Thanks for Dr. SageStage Minotaur helped us to organize this meeting minutes! 🙂

PARTICIPANTS: SageStage Minotaur, Popolohua Heron, Liliann Ling, Ootah Quartz, Marylou Goldrosen, Anya Quixote, RainbowSprite Quixote, MadFencer Zane, Mashi Muramabhad, Lilly Bieler, Marvel Recreant, and Kristy Handrick,

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1. InAEA has passed to be affiliated with InSEA. Thanks for everyone who helped me and InAEA during the affiliation process, especially thanks for Dr. Debbie Smith-Shank, Dr. Mary Stokrocki, Dr. Daniela Reimann, Dr. Margie Manifold, and Dr. Ann Kuo. If you would like to know more about InAEA, please visit http://www.inaea.org/post/2009/01/17/What-Is-InAEA.aspx
2. 2nd UNESCO World Conference on Arts Education, 25-28 May, 2010, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Deadline for submissions: February 15, 2010. For more detail, please visit: http://www.artsedu2010.kr/index.jsp
3. USSEA Conference at SUNY New Paltz in New York is in June this year! June 10-12
4. NIU Art Cafe© @ Second Life is going to have the second event on February 19 (Friday) @ 8pm CST. Karen Keifer-Boyd will present “Body<self-referential organization>Landmark: Limit-case Movements in Art Education.” Please register first by sending an email to art.cafe.sl@gmail.com so we would know how many people to expect, also, it will help us prepare the event.
5. InSEA Lapland 2010 > TRACES: Sustainable Art Education‚ June 21-24, 2010  See www.ulapland.fi/insea2010
6. On Friday, the NonProfits are organizing a Mardi-gras party on their Island to raise money for Haiti relief–hence my T-shirt. Look under events in SL. There have been many SL events to help Haiti.
7. Sandrine/Kristy will post the meeting discussion topic on FaceBook Group discussion board. If you have some thoughts after the meeting, we can have an asynchronized discussion in FaceBook.

DISCUSSION:

2 questions for the discussion prior to the field trip and one to discuss after the field trip.

Is there a diversity of representations (e.g., in terms of sexual, gender, race, economic class, different (dis)abilities, and age) in Second Life, or are some representations privileged or desired? What identity constructions in SL have you noticed are privileged or desired?

When I went to ArtBox, with Liliann in filming what will be our 2010 NAEA machinima, the owners met us. One a women wearing very little and touching herself in sexual ways. We made a business arrangement regarding filming during these gestures. Is this a common representation?

I think just look around and see how each represents his/her selves

What identity constructions in SL have you noticed are privileged or desired? Is there any, or is it more random and diverse than outside SL?

I think there are all kinds of people in SL

I have noticed that some female avatars actually are male in RL

I know some females play male avatar tooo

I’m having an interesting experience with my avatar identity right now, she refuses to “wear her hair” – so I’m exploring baldness through her today

Many of the portrayals are very creative. I wore a mask last time.

First let’s just share from our experiences, what identity constructions in SL have you noticed are privileged or desired.

I think that SL offers the opportunity to construct your identity without economic contracts or fear of being judged. It is a fantasy and non-reality so sub-conscious desire can come to life.

I also have a very large inventory of avatars, which I experiment with – many of them are animal avatars

I am new to SL, but I have noticed that the thin-ideal body type for females seems privileged

Do you feel different in your various avatars?

I think the Western notion of beauty is desired

I agree with rainbow Sprite, i think that there are diverse representations in SL, but for some, SL is a means to enact fantasies that they wouldn’t otherwise enact in real life

I find they help me to explore feelings and emotions

Do other avatars interact with you differently depending on your form?

absolutely – in fact I have experimented with folks to see

It is interesting to inter-textualise how individuals reinvent themselves under virtual conditions

there are a lot of ne’vi’s avatar now.

I have noticed a feeling of economic class. When I first started SL, I had the default clothing. Everywhere I went I was treated as “new” even though I wasn’t. I had a definite sense of being othered. When I bought new clothes that all stopped.

As for me, my avatar looks close to what i look like in real life. i had no desire to really change myself really, except that i want to make more like my life-like appearance with the exception that i want green skin and purple eyes, but i just don’t know how to do that

I have a couple of SL friends who have purposely built more sizeable avatars to match their RL physical proportions

i find that various avatars allow me to tell different stories

I think that changing avatar appearances could be compared to the shamanic idea of “shapeshifting”

shapeshifting. I have not shifted too much in my avatar because its like I am still trying to figure out who I want to beBut i know the green hair is important–and that goes back to my childhood

I find myself laughing aloud, tense with anticipation–very physical bodily reactions to being in various encounters in SL

also, the idea of multiple identities could lend itself to the multiple personalities and dimensions we all possess

we all possess different roles and each avatar could suit a certain rule, like the hats we wear in life: mother, child, lover, etc.

How might an art lesson that involves creating avatars become a critical avatar pedagogy to encourage/ensure virtual diversity, multivocality, diverse and multiple perspectives, and interconnections of themes through interaction of reciprocity?

Choose rainbow colors as a symbol of creativity and a freedom

SL is behaving a bit unusual today, not allowing changes from avatar to avatar to happen like normal

Fascinating during a discussion about identity

Well, we have to help people know how to change their appearance–it takes awhile.

These are our experiences we have shared. Is there a reason to bring avatar creation into an art education practice or lesson?

I have various folders of “created identities” i like to try on, and none of them are rezzing completely today – my avatar is currently a blend of two different avatars

We have many people here –affects the ReZolution

I also wonder who would wear their avatar identity in real life? Why or why not?

