Digital EthnographyArtists of SL Gallery

Derek Semenchuk (Dsem) and Beau Guinta (Beauregard708)

Group 1 - Digital Culture B

ARE 494

Ethnography- Ethnography is the scientific study of human social phenomena and communities, through means such as fieldwork. It is considered a branch of cultural anthropology, the branch of anthropology which focuses on the study of human societies. Some people use “ethnography” and “cultural anthropology” interchangeably, although cultural anthropology includes more research techniques than just ethnography.The practice of ethnography usually involves fieldwork in which the ethnographer lives among the population being studied. While trying to retain objectivity, the ethnographer lives an ordinary life among the people, working with informants who are particularly knowledgeable or well placed to collect information. This fieldwork may last for extended period of time; usually over a year, and sometimes much longer. (wisegeek.com)

Digital Ethnography- Digital Ethnography is a qualitative form of research that consists of 3 stages, data collection, content analysis, and comparative analysis. (Stokrocki, 1997; Stokrocki & Andrews, 2010).

Stages

2. Content analysis is a search for conceptual themes or patterns of meaning both scientific and emerging. Content analysis also entails writing data summaries, clustering data to form relationships, condensing information to the most significant meanings, and writing stories (Huberman & Miles, 1994, p. 429).

3. Comparative analysis is a process of interrelating findings or explanations in one class session or several class sessions to form [suppositions] propositional insights. Interrelation consists of both internal analysis (within your own study) and external analysis (comparisons with other cases and the related literature). All stages involve interpretation, a process of translation of texts, which is as old as the Bible itself. Many types of interpretation exist: psychological, historical, legal, religious, and symbolic. The process of interpretation is similar to a detective searching for clues and establishing facts. Interpretation is concerned with uncovering the multi-layered meanings of a phenomenon and understanding them more deeply. (Stokrocki, 1997; Stokrocki & Andrew, 2010).

1. Data collection is a process of recording an event and gathering pertinent information. Following are some suggestions for collecting data.

Research Questions:

What artwork forms and methods do they use? What does their artwork mean - expressions? What is their artwork preference?

Context and Participation Artists for SL, Rainbow Park Island - Slurl:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Rainbow+park+Island/21/90/36 The Artists for Second Life Gallery is a three-leveled gallery in a valley

below an artic mountain range. Even though it is in very cold artic setting there is a lush court yard with paths leading through green grass and trees and also with a single gallery and a meeting area with useful information and gallery/artsit updates. The setting is cold and calculated but plays very well into contemporary architecture as most of it is lots of flat planes along with sharp lines and edges. The multi-leveled architecture allows multiple artists to be stacked onto one another and maximize space.

Community: The community of the Artists of

SL is a very accomplished group, many of them having artwork in galleries all over Second Life, but also in real life. They are all committed to their craft and are very involved in the SL art scene with this gallery being one of many groups they are involved in. Almost all of the galleries have links to their very own sites or at the very least links to separate profiles and flickr, they want to be found and strive to share their artwork.

Artist:

Out of all the artists in the gallery the one I chose to interview was Freyja Merryman. I loved the composure of her work and they way she crafts her art is very similar to my style of art, she has a way of capturing emotion and conveying it through contrast and scenery. I sent her a message and she was very helpful and understanding through the whole process.

Data Collection: Gilded Cage[2014/04/23 15:59] Freyja

(freyja.merryman): I usually have to start with a story in my mind

[2014/04/23 15:59] Freyja (freyja.merryman): In this case it was sugested by a really beautiful sim

[2014/04/23 16:00] Derek Semenchuk (dsem): so what was the story behind this piece? and what kind of process (if any) did you go through?

[2014/04/23 16:00] Freyja (freyja.merryman): its a Chinese walled palace...and it reminded me of the Forbidden city...and the feeling of being as much kept IN as kept OUT

[2014/04/23 16:01] Freyja (freyja.merryman): This is really all about the concept of freedom...the so called gilded cage...

[2014/04/23 16:01] Freyja (freyja.merryman): she has everything...a princess maybe...except the freedom to leave

Data Collection Continued[2014/04/23 16:02] Freyja (freyja.merryman): I know its romantic...but

most of my work have fairytale themes or folk stories :)[2014/04/23 16:04] Derek Semenchuk (dsem): that is a very good

analogy. well its definitely also applicable to everyday life i definitely know the feeling

[2014/04/23 16:05] Freyja (freyja.merryman): I hope so.[2014/04/23 16:05] Freyja (freyja.merryman): I'd like to think there are

stories in my pics...not just decorative[2014/04/23 16:06] Freyja (freyja.merryman): but I love costumes and

settings that you can only find here in SL. Sometimes they sugest the stories first.

[2014/04/23 16:07] Derek Semenchuk (dsem): well i mean i feel thats what art is it’s a way of describing certain feelings or emotions without saying them youre expressing your creative side but more than that your personality

[2014/04/23 16:08] Freyja (freyja.merryman): Sometimes I think it leaks out more than I am aware...but we all show our characters in everything we do. It just so happens that in SL we are more free to push the extremes.

[2014/04/23 16:09] Freyja (freyja.merryman): There's also a motif about loneliness in this picture. Thats a recurring one for me

Data Collection Continued

Content Analysis:

What is art? A way of expressing your creativity, emotions, or inspirations. Taking what you feel or see and transferring it to a medium.

What is the title of her favorite artwork? Gilded Cage.

