I created this work in 2011 after exploring art within Second Life as part of my Masters research. After taking some pictures of the environment I came across a pond that reminded me of Monet's Water Lillies so fused the two together to create this final outcome.
The blending of the two images was influenced by how Second Life itself operates - the fusion of the real and virtual can be witnessed in the reconstruction of the likes of university campuses and real world monuments into the virtual platform. There is the absence of a "gaming" element that we would see with other virtual worlds, the in-game economy, digital jobs and pursuits along with other aspects that reflect real life are main components of Second Life, "objectives" that often reflect what we experience in the material world.
