My Final Presentation

1. Digital
Ethnography
Ronin’s Gallery at Cape Able
Overcoming Disability
Presented by: Ryan Mitchell-Begaye
Professor Stokrocki
Spring 2017Avatar: Youngblood17

2. Ethnography:
The scientific description of the customs of individual
peoples and cultures. Thus, the study of people and
their everyday life. "Ethnography is the recording and
analysis of a culture or society, usually based on
participant-observation and resulting in a written
account of a people, place or institution". (Definition
taken from the Glossary of Terms written by Simon
Coleman and Bob Simpson)
Source link:
https://www.discoveranthropology.org.uk/about-
anthropology/fieldwork/ethnography.html
Digital Ethnography:
Taking that concept and understanding to the
technology field of study and application.

3. STAGES:
1. Data Collection
A word description speaking about preparing and collecting data. Therefore, this data is collected for
information on file, inform, and pass along this information for reports. Thus is meant to capture the
“social meaning and ordinary activities” of people within their natural setting to raise proper information
of change of a recurring problem that dictates the future development for the people who remain
homestead.
2. Content Analysis
Is a research technique used to
make replicable and valid
inferences by interpreting and
coding textual material. By
systematically evaluating texts
(e.g., documents, oral
communication, and graphics),
qualitative data can be
converted into quantitative
data.
3. Comparative Analysis:
Analyzing two things at
once through comparing
and contrasting.

4. Research Questions:
What type of medium did you use in SL to make your artwork?
A medium that just about everybody in SL has: A computer, a mouse, a mind, and the common Windows Paint program that is free with every Windows operating system... which
again, was deliberate - it's essentially free, and usually, nobody thinks twice about it - but you can really express yourself with it if you apply yourself.
I like to communicate one mind to another... And in a way, while the more elaborate, more massively "work-intensive" mediums of art are amazing to experience, in terms of the
skill and technical accomplishment of the artist, they can also "get in the way" of that direct, pure communication that allows friends to share a real moment, a feeling, and have a
chance; for just a moment; to smile about the Life Experience.
What brand of materials do you like using for your artwork?
The Paint program :D It's there, it's convenient, it works; and because of all those things, it's such an unlikely tool. I like the irony of that. :)
Do you get a lot of commission work from people in SL and in real life?
Yup, I do, from time to time. I tend to avoid them though, because "art on demand" is intensely difficult to produce - that exchange, for me at least, tends to stifle the flow of truly
spontaneous creation. For example, one of my friends asked me if I would do the signs of the Zodiac, and in a moment of weakness, I said yes. In a year or so, I've completed 11
of them, and the 12th hangs over my head like the Sword of Damocles. I WANT to finish the project, but the final sign simply hasn't walked into my head yet... and there's really
no way to force it... The idea is either there or it's not.
Another SL friend and gallery owner, who has since passed away, sadly, had a fondness for giraffes (see below), and asked if I'd create one. I said yes, but I had to wait for months,
for one to show up - it's rather like being out in the field in real life, and waiting for a real giraffe to appear. Finally, he showed up, I painted him, and my friend was pleased. :)
We're used to being consumers in this society, but REAL art usually isn't like that. :)

5. Context and Participants:
Beautiful island with abundance of
different tree’s of various types
surrounded by an ocean within all
four corners. I can across different
architecture business places. Especially,
Ronin’s Gallery which houses his artwork.
LINK UP & EXPLORE YOURSELF:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cape%20Able/66/180/28
These screenshot
images came from
me exploring Cape
Able.

6. Community:
AS You START TO EXPLORE MORE
OF RONIN GALLERY YOU UNDERSTAND
THAT HIS WORK AND HAS A SOUTHWEST
VIBE TO HIS WORK. NEXT DOOR YOU’LL
SEE OTHER SHOPS DEDICATED TO SELLING
OTHER TYPES OF ART AND DANCE AREA.
THE MUSIC IN THESE PLACES ARE GREAT.
ESPECIALLY, IN RONIN GALLERY.
[18:17] Marylou Goldrosen: Tell us about your guerrilla girl mask
[18:17] Seeking Vision: I have my microphone on, but i don't think anyone can hear me.
[18:17] Seeking Vision: Maybe someone should put their banana phone off.
[18:18] apopeschultz: i can hear that too
[18:18] Seeking Vision: i can hear the phone
[18:18] Youngblood17: Do you have music playing in the background?
[18:18] Seeking Vision: there are a lot of sounds.
[18:18] apopeschultz: yes its ur banana phone
[18:18] Seeking Vision: maybe a class, too.
[18:19] Seeking Vision: ok.
[18:19] anibarra: What inspired you to make the art?
[18:20] Seeking Vision: The guerilla mask is a combination of my love of retro vintage ads, "Rosie the Riveter" and guerilla girls movement in the 1980s
[18:21] Seeking Vision: I do try to make art in SL.
DISCLAIMER: This image and conversation
was taken from the final meet up at Art
Ark as an example being that I wasn’t able
to do the interview with Ronin at Cape
Able within SL.

