NMC Campus Observer

Walk into the world of Nebulosus Severine

Poid Mahovlich : Apr 15, 2007 11:46am

Nebulosus Severine is a complex character oozing artistic creativeness from every pixel of her 3 eyed avatar, which incidentally she created & made herself. She is eloquent , witty and has a talent that touched me deeply, I was moved by what I saw. Her work is captivating, expressive and evocative. She is brimming with mystery … come step into a faction of her TV installation world.

Her work is now showing in Gallery Room 1 at the aho museum here on the NMC Campus and I was able to hook up with Neb and ask her a few questions.

1. How did you come across SL back in the day ?
I read a brief article about it in ‘Jane’ magazine — purely by chance, it’s not something I read regularly. The concept of Second Life sounded interesting so I gave it a try, and like so many others, I was instantly hooked. I had fun exploring and being pretty for awhile, but Art & the power to create are the things that have kept me here.

2. Do you have or have you had any influences from other SL Artists ?
Yes, definitely.

My earliest influences came within my first week of discovering SL when I discovered Baron Grayson’s sim, Sanctum Sanctorum. In the summer of 2005, one of the map features was a complete list of sims on a drop-down menu; and to explore, I’d usually choose a sim at random. The name ‘Sanctum Santorum’ intrigued me so I teleported to it and was instantly awed. While exploring I became aware of the amazing creative potential that SL holds. I spent a lot of my early days there — it was my favorite hangout and unofficial ‘home’ for quite awhile.

I’ve also been hugely inspired by the many builders and artists who participated in Burning Life 2005. I spent several days exploring it with friends and it was one of the most exciting, important experiences I’ve had yet. I vowed that I would return to Burning Life the following summer as a participant and not a mere observer; thanks to a friend’s generous donation, I was able to realize that dream. My build at Burning Life 2006 was probably the largest, most complex, and most rewarding work I’d done up to that point.

Some of my biggest SL influences have naturally come from the friendships I’ve made, and from some of the amazing people I’ve worked with. One individual in particular is Arahan Claveau, who is the only artist in SL I’ve met so far that even comes close to being on my wavelength. I’ve had the pleasure and privilege to collaborate with him on several occasions and the experience has always been rewarding to both of us

3. Do you think SL is a viable medium in which to show your Art ?
Yes, I do. I think it’s becoming more and more important every day to the Art world in general. In an age of technology, I believe it’s a natural evolutionary step for Art to take. On one hand, it can be used as a way for Artists to showcase their “first-life” Art in a way that’s more dynamic than simply displaying it on a webpage; on the other hand, SL can be harnassed as its own media for creating entirely new things. Personally, I try to take advantage of as many of these benefits as I’m able. I have shown my “first-life” art in SL, but I’ve also created pure SL-generated Art, and hybrid pieces which combine both. My preferred method of creation is Installation, so my work often uses many different techniques and is often multi-faceted.

4. What do the 3 eyes on your avatar represent ?
One of the things I like best about SL are the many options to express myself through my avatar, which I consider an ever-changing self-portrait depicting my intellectual, emotional, and spiritual essence. Over time, my avatar has evolved quite a bit to its current state, an androgynous, sometimes-ghastly 3-eyed figure.

My avatar acquired the Third Eye about one year ago and has been a part of me ever since. Originally it was simply a texture on a skin I’d made, but a friend was kind enough to build a working, moving prim eye for me which I have been able to customize endlessly. Since then it’s become my most distinctive feature and I’m never without it.

According to traditional symbolism, the Third Eye represents enlightenment, clairvoyance, psychic powers, mystical knowledge. These concepts, and images of eyes in general, have been very important and prevalent themes in a lot of my work for as long as I can remember. I believe that Art is not only a way to achieve a higher plane of consciousness but a way to express that state as well.

5. Does the static noise from a TV’s get on your nerves at all ?
Oh, it definitely does, haha. I have Attention Deficit Disorder so it can be horribly distracting after awhile; it’s difficult for me to tune out noises because I’m constantly aware of pretty much everything, and droning sounds can really drives me nuts. I’ve had to keep the sound effects volume turned down as I’ve worked on the installation; putting on music has helped too. Out of context, the static noise can be aggravating but I feel it is essential to the immersiveness of this installation.

Come & see for yourself !

Poid

Story filed under: Arts
Tags: aho
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