Because I Want

In the Second Life virtual world, I built a platform in the sky of my parcel in a mainland. Though I say building, it was just assembling large cubes.

The only particular thing is its shape and position. They represent exactly the same as those of the parcel. To keep it apparent that it's the exact shape of the parcel, I didn't dare to use any round-shaped prims, and left the whole shape simple and linear.

Then I planed to draw a large picture as a texture, because a pattern texture cannot make the most of its parcel shape. I imagined an image that expresses a floating rock mass, that is original but not so eccentric, that is elegant and shouldn't be going to get old fast.

It takes time to put a texture seamlessly on multiple prim surfaces arranged side by side*. If those prims have different sizes, it will take more time. But I have a lot of experiences about those things, so I wanted something new about texturing. Then I decided to apply only one texture for the whole platform object. That is, making the only one texture file that would be used for every single surface of all the prims of the large object.

*This article was written before the texture's auto-alignment function is implemented to the SL official viewer (object editor).

To get detailed results, it's apparent that using a lot of textures is better, and much easier. Also, it can be expected that the result will be dim if we use only one texture for a very large object like this**, because a large area will be rendered with a small numbers of pixel data. It may be good to control lag and memory usage, but they're tiny. In a word, nothing seems to be good to use only one texture.

**There is a size limit of 1,024×1,024 pixels in testure files.

Some may think it's a nonsense work. Because its shape is of a certain parcel, even I myself cannot be going to use this platform in other places. If I lose the land there, immediately it will be useless. It wouldn't be to sell, cannot be a gift. Moreover, since the parcel is not a remarkable one, no one will pay a great amounts of attention. That's just going to be one of the garbage in the mainland sky. Cannot expect financial profit, cannot expect fame. Then what is the aim to do such a weird thing?

It's so simple and primitive: Because Just I want.

After all, I spent one week to complete the single texture. It was more time than I expected, because I came to want a complete succession among all of the surfaces. "All of the surfaces" means, not only among neighbor surfaces on the same plane, but also between two normal-crossing ones.

A lot of trial and errors were inevitable. I found that being out of one-pixel-position led to a serious slip on the result. Pixel calculation was necessary, though it couldn't always come to the satisfied result. Because this work was reaching the limit of Second Life's rendering fineness. So, intuition was also needed. Several tens of uploaded files were abandoned as failure.

Why did I have to do such a thing with a large effort? The answer is so simple again. To be satisfied by myself. If I show a completed work to someone, I may be going to be praised like "Good job" or "You are great". Then I will be happy, but on the other hand, I know few people would understand what I have worked. It sometimes even hurts me. I can't have a motivation based on the admiration of others.

 

Art Is In A Mist

Artistic expression doesn't obey logic. It may be one of the reason why we are charmed by art. Because logic is just a small part of human beings. But, at the same time, that's why art cannot always tell precisely what it is. I cannot believe myself if I could read others' works. Even when I feel I could, there is no way to confirm. Art is always in a mist.

Still, I imagine, I must always be passing through similar processes to those who are seriously trying to create. Not only graphical works, but also literary, musical and other kinds must be the same. For me, at this point in time, art is something to be able to ease myself. Whenever I'm on the process, whenever I face other people's works.

 

Something From Inside

There are a kind of people who are absolutely absorbed in making their works as their own expression. They often try to put certain meanings to their works. Though that may not have any meanings in general, if only they feel fascinating, they'll pursue.

They may sometimes force themselves to try a new method, because searching another way itself can also be an expression. Then they even have to seek methodologies. They must feel pains to struggle on their own. Even so, they cannot help doing. They're not interested in what, how, and why other people do. They just do what they do. As if they were possessed, they have to keep doing. Because art is not a showing off, not an easygoing thing, but it's something that is overflown from inside of their being, uncontrollably, irresistibly, and willy-nilly.

 

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