmark to Amandia
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/AMANDIA/92/95/26
Flickr for Amandia
https://www.flickr.com/groups/2992185@N20/pool
https://www.flickr.com/photos/131007060@N08/

Simploring 2017 (22) – TaKe Heart

30 Mar 2017 2 Comments

by diomitamaurer in Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , , , ,

Saturday, March 25th, I visited “TaKe Heart“. I came across it by following the blog of Nix Bubbles (nixi12345), Places in Secondlife with a tiny pinch of Fashion.
TaKe Heart is a photogenic sim with many areas to hang out, take photographs or dance or cuddle. As it is an adult sim you can visit wearing fetish clothes or just nothing. The sim is owned by Kess (kess.crystal). The notecard, that you can grab upon landing says that TaKe Heart is owned by Kess and Spazz Tackett …. and I assume that “TaKe” is the Ta from Tackett and the Ke from Kess. The sim was designed by Sadystika Sabretooth, and she really made a great job with this sim. I spent an hour wandering around, exploring, enjoying the peace and testing several places just to sit and dream.
There are several buildings at TaKe Heart: the landing point, a wind mill, a farm, a church, 2 houses where you can purchase poses and animations, a dance area surrounded by arcs and a greenhouse. All buidings develop an own charme and offer opportunites to take pictures. Spread all over the sim are places to cuddle be it at the shores or under a tree.
TaKe Heart is another example how beautiful Second Life can be and what you can create. Many thanks to all who contributed to this gem of Second Life, particularly to Kess for providing the sim to the public.
Landmark to TaKe Heart
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Entre%20Mares/172/50/26
There’s also a Facebook site for TaKe Heart
https://www.facebook.com/TaKe-Heart-SL-262719537462986/

Simploring 2017 (12) L’intangible & Field of dreams

22 Feb 2017 1 Comment

by diomitamaurer in Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , , , ,

Sundays are my simploring days. Last Sunday, February 19th, I went exploring L’intangible. I came across it by following the blog of Nix Bubbles (nixi12345), Places in Secondlife with a tiny pinch of Fashion.

Feb 19th: L'intangible (in the foreground - South) & Field of dreams (in the background - North)

Feb 19th: L’intangible (in the foreground – South) & Field of dreams (in the background – North)

L’intangible & Field of dreams are two connected adjacent homestead sims, just lovely and rural. It could be somewhere in the Mediterranean, maybe in France as there are vineyards, sunflower fields and fruit trees. There’s a lot of nature and some scattered buildings. I landed at L’intangible, the southern homestead. There’s not much to see, just a farm, a house, some agricultural machines. In the Southwest is a lighthouse and from it’s top you can look not just over L’intangible but also to Fields of dreams in the north. In the Southeast is a big rock and you can walk up to it’s top for another overview. At the foot of the rock is an old abandonned house. Overall you could get a bit melancholic at L’intangible.20170219-lintangible_016Field of dreams is also dominated by agriculture. The description of Field of dreams sums it up nicely: The human work is an eternal new beginning…drought, autumn rain, the ground draining away by the runoff. It is because of these climatic and physical factors that human built this landscape to be able to create spaces suitable for crops. These gardens terraces in the broken rock, cleared of stones are named “bancels”, they punctuate the landscape from the bottom of the valleys to peaks with meadows, fruit orchards and vegetable garden.”20170219-lintangible_017

Field of dreams has some little satellite islands, one in the West and three in the North. In the middle of Field of dreams is a bigger house which looks as if the farmers could gather a bit of wealth here. I can’t describe why, but Field of dreams didn’t make me as melancholic as L’intangible did.
Both sims are built with love for the detail and you can see that they were build from one person, Iska (sablina), who writes about herself: “I love creating landscapes and dreaming inside”. A really nice work. I enjoyed my visit. The only thing I missed were a few more spots to sit and dream.

Feb 19th: At the northern end of Field of dreams

Feb 19th: At the northern end of Field of dreams

Landmark to L’intangible
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Reve/108/210/25