7. ARTIST:
Ronin1, a former musician suffered from a partial hearing loss due to his involvement in the music industry and “other noisy activities.” He wore a
hearing aid and described his hearing problems as having trouble on the phone and not hearing some words. Ronin1 resides in New Mexico. As a real
life artist he works with clay, wood and metal to make sculptures. No formal training in art. Also an artist in SL He described his art as “a combination of Zen
minimalism and impressionism.”
Ronin1 favorite artwork on SL.

8. DATA COLLECTION:
All my data collection was communicated back and forth through emails with Ronin1 because he had computer issues
for the two weeks we were interviewing. Mary is aware of this information and I wasn’t sure I should put those
conversations within this PP Presentation.

9. CONTENT ANALYSIS:
Why did you choose that artwork as your favorite?
"Jackrabbit Drinks" is my favorite painting by me - not quite sure why, except that it's a southwestern theme, and as a native New Mexican, jackrabbits have always been
a familiar part of my life. I've enclosed it below :)
What is your avatar style? Moreover, describe your avatar (animal, human, car, robot)
The "Ronin" avatar itself was actually created by friends of mine at Virtual Ability, who eventually were kind enough to take pity on me, with my standard issue,
Linden lab avi; and told me that with all the shows and so forth, I needed something a bit better. So Ronin is a human avi, created by some knowledgeable folks with a lot
of SL experience - but he's mostly from free skins, and other accouterments, with a few nice "store-bought" ensembles - kind of a testament to the "Everyman"
approach - there's some tremendous and dedicated talent in SL, and some wonderful and aesthetic free stuff out there, if you look. :)
What kind of artwork do you make on SL and in real life?
I actually LEARNED to "paint" with my mouse specifically for SL. At the time, I was doing some promotional work for an SL-based non-profit group, that assists people
with disabilities - They wanted some publicity, and I hit upon the idea of art shows as a means of raising awareness and acceptance for people with disabilities.
The only problem was... that I didn't paint. :) So I learned. I've enclosed my very first SL painting below, "Einstein with Flower". At the time I was still literally learning
how the Paint program worked.
Again, art; for me, at least; is all about communicating, while recognizing and working within the limits of what you can realistically do. :)
Using my mouse, and the common Windows Paint program that everyone has on their computer, I began creating Ronin's very recognizable "style," which involves
simple, minimalist/impressionist themes designed to evoke thoughts, feelings, shared experiences that all of us can relate to - in my case, those themes relate often
to the beauty and peace of nature, pleasing collections of lines, colors, and shades, and often whimsy - because I like to smile, and share smiles with others.
As a painter, I'm still definitely not a "technical" artist - that is, I can't create beautiful, photograph-quality works, like a Rembrandt, or a Guerrerro... but on the other hand,
that doesn't matter: we have high-tech cameras for that - and being an artist is transcendental in a sense: It involves more than just technique: For example 60's folk-rocker,
Bob Dylan, No one can say that Bob's voice was one of ethereal beauty... but Bob had something to SAY. So do I. I share, and hope others find that expression of myself
pleasing. :)

10. CONTENT ANALYSIS:
How do you collaborate?
Collaborate... hmmm.... Well one of the great things about SL is that I don't do much collaboration - things just sort of "happen" spontaneously - Occasionally I'll get an idea that is outside my area o
That extends to galleries and exhibits too. I meet people, we talk, I share my work, people ask me to exhibit. It is really no more complex than that, which again goes back to the "Zen" concept of s
Is there any type of articles you may have written for your artwork or a gallery that carries your work on SL and in real life?
Umm... hmm... Not in the academic or analytical sense... but I regard the various art mediums as different expressions of the same inner thing - for example I play jazz trumpet in real life: The musi
These were all the questions I had for Ronin1 that I emailed over to
him and he responded with the answers to my questions.

11. EXTERNAL COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS: COMPARE
In Mary’s article: Interview with Artist with Disabilities, she interview
Ronin as well and he mentions within the interview he paints with Paint programs
within SL for his work. There is a few examples that I wanted to show you of this
type of artwork Ronin brings to the table.
These two images were taken from Cape Able in Ronin Gallery.

12. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS & CONCLUSIONS:
Second Life (SL) is “a popular multi-user environment where everything is built by avatar residents, except the
basic land” (Robbins & Bell, 2008). Transformation of avatars and creations with SL script ing language. Best
know for it’s social aspects, meeting people, virtual parties and interesting places to visit, a lot of learning and art
has been done. Artist today can take their own artistic styles and inspirations into a 3D artwork in a
virtual environment than in just a 2D space. Thus, your work can now be viewed and admired by many
people who are on SL.

13. CONCLUSION:
This lesson has taught me to be prepared for taking up some carefully consideration in setting up
a proper interview situation within a virtual world or even in person. Focus on content that shape
a consistent area of thought. Organize my ideas and content on each given slide. Don’t be afraid to
take a dive into something new and try to look on the positive side. Especially, if you are uncertain of
the outcome. Also not being embarrassed to put myself out there and ask questions that matter. It’s all
apart of learning something new.
This screenshot was
taken by me on our
first meeting in SL.