Arizona State university student project.

1. Digital Ethnography
In Virtual Worlds:
Michael Gipson (Michaelmichaelmotorcycle)
Returning
from
Wonderland

2. Meaning Meaning Meaning
Meaning Meaning
Ethnography
The immersion of oneself in an unknown
culture for an extended period of time. To
steep the mind and senses in the ways of the
other, recording, observing, interacting, and
participating in the norms, rituals, and
practices for the purposes of research and the
goal of understanding. A kind of collaborative
anthropology. Knowing them by becoming one
of them.
Digital Ethnography
The practice of ethnography in a virtual
environment. Its stages are:
1. Data Collection
2. Content Analysis
3. Comparative Analysis Definition: Ethnography. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2016, from
http://www.aqr.org.uk/glossary/ethnography
Meaning

3. Data Collection
The act of collecting and measuring data in a
systematic fashion that allows one to use the
information to answer questions related
to research. It is very important that this
information is accurate so that hypotheses can
be tested and evaluated.
Content Analysis
A technique for describing written, spoken or
visual communication in a systematic way. This
can be done using any media that can be
recorded and reviewed. It can be used to
analyze material or make sense of open-ended
interview responses.
Data Collection. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2016, from
https://ori.hhs.gov/education/products/n_illinois_u/datamanageme
nt/dctopic.html
Content analysis: Introduction. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2016, from
http://psc.dss.ucdavis.edu/sommerb/sommerdemo/content/intro.ht
m
Comparative
Analysis
A study that compares and
contrasts two (or more) things.
The study may be done to find
the main differences between
things that seem very similar, or
it can be done to find the
similarities in things that appear
to be quite different on a
surface level.
What is comparative analysis? (n.d.). Retrieved
April 21, 2016, from
http://www.ask.com/business-
finance/comparative-analysis-8661b9dfcce91fbc

4. Down the Rabbit Hole
When I began this journey of
exploring Second Life, I immediately
thought of the Alice stories by Lewis
Caroll. I felt as if I had fallen down the
rabbit hole into a strange new world
of which I had little understanding.
Basic things, such as moving and
looking had to be relearned. There
were familiar things, to be sure, as
this world was created by human
beings, but it was all very much like
having a vivid dream in which you are
able to do amazing things, such as fly
and teleport to the next dream
sequence, but at the same time you
feel lost. A stranger in a strange land.
In my real life, I am intensely
uncomfortable about leaving my door
without a plan. Something about this
place, however, beckoned me to take
a leap of faith.

5. In my first several minutes in the
world, my avatar would not
coalesce into a human form and
remained a misty mass for a time.
When I finally did appear I
realized that while the avatar I
chose was dressed in a snappy
looking suit, he was otherwise
pretty basic. Even someone with
my limited Second Life experience
knew that the “others”, meaning
the regular denizens of this world,
would spot me for a newb if I
didn’t make some wardrobe
changes. After a period of
adjustment and learning how to
navigate , I found a newbie mall of
sorts where I was able to acquire
some fantastic wings and other
wearables. After that I felt more
ready to take on this new world.

6. I wanted to overcome my newness to this
world as quickly as possible so I could be
something better than an awed tourist
when I started asking avatars questions.
This required immersion. I needed to find
where people were interacting and join
them in their rituals. At a country music
club called Wildcat Country, I was able to
join the dancing, partying denizens and
absorb the textural elements of my
surroundings. I could almost hear the
creaking, of the beer soaked floorboards as
my avatar moved to the music alongside
those who have undoubtedly visited this
locale many times. I was out of place with
my wings and suit next to these leather and
denim wearing country aficionados.
Somehow, I let my figurative hair down and
let the festivities carry me away. At the end
of the experience, I felt that I better
understood the belonging people here felt.
Now it was time to get to work.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Generation/209/211/26

7. Research Questions
1. What is the artist’s real world occupation?
2. Does he/she do primarily digital or traditional art?
3. What style of art dominates his/her work?
4. What is his/her inspiration for art making?
5. Does he/she work collaboratively or individually?
6. What is his/her reason for creating art?
7. What is his/her reason for exhibiting in Second Life?

8. Armed with my research questions, I began to explore this strange new world, looking for
inspiration. My problem wasn’t finding stimulating things too see, it was figuring out a way
to decide which ones I would focus on. This is a vast world, full to the brim with wonders.

9. I found The Galleries, Georgiana
through on online search for art
galleries in Second Life. When I
arrived at the location, I felt as if I
had stumbled upon some kind of
marine life research institute. The
building was perched on the edge
Of a wide ocean. I imagined the smell of salt air and
the sound of seagulls calling in the distance. The only
things that identified the building as an art venue
were the cryptic symbols that were present in parts
of its façade.
Upon entering, I immediately knew
that I was in the right place. Walls
filled with color, texture and form
spoke to me, beckoning me to come
closer and know them more fully.