I have worked with an art ed professor to create a historical avatar and have art students explore his identity in SL. The installation was also about the various technologies we used to create and explore his identity digitally – and to document his adventures

Is there something in the creation of avatars that is valuable for art education? And if so, why and in what way?

I did! My spider women for Halloween and my mask for teaching in RL and we created installation art with that character.

Why was it important as art education to create installation art as an avatar?

There is a dress code for the nightclubs–dress up!

There are dress codes in RL.

Seeing SL as an art medium, then creating avatar installation is an interesting way to explore this medium

To answer your question, i believe it depends on the purpose. we get to see people in different lights and ways, and perhaps then we know more about their inner selves.

Role-play then has been a pedagogical process for learning history, to have empathy–these are good reasons.

I like the idea of installation art on SL

in SL we can do role play easily… it is great for Art Ed

How does the role play (avatar) in RL differ from one in SL?

Mashi, there are some incredible gallery islands in SL

I think it is easier to role play in SL, because no one knows your RL identity

It’s definitely easier to role play in SL. In real life, we have to be grown ups with responsibilities. In SL we are more like the elementary and early childhood children who learn art through play.That’s one thing about SL, it’s easier to transform myself in someways in Rl than in SL, if I want to wear a blue scarf in RL I just put it on. Here I have to go find someone and ask them how since I don’t know the area very much

In art edu, creating identity does require to now who you really are.

It is Montessori Playground for Adults

SL is a liberation of form, function and the ideal identity – at least its possible to reject all convention (whether we chose to or not)

Let’s travel for 10 minutes in SL, we can go to different places, and then come back at 11:45 and report back to each other in the last 15 minutes if we found avatars of diversity or if there was a dominant avatar representation. Whichever we found, share with each other if the avatars fit their context and if so in what way.

Let’s see if there is a dominant avatar representation. Whatever we find, share with each other if the avatars fit their context and if so in what way.

*SURVIVE* ROLE PLAY ISLAND

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Afrodite%20VII/162/158/3943

Medieval World DCS 24 hs RPG

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ilhas%20Tropicais%20I/8/252/21

Avilion: Medieval Fantasy Role Play Community

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Avilion/5/131/41

Raglan Shire Tree City Forest – Tiny, Tinies, Critters

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Raglan%20Shire/150/177/23

Popolohua Heron: Avilion is VERY beautiful

LE CIMETIERE- vampire,Lycan,Neko,bdsm ,goth,punk club

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Le%20Cimetiere/148/208/65

SWEETHEARTS JAZZ ROMANTIC BALLROOM DANCE CLUB AND MALL

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sweethearts/84/166/24

Marylou Goldrosen: FUN! TAKE A POSTCARD PHOTO THERE!

Jade’s Jazz Island~ Best Live Jazz, Jazz Radio~Live Music Jazz

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Jades%20Jazz%20Island/70/35/24

**CLUB INDUSTRY OPEN 24 HOURS**

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Amberville/168/71/25

BACK FROM FIELDTRIP—InAEA MEETING PARTICIPANTS RETURN TO MEETING

What did you both experience in your field study of avatar identity in relation to context?

I actually did not see any avatars but one outside this group. She was definitely the buxom babe in body type

I was in a role play sime, and because I wasn’t dress up for medieval, they don’t let me in.

SageStage Minotaur: I went to a sex “industrial” club and I was uncomfortable in the suggestive comments from inanimate things and avatars.

I was at a dance place with 12 avatars, 2 dancing together–same movements, 1 alone. Most standing. All in black and white, except 2 women avatars with pink, and one man with gray. 1 pole dancing–sort of, more free spiraling.

Certainly the norm of representation for this dance club was white or black hair and white or black clothing.

We checked out a Le Cimetiere… no vampires, or any other avatar. but i could see how the VW could be used to roleplay that identity.. very creepy there

Went to Afrodite to SURVIVE ROLE PLAY! found players (Busy). Don’t know what they were doing standing around–even when I asked them. I guess the role play had started. The costumes were more fantasy here.

Looking like a vampire or giant or tiny person or pole dancer wouldn’t probably sit well with a boss

I was at a place for ne’ve’s yesterday, and I was very uncomfortable being there because I wasn’t a ne’ve (the AVATAR avatar).

Did you find avatars of diversity or was a dominant avatar representation where you went? I see much more diversity here at the meeting than where I went.

Yes, we have more diversity here!

I went to Paris City and saw what looked like two naked strippers. With all these creepy guys. Then I went to a shoe store. It seems people are trying hard to be cool on SL

Interesting about trying very hard to be COOL. Is that different when outside of SL?

The context seemed to very much influence what is acceptable as the norm in each particular SL place.

There are Muslim sections in SL, and Muslim dress code is enforced in some of the areas (modest clothes).

There are blogs taking pictures of avatars randomly, mostly in shops, and criticize their dress

It depends on where you go– yes the context is everything

The clothes for sale looked like regular fashionable clothes.Where is the creativity in that?

There are a lot more RL imitation clothes now

That was something I wondered about– meeting in SL for class, what would the dress code be?

There seems to not be one, but I expected there to be

So one experienced discrimination, others felt like outcasts–in just 5 minutes

Just going to say that just like in RL, certain contexts have certain expectations in SL

In some places you are expected to wear or do certain things (as in the role play areas) and other places, anything goes.

Yes, context shapes identity

Next meeting time:March 3, 8 AM SL time= 8AM PST, 9AM MDT, 10 AM CST, 11 AM EST. If you would like to lead our next month discussion, please feel free to let me know.