1. Digital Ethnography
Artists of SL Gallery
Derek Semenchuk (Dsem) and Beau Guinta (Beauregard708)
Group 1 - Digital Culture B
ARE 494
2. 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).
3. 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.
4. Research Questions:
What artwork forms and methods do they use?
What does their artwork mean - expressions?
What is their artwork preference?
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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
9. 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
11. 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.
12. 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.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. 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.
18. 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.
QuickTime™ and a
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QuickTime™ and a
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19. 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.
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
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20. 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.
21. 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.
22. 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
