Part one: The Daughter of Gears

     The Daughter of Gears is the first part to a three part narrative currently showing on Immersiva sim in Second Life.  The second part called the Rabbicorn Story is just opening, so I will sum up the first part of the narrative for those who were unable to climb the tower, which is admittedly difficult.

     One of my philosophies in creating virtual art is that the art itself should not just be handed to the visitor.  I truly believe, or in my case anyway, that overcoming a challenge of some sort to experience the artwork makes me not only appreciate it more, but also connect to it on a different level.  When people come to see my work I create it with different layers for the experience.  Some enjoy a quick run through which is fine, while the majority who follow my work enjoy or even expect to look below the surface of the story to contemplate various conceptual layers.  They understand that they need to click on things and study the environment to find different elements within the narrative.  That my stories tend to not be black or white morally and often lead to debate with the viewer and their friends as to whether they would do as the characters in my stories did.  What I would like people to feel is that they found something that perhaps many others missed.   This creates a type of ownership of the artwork for the visitor and places them on a level of being an "expert' when it comes to knowing how to experience my work.  I try to create so that everyone is able to enjoy the work on some level, but my real focus is on those who follow my work and enjoy this method of creation.

     The Daughter of Gears story was originally created years ago when I was commissioned by a

company called Rezzable to make something for an existing region called Black Swan, built by Lightwaves also known as Starax.    I have rebuilt the story in mesh mostly because I have made the main characters, the daughter of gears and Rabbicorn, into bronze sculptures.  There were a total of 15 pairs and some still remain should you be interested to purchase a set.  Just message me if you are.  After I made the bronzes it occurred to me that probably few would remember the story and so here we are.  As I said the first was built for Rezzable for Black Swan but  the second and third parts were hosted by IBM when they were actively within Second Life.  Anway, so here is the story for the Daughter of Gears.  It is a series of poems you discover as you climb a tower, it is about a girl who is dying and her mother places her soul within a machine, because she can not bear to lose her and the technology exists.  Her daughter returns to her but those living nearby feel it is an abomination to have such a creature exist.  Some feel so strongly that they decide to come to her tower and take the daughter away from her.  The mother naturally will not allow this to happen and fights them and succeeds, but at the cost of her own life.  At the last moments she realizes that she has condemned her daughter to a life of solitude and lonliness.  An outcast for eternity.  The Daughter, now alone on the tower, puts herself on Standby much like a computer does.  In her standby she resides in a virtual world where she lives with the memories of her mother, while in the real world the vines and weeds slowly grow up her body over the course of a century on her deserted windblown tower.

Part one:

They called her obscene   
they called her a blight
a mob slowly grows
in the dark of the night

My Daughter of Gears
transistors and moss
she resembles to all
the one that I lost.

They come to the tower
to take her from me
our bond is from love
but that they can't see

My knees shake and tremble
awaiting the worst
but to get to my Daughter
they must pass by me first.

Part two:

Eyes of cerulean, mirrored by mine
to my daughter I hide my grieving
behind me the vessel chimes
sensing that she will soon be leaving

Shallow breaths, quiet sighs,
tesla cracks, nascent mother
the vessel slowly opens her eyes,
across the room my reborn daughter

 Part three:

Fluttering heart,
nervous start,
I know not what to do

Her skin like lace,
a child's face,
now only eyes
of cerulean blue

Your whisper of gears
bring out my tears
from the shattering
of a dream

The confused eyes
of my love who died
whom I bound to a machine

Part four:

When the cables came away
and I looked into your eyes
that was my first day
but you did not realize

That you were imprinted on my heart
zeroes and ones in digital blue
and when you finally did part
I would stay and think of you

You fought them like a spark
but on that day you did die
and when you left for the dark
I put myself on standby

So I could dream of how
your love kept them from me
but I am alone now
for eternity.

Part five in her stanby.

Inside here
they won't find
the memories
stored in my mind

Inside here
just me  and  you
a love so pure
and always new

Inside here
a reality I've prepared
for you to hold my hand
when I'm feeling scared.



Part two the Rabbciorn story is now open on Immersiva.
slurl   http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Immersiva/11/98/22