10. The Old Man
I did not expect to be captivated by Old
Man by Uleria Caramel. I was
wandering around for several minutes
before I stumbled into it. I had been
looking at art for hours in so many
places around the virtual world, and
one gallery was starting to look like the
next. This gallery was no exception. I
wanted to find a work of art to talk
about that was spectacular and
moving. This work is not spectacular in
a conventional sense, and I myself am
an artist that has up to this point
focused on depicting things in a
realistic way. Despite that,
something about this odd drawing
spoke to me and I found myself staring
at it for a long time. I continued to do
so as I sent a message to the artist,
requesting an interview.
The Galleries, Georgiana (217, 220, 34) - Moderate

11. 1. What kind of art do you make on Second life? (Real or abstract,
and drawing, painting, digital, etc.)
Colors and contrasts are important to me and my style is mainly
abstract expressionism. I use various techniques; drawing, oil
painting, glass painting (glass art in general), ceramics, aquarelles,
photographing etc.
2. Why do you make art on Second life? What are the benefits?
Art brings people together and gives them an opportunity to discuss
about feelings and emotions. I love the idea that my art (or any
others art) speaks to people and they can find new things from their
thoughts when they are looking my art. Art is a mirror... Art in SL
brings some "intelligence" to this mad virtual drama world! :D
3. What kind of artist are you in real life? (What do you do in real
life?)
The artworks I make in SL are art pieces from my RL. So there is no
difference between my SL art or RL art. Art is a hobby to me. I have a
degree in Bachelor of Culture and Arts (BA) and hoping to find a job
from that area. But it is quite hard.
4. How do you collaborate?
I visit art exhibitions, meet other artists and art curators there.
5. How did you make this artwork? (Medium, kind of materials)
Old Man is a coal drawing on paper.
Questions sent
in advance,
answered by
note card
The Galleries, Georgiana (217, 220, 34) - Moderate

12. Uleria (or Ule, as she liked to be called), contacted me the day after I sent her a
message asking if I could interview her. She completed the advance questions In sent
her via note card and agreed to meet me in the gallery to talk more about her work.

13. [08:09] MichaelMichaelMotorcycle: Is (Old Man) an ink wash drawing?
[08:09] Uleria Caramel: It is a charcoal drawing.
[08:10] MichaelMichaelMotorcycle: Oh nice. Is (the subject) someone you know?
[08:11] Uleria Caramel: actually I made that drawing fast and I just wanted to
draw a man.. Not any particular man…so I think that man is “a general man” in my
thoughts
[08:11] MichaelMichaelMotorcycle: It seems like there is a lot of abstract
influence in it….is that what you normally do?
[08:11] Uleria Caramel: oh yes.. Abstract is my thing
[08:14] MichaelMichaelMotorcycle: How long have you been making art?
[08:15] Uleria Caramel: My whole life I could say, but in SL from year 2011
[08:15] MichaelMichaelMotorcycle: Can I ask which country you are from?
[08:15] Uleria Caramel: Finland
[08:17] MichaelMichaelMotorcycle: So does all your art start out in the real
world, or do you do digital?
[08:18] Uleria Caramel: I have done some digital art too, but I haven’t brought
them here…I usually manipulate the images before I download them here, so the
colors are right, maybe correct some brightness and so on
[08:22] MichaelMichaelMotorcycle: Do you get a lot of responses about your
work by being on SL?
[08:23] Uleria Caramel: well my experience is that you have to be active and then
people will notice better
*idle chitchat edited out for the sake of clarity
Portion of Live Interview with Uleria Caramel on February 22, 2016*

14. ART BOX is a place that you would imagine
was made by a delightful madman. It feels
very much like a rodeo drive boutique, with
its austere minimalist design letting the
products do the talking. The “products”
seem like an arrangement of vinyl records in
their respective sleeves. Nothing is for sale in
this Wonka-esque establishment however. All
of its wonders are for the taking. So I tried on
several of the styles that were available.
I also interviewed Frankie Rocket,
one of the creators of ART BOX, an
interactive experience where
avatars can become a part of
famous works from art history and
popular culture. Due to scheduling
misses, I was never able to meet his
avatar in Second Life, but he was
kind enough to thoroughly answer
questions via email.

15. My first selection was “The Scream” by
Edvard Munch. As I touched the screen to
activate the experience, I wondered if my
venture into the two dimensional realm
would have a clear pathway back. Before I
could ponder it further, I was sent
bouncing into another dimensional space.
I was in a room that looked like a
movie or television set. I thought
of the little boy in Willy Wonka’s
chocolate factory who was
shrunk down into a character in
a television program. In the
story, he was never the same
again. Would my fate be
different? I had to know.

