I wrote a bit about what I listened to and who I interviewed today at the very first Virtual Worlds Conference(ever) taking place in New York City on the 28th and 29th; I’ll be going back on Thursday for the morning and afternoon.

Here’s what I think as an Artist:

1. It’s fair to say that Television and Online 3D worlds are beginning to merge creating a 4D Environment that’s neither pure TV or pure Online 3D game, and this also offers Artists an opportunity to forge ahead on a new Artform.  Examples are in my Webmetericsguru.com post on Keynote - Viacom’s MTV Networks and Nickelodeon   where MTV clips from last year’s Laguna Beach where shown and what the show / online community is morphing into. 

What is being created by the big media companies using broadcast media and Second Life should also be something Artists can begin experimenting with on their own - as it’s within the means of many to do so.

2. Advertising is much more effective in 3D Virtual Words than in the real world - up to a 100 times more effective!  So is Branding and so could Artist’s promoting their “Brand” though their own Virtual World(s) which are getting more accessible to build.

However, I became aware of something both profound and scary today - while Brand Marketers were rejoicing about the possibilities of ramming more advertising down our throats in a 3D game environment - it’s also possible we can’t tune those advertising messages out as easily as we can in the real world because life in 3D World had much less “noise” than the real world.

For example, if I pass a Pepsi sign I don’t need to engage with it if I don’t want to - there’s a zillion things all around me to distract myself with - but if I’m in Second Life and pass that same Pepsi sign - I have a 95% chance I’ll interact with the sign, one way or the other.  My mind does not know how to tune out an advertising spot in Second Life - I bet yours doesn’t know how to do it either.

That worries me.

3. To the extent that your work in Second Life mirrors life in the real world - it’s more likely to be successful.   Think about it ….. when the Ancient Pharaohs died and were entombed in the Pyramids, they took all kinds of stuff with them in their tomb - the things they had in life.

Tired, need to go to bed.

I’m almost always amazed at the gems that Seth Godin comes up with and I’m really keen to anything he says about Art.  Seth wrote a post about Art that’s not for sale that mirrors my current beliefs about my own work:

“…..Why invest the hours and the sweat and the talent in a piece of art you can’t (and won’t) sell?

Two reasons. The best reason is that when you practice your craft for yourself, not for the market, it drives you in new and important ways. And the other reason is that people are going to talk about it.

Ideas that spread, win.”

I can definitely say I’m doing my artwork for myself - but not only for myself - I also enjoy showing it to my readers; but I don’t feel I need to sell it and I don’t really want to. 

Not exactly the Virtual Worlds - a Virtual World Conference that I’ll be attending, starting tonight - Virtual Worlds Spring 2007 .  In fact, I’m late for the VIP exclusive party tonight.

So what will I write about - Stay tuned.