Why did she choose it? She chose it because it was a more recent work of art for her and had more sentimental value to it than most of her others.

Content Analysis Continued

Why did they make it? She made it because she was inspired by a “beautiful avatar”, and wanted to express the feeling of possibly having everything but being trapped.

How was it made? It was made by means of a digital screenshot in a virtual world.

Where was it from? It is supposed to be reminiscent of China’s Forbidden City and encapsulate the feeling of being somewhere beautiful and majestic but lacking the ability to leave or travel.

Gilded Cage - Freyja Merryman

Content Analysis Continued What is the artistic expression? Line- Lines of the body and head indicate sorrow or sadness. Lines of the

walls and cage are indicative of a cage or barrier.

Shape- Woman and cage are in central focus leaving the open mountainside and flying birds off in the distance representing freedom.

Movement- The woman’s hand is open palmed towards the bird with her head tilted symbolizing empathy, other birds are flying in the background and I envision wind blowing just outside the walls.

Texture- The woman, mountain, and birds are represented with soft flowing textures, and the cage and walls are represented with sharp, rough textures.

Color- The woman’s skin is soft and seemingly warm along with the colors of her dress, the blue sky and water along with the green trees seem very welcoming, while the cage and walls seem intrusive and unpleasant.

Rhythm- Very stifled, there is a noticeable unbalance and sense of uneasiness with the woman and definite feeling of restraint.

Content Analysis Continued Collaborate with whom? She didn’t collaborate with

anyone for this specific work of art but is constantly in contact with other SL artists and avatars to help her create art and draw inspiration.

Content Analysis Continued• What was a evolving question? One question that I asked

was about the Gilded Cage and from the focus on freedom came the focus on the extension of freedom that comes with a virtual life.

[2014/04/23 16:09] Derek Semenchuk (dsem): yeah definitely especially behind the guise of a computer it's easier to express your true feelings without anyone judging.

[2014/04/23 16:10] Freyja (freyja.merryman): Very true... its a very freeing anonymity

[2014/04/23 16:10] Freyja (freyja.merryman): which is why so many people explore eroticism, I guess

[2014/04/23 16:12] Derek Semenchuk (dsem): exactly because the majority of people would like to explore it but it carries such a bad connotation and people are afraid of being judged and in essence being themselves

[2014/04/23 16:12] Freyja (freyja.merryman): Exactly[2014/04/23 16:13] Derek Semenchuk (dsem): I mean that applies to so many

things but people are always going to act as though they should not as they feel

[2014/04/23 16:13] Freyja (freyja.merryman): Here its possible to be physically and emotionally detatched.... although few people truly manage to live an immersive SL without the interplay of emotions coming into it.

Comparative Analysis and Conclusion

For Freyja in particular, Second Life is a means of escape. Along with having much success with galleries and art in real life, it also comes with a lot of pressure. Whether it’s expectations from other people or galleries, second life is a place to truly be anything she wants.

When she creates art in SL she can encapsulate what she is thinking or feeling perfectly, no fear of judgement, deadlines, or expectations. That is the beauty of SL, although you somewhat exposed you can generally show people only the things you want to show them and the have the ability to take it or leave it.

Comparative Analysis and Conclusion

That being said Second Life also gives a greater sense of freedom in the mediums used compared to real life. For Freyja artwork in real life is created more often using tools such as pencil and paper or paint and canvas, whereas in SL it is more based on photography and digital construction and more freedom to peoples persuasion is given. Personally, I find that sometimes I have trouble conveying what I’m thinking using physical mediums, while using digital means I have greater access to construct an idea exactly how I am envisioning it, there is more freedom to create, erase, or perfect my craft.

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Comparative Analysis and Conclusion

For the mass however, SL is just a form of escape period. It has nothing to do with art but is rather a way for them to have some fun and live the life they truly want. It serves as a outlet to create new friendships, explore a unexplored world, and feel a sense of excitement that they are lacking in the real world. However Sanchez describes it in a different way in his article “Pedagogical Applications of Second Life”. He sees and describes SL as a platform for teaching and a chance to reach an even greater mass. His four main points are digital storytelling, role-playing, community engagement, working with teens.

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Comparative Analysis and Conclusion When we first started using Second Life it was a

humbling moment, relatively tech savvy we found ourselves never being so absolutely lost in a class before. We felt helpless, alone, and faced with multiple-stepped processes we were unsure how to even start the first step. However Sanchez’s findings hold true, the class started to learn to do rudimentary functions and we started to learn as a class from peer-to-peer findings and learned not only how to start the first step, but finish the last. Quests became exciting and the landscape started to open up, there were new friends around every corner along with a new adventure.

Conclusion There are many forms and functions of SL, whether it is

learning, teaching, exploring, creating, or bonding. The point is that there is something for everyone on SL and of all the people and different interests it all fuses together and creates a truly deep and rich experience whether you’re a first timer or a seasoned SL veteran, the possibilities are endless. It serves to connect people from all corners of the world where experiences and information are shared to an audience that’s anxious to learn and to be immersed into a fascinating online experience. We have made many friends and learned many things along our journey through second life and whether your goal is to learn, create, or escape, there is definitely a place for you on Second Life.

Refrences

Stokrocki, 1997; Stokrocki & Andrews, 2010. Library Technology reports. “Pedagogical

Applications of Second Life”. Joe Sanchez. Feb/March 2009

www.wisegeek.com www.wikipedia.com www.secondlife.com www.educatorscoop.com