17. Why did you decide to create Art Box?
I had created a 'set' for Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks" that I was very pleased with and thought it was fun hanging
out in, but after the novelty wore off it was languishing in my inventory. It was Violet who suggested I should leave it
out on display for other people to fool around with, and so I did. It was a hit. It seems inevitable that we would then think
of adding some variety, and taking a cue from Nighthawks, we chose a second famous painting to model. Then a third, and so on.
Soon it became clear we were going to need a purpose built building to house them in. That became a two story building. Then
three. victims of our success but enjoying it so much! Then we realized an entire sim wouldn't be enough, so we turned to rezzing
them on demand in the (now) three story building that is Art Box.
How difficult was it to create it?
Art Box is a labor of love, so not difficult at all. If you want a cold hard answer, well some of the easier sets took two of us two or three
nights to create, say about 10 person-hours. Others took us a week or more. Then there is a lot of behind the scenes stuff going on
too. I wrote a very complicated inter-process software system that tracks who is using which set, and how long they've been using it
for, and keeps other consoles from (over) rezzing the current user until they've had a minimum time slot to pose with the set they
chose. Before this Art Box was anarchy. People getting into fights all the time. Weapons and abuse in an Art Gallery! Can you
imagine people being so keen to be first in line with a conventional gallery?! So the various management systems that make Art Box
run smoothly took many weeks or perhaps months of work to develop. Yet as I said at the start, it was for the love of it. It was also a
joint project. Violet and I created everything as a pair. It came about as a by-product of 'creative play' between us. So I'd never use
the word 'difficult'.
How did you come up with the idea?
I had been working full time as a freelance Machinimatographer for a host of blue chip companies who had set up in SL but wanted
to find ways to show the rest of the world what they were doing. Filming in SL, and doing it well, was a skill I developed. So I made
machinima for Microsoft, for Intel, for Reebok, and many, many more. After a year or so, SL's bubble popped and all the corporates
left. I was devastated because it was my primary income. After a while though I realized I had loved the actual work so much, I was
missing not just the income but also the creative fulfillment. Then I realized I could at least have the fulfillment - I could be my own
client! And that meant the added bonus of ditching the corporate messages and just doing something beautiful for it's own sake.
Out of nowhere came the idea to create a 2 minute film that samples the atmosphere in Hopper's Nighthawks Diner: that lethal
sense of insomnia, alienation and doubt. It was while I was making it that I discovered that Hopper painted it on the eve of America's
entry into the Second World War, so my take on it felt entirely justified. The original film is lost on YouTube under an old account, but I
remade it in wide-screen since and that link is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBdCmmL50vY
I didn't know it at the time, but the creation of the set for this film turned out to be the genesis of Art Box.
Frankie Rocket Interview Excerpt:

18. This table compares the motivations and techniques of
the two people I interviewed.
Name Real world
occupation
Digital or
Traditional
art
Style of art Inspiration
for art
making
Collaborative
or individual
work
Reason for
creating
artwork
Reason for
exhibiting
art in
Second Life
Uleria
Caramel
Looking for
work (Bachelor’s
degree in
Culture and
Arts)
Traditional,
with digital
adjustments
/Digital
Abstract and
representatio
nal
Varied Individual Expression Connecting
with others
Frankie
Rocket
Formerly
created video
software for
corporations
Digital Interactive
entertainme
nt
Famous art
from the past
Collaborates
with a
partner
Enjoyment/
Creative
fulfillment
Logistical
necessity/
Connecting
with others
A study that compares and contrasts two (or more) things. The study may be done to find
the main differences between things that seem very similar, or it can be done to find the
similarities in things that appear to be quite different on a surface level.
Comparative Analysis:

19. Comparing and Contrasting
Commonalities:
Uleria and Frankie are both artists. They both have some connection to
creating digital work, although Frankie is much more dependent on it. They
both display work on Second life as a means to connect with people who will
appreciate what they do.
Disparities:
Frankie does exclusively digital work that is designed to be physically
interactive for an avatar. It can be argued that all art is inherently interactive,
but Uleria’s art is exclusively geared for experiencing visually. Uleria is at a
very different place in her professional life than Frankie. She is a graduate
looking for work, and he is a seasoned veteran of the work world who has
seen success and setbacks. Uleria creates her work alone and seeks
inspiration from varied sources. Frankie collaborates with his partner Violet
on the work and its source is very consistent.

20. Leaving the Rabbit Hole
Like any intensely formative experience, my adventure in analyzing
the amazing places and denizens at the bottom of this digital rabbit
hole known as Second Life had to eventually come to a conclusion.
Real life is always beckoning to pull us from our dreams and stand us
upright in the harsh glare of reality. Like Alice though, I am sure that
I will return to continue my expedition in this place of fantasies,
hopes and distorted reality sometime very soon.
What I am taking away from this experience is the humble
knowledge that the future of the human race is inextricably tied to
the realms of the virtual. The ability to instantly interact with
cultures from all over the world in an enhanced reality that more
closely resembles the one we would like to live in is a classroom for
building the future.
I have learned a great deal about gathering and organizing data so
that I will be able to make sense of the world going forward more
accurately, and coalesce knowledge that was formally unruly strands
floating around in my brain into real information that I can use to
navigate my world and someday, the digital landscape of tomorrow.

21. Second Life URLS
ART BOX - http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Klaw/6/21/46
The Galleries, Giorgiana - http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Georgiana/218/220/35
Wildcat Country - http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Generation/209/211/26
Freebie Galaxy - http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ibiza/40/40/3016
Art Ark - http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Teaching%2010/52/203/77