LEA7 - The
Tower - Psychotic Zoo II - Dekka Raymaker
'THERE IS ONLY
ONE RULE - OBEY!'
Entropy - it
exists in all systems. The East Germans in Berlin covered the grassed areas of
the high-rise estates with concrete, because children played ball on them, and
adults walked on them, 'DO NOT WALK ON THE GRASS'.
Floor
thirteen - There is only one rule - OBEY!
At 14.00 (SLT),
on 4 July 2009, Dekka Raymaker first exhibited 'Psychotic Zoo', curated by
Helfe Ihnen, at Odyssey NE on the Odyssey sim in Second Life (SL).
At that time Raymaker said "Psychotic Zoo can represent many things, an institution, a company, a mind (it's all in my head). What goes on in here is determined by many different and contrating factors, by an individual or by a committee."
At that time Raymaker said "Psychotic Zoo can represent many things, an institution, a company, a mind (it's all in my head). What goes on in here is determined by many different and contrating factors, by an individual or by a committee."
Poster for the original Psychotic Zoo, 2009
Skeleton in vitrine: It is a dead human being, stripped of all their identity and displayed like a taxidermy animal would be in Real Life.
Raymaker took a short break from SL late 2011, that short break lasted an unintended six years, he returned in September 2017. All the art installations that he had previously made in SL were still there waiting for him, in the folder 'Dekka's Art'. He placed some of it out, in part to remember what he had done, and in part to enjoy seeing it again. Within two weeks that folder was gone, non-existent, poof! Four years of work had become 'missing inventory'. Entropy in SL.
So one of the first new works he created was 'Dekka Raymaker's Lost Inventory Cog' (shown in the storeroom, ground floor, the Tower).
Transcript of Raymaker's progress of finding his 'lost inventory' prims.
'Dekka Raymaker's Lost Inventory Cog'.
. . . but they didn't.
The Tower is a construct (ideas of various conceptual elements, subjective and not based on any empirical evidence) or it could represent his mind, all those little compartments filled with art (at least 34 in the Tower alone), but I guess there is no proof it exists, even though Raymaker says 'it's all in my head'. The Tower is an installation piece, work also exists on the surrounding sim. The works seen here are a combination of original artworks rebuilt, and in most cases reimagined, together with new works and ideas.
There are loose themes running through the art; entropy, disorder, control, censorship, fear, anxiety, and a story of a young man who builds a 'time machine'.
Space Dimensional Drift Converter
For the Tower, Raymaker runs with this theme and although this is also a story about a journey, exploration and discovery, it occurs in a different way entirely. This room is the 'hub' of the Tower, let the story unfold, but do not forget, you're in a loop, so the story as already begun, but is also yet to begin. (But, this story isn't complete, yet).
Black
Holes have Entropy - equal to the area of their event horizon (maximally
entropic states)
Raymaker's main points of references in his early art was concerning the new 'adult content' policy and Linden Lab's (LL) attempt to control and censor art, for at that time Linden Labs had a new found fear of nipples. As an artist he was interested in seeing how this effected how and where artists in SL show work, and if it would determine that artists self censor themselves. These ideas reflected in his work on floor 12, Forbidden, Apt. 50 and Content Solution Agenda Hidden, Apt. 51.
Raymaker's main points of references in his early art was concerning the new 'adult content' policy and Linden Lab's (LL) attempt to control and censor art, for at that time Linden Labs had a new found fear of nipples. As an artist he was interested in seeing how this effected how and where artists in SL show work, and if it would determine that artists self censor themselves. These ideas reflected in his work on floor 12, Forbidden, Apt. 50 and Content Solution Agenda Hidden, Apt. 51.
Artist Should Be SL Terrorists.
In his work Raymaker has used objects as symbolism, the apple represents sex, (the forbidden fruit,) and the blade represents segregation/castration. In his early 20s on a trip home from college, the Raymaker family photographs came out . . . and there were baby pictures of himself laid down naked, and the unusual thing about these photographs was that his mother had cut the bottom half off, where his penis had been. Castration, a form of censorship.
Castration, Apt. 42, floor 10.
In early 2010, Raymaker had conversations with M Linden, CEO of Linden Lab at that time. Raymaker thought it was a good idea to encourage artists in SL to give permissions to archive classic artworks, to catalogue them for future reference, and promote artists work outside of Second Life. Later that year, M Linden introduced the Linden Endowment for the Arts (LEA) to the SL community, different to what Raymaker had envisaged, but nevertheless, an improvement for art in SL. Raymaker became one of the original committee members in June 2010 but left the LEA late 2011 to have his six-year break.
In early 2010, Raymaker had conversations with M Linden, CEO of Linden Lab at that time. Raymaker thought it was a good idea to encourage artists in SL to give permissions to archive classic artworks, to catalogue them for future reference, and promote artists work outside of Second Life. Later that year, M Linden introduced the Linden Endowment for the Arts (LEA) to the SL community, different to what Raymaker had envisaged, but nevertheless, an improvement for art in SL. Raymaker became one of the original committee members in June 2010 but left the LEA late 2011 to have his six-year break.
Later work by
Raymaker is about how society controls us from birth, bringing real life
concerns into SL, 'what school we go to, determines in part, what job we get
when we leave', and remembering the LL's classic 'wording' defense of the Adult
Content policy "Implementing restrictions to give residents more control
over their Second Life experiences", yeah, yeah!
Part
of Raymaker's advertising paraphernalia for The Tower.
Deathtrap (Flat 16, Fourth Floor)
Other socio-political works in the Tower are 'Deathtrap (Flat 16, Fourth Floor)'. In June 2017, a fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block of flats in London; it caused 72 deaths. More than 70 others were injured and 223 people escaped. It was the worst UK residential fire since the Second World War. Police and fire services believe the fire was started by a malfunctioning fridge-freezer in flat 16, on the fourth floor.
It has been suggested that building safety rules have been so relaxed for the benefit of big building firms, that the safety of people living in some buildings is secondary to profit. The rapid spread of the fire has been attributed to the building's exterior cladding, a type in widespread use.
Little 'Xenophobic' Britain.
Little 'Xenophobic' Britain. This work relates to the UK and the Tory Government's Immigration Policy from 2010 to the present day. Whilst Theresa May was Home Secretary, she introduced the UK Home Office 'Hostile Environment Policy', measures designed to make staying in the UK as difficult as possible. In the work, there is also a dig at the horrendous situation the UK now finds itself in, with BREXIT.
The 'Hostile Environment Policy', had a personal effect on Raymaker's wife, and partner in SL, Penumbra Carter. The application for 'fiancée license' and 'leave to remain', to get married and live in the UK was initially 'Rejected' on the grounds that, the HM Revenue & Customs wasn't able to send a document to confirm his income in time for the evaluation, and even though this was sent four days later, it was 'late' and the Home Office wouldn't accept it. Raymaker & Carter appealed and after a further nine months, the Judge said that the Home Office decision was without reason. They won the appeal.
Reject.
When Carter entered the UK with her fiancée license, Border Force Agency kept her in a room, whilst they interrogated her and read every document she was carrying, even questioning the illustrations she had in her sketch book, they were particularly interested in the sketches she had of atomic molecules. They provided her with sandwiches and tea, and she was allowed to watch "Homes Under the Hammer" on TV. They eventually let her enter the UK six hours later.
Profit In Profit Out
Dekka Raymaker is a 'retro prim' builder, so the majority of the build is prim built. Mesh has been used sparingly and mainly for moving parts, as well as for trees, flowers and animals supplied by other SL designers.
You
Are The Dead
The
Last Goldfish
Eighth Day
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