Aesthete & Amateur Part 4: Asmita Duranjaya

Asmita Duranjaya expresses the feminine experience in unexpected ways.
(The Aesthete and the Amateur review three artists from Space 4 Art).

Heavy reads the notecard: “‘This installation is called Lesbos—that’s synonymous with love between women. According to the artist, Lesbos was an island in ancient Greece where women lived together.”

Eleanor: “Yes, I know the mythology.”

Heavy: “Well, the lesbians here could be sexier—like two women kissing, for example. Zoom out and look at this installation from above. Do you see the big pile of silicone tits? It suggests a very carnal love. It has a vulgar erotism—the tits are too detailed, even gross.”

Eleanor: “I thought men like these forms, dear. It’s not so gross from ground level. They look like mountains. Is this a piece for just women? Can men appreciate?”

Heavy: “I never thought I’d say this, since I’m a guy, but that big pile of women’s bodies makes me think of an indecent brothel, and not of a community of educated women.”

Eleanor: “Is it disrespectful to women? Does she not claim the female form is monumental?? Significant?”

Heavy: “Monumental indeed! Those tits are bigger than Egyptian pyramids!”

Eleanor: “If it is a land for women, is this a compliment or a criticism?? There are dinosaurs too, and small figures swimming in the river. This is a puzzle, don’t you think?”

Heavy: “The artist explains that the dinosaurs suggest the ancient character, which is probably the only way to tell this is an ancient setup.”

Eleanor: “Well, women were not around then. I would not assume that the dinosaur means that without you reading the artist’s notecard. I see this like a shrine to womankind. Rather than to be enticing—it is to be impressive.”

Heavy: “Maybe if instead of tits, if it had a big pile of men reproductive organs, would you have get a sexual feeling?”

Eleanor: “No, a big pile of men’s organs will not inspire me. One will though. But a pile? No, thanks.”

Heavy: “One will, but a pile will be vulgar right?”

Eleanor: “Context matters a lot for eroticism. What is vulgar? From some angles, these breasts look sculptural and even abstract.”

Heavy: “So we need to look from certain perspective? Isn’t art supposed to look OK from all angles?”

Eleanor: “Yes. A 3D work has to change as you move around it. Why be 3D otherwise?”

Heavy: “This might work better if it had a natural earth color— green hills in the form of tits.”

Eleanor: “Naturalism is a factor.”

Heavy: “Well, women in ancient Greece were probably not allowed to express themselves. The ancient world was ruled by men. So it makes sense that some women preferred to live away and build their own lives.”

Eleanor: “If we did not know the name, what would we think?”

Heavy: “Hmmmm… Women giving birth to everything. Zeus’s wife was the Goddess of Earth.”

Eleanor: “Earth Goddess does fit. The idea looks to be super nurturing. The position is one of giving birth— this might be what motherhood feels like. The body takes over, and and feels like everything flows from it. This is a piece to get strong reactions. I don’t think you can be neutral about it. But I find the dinosaurs to not really fit.”

Heavy: “This looks more like a chainsaw massacre! There isn’t one entire woman’s body.”

Eleanor: “It isn’t BLOODY!!!! There is no head, right?”

Heavy: “No head—maybe it has been eaten by dinosaurs.”

Eleanor: “It is like two half bodies. So you think this is a scene of violence? I think it says nurturing.”

Heavy: “Mother and Lesbos doesn’t work too well.”

Eleanor: “But everyone has a mother dear, even lesbians do. We all have mothers—every single one of us.”

Heavy: “Yes but legend of Lesbos has nothing to do with that. It is a group of females that decided to live on their own outside the male dominated society. You sure can do that in Greece because there are so many islands around.”

Eleanor: “If it were about the harmonious relationship between females, that would fit. I don’t get a Greek reference visually, but having one would make more sense than a dinosaur. Harmony among breasts? Does the story and the piece not go together? This is an example of where the title really influences how we view the piece.”

Heavy: “Well, I think this is what she was trying to suggest— the harmony among the group. Those women were noble and educated, so you need to show erotism, not vulgarity. There is harmony among those few females taking a bath in the lake. It could have been a little erotic too if some were touching and kissing. But the fact those tits are so big makes me think of a vulgar appetite for sex, not about the love between females. Its like those females are bound by the sexuality and not by the cultural noble stand they had. I think those women chose to isolate themselves for different reasons than for erotic ones.”

Eleanor: “For political reasons, for power, for freedom.”

Eleanor and Heavy’s visit to Space 4 Art left them feeling a bit overwhelmed. There is so much to see! But this is the blessing and the curse of the virtual world: creativity abounds, incredible and not- so-incredible sims sprout like rabbits. No one who can see everything!

The four major artists presented, at the Space 4 Art complex do change their presentations often. The sim is rather like a studio/gallery where the artists realize various installations. Having reviewed Louly Lou in the last issue, the critical pair was led to this sim by the following that artist. This is, perhaps, the best way to discover good shows—find favorite artists and watch Profiles or notices.

Eleanor and Heavy do not only review works that they like. Rather, they review works that are discussable, and where there is potential to do more. Because the pair does not know the artists personally, the conversation is only about the work itself.

From the simplest of materials in ChapTer Kronfeld’s drawings to the 3D landscape of Asmita Duranjaya, and the myriad of other artists, such as the kinetic 2D works of Harter Fall, to be found at Space 4 Art, a range is presented. Louly Lou expresses an original and fresh vision with his 3D builds (reviewed in Sim Street Journal #10).

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Back issues are available on MARKETPLACE).
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Please see the INDEX for all contributors and articles.

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Enjoy different, but related, issue versions: online and in-world (available at the Second Life® SSJ office (Innu 42, 35, 1649) or here as a PDF: Sim Street Journal #11.
Back issues are available on MARKETPLACE).
— The in-world magazine has topics that relate to those who understand the virtual context, including photographs, parallel articles. It has tabs for information landmarks, and web links.
— The online magazine expresses what the virtual world offers the real one. It is a mirror that reflects parallel articles, hot topics, and provides more links.Contributions are encouraged if covering topics relevant to real world readers.

Please see the INDEX for all contributors and articles.

Contributions are encouraged if covering topics relevant to real world readers.
Comments and opinions are also encouraged: simstreetjournal@gmail.com

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