Creativity Next Door: Eupalinos Ugajin

One of the things I cherish most about SL is the thought-provoking conversations, the sharing of thoughts and ideas with so many intriguing minds that make you stretch your imagination just a little further. My encounters with Eupalinos Ugajin feel like walking through a minimalist painting, through a tiny doorway, into a quiet, floating hallway.. Then I click, click, click. links and links intertwining, start blooming everywhere, a magic begins to unfold, and I’m surrounded by visuals and music and a wonderful absurdity.. They are a form of the most subtle, yet mindblowing conversations I’ve had in this virtual space we share together. Well, today I have a little conversation to share with you, and I hope you enjoy the clicking through this inner-view..

Art: Hello Eupalinos, thank you for taking the time to interview with me.. First, I have to ask, what does your name Eupalinos mean?

Eupalinos: Hello,

Just a name I found when I created my second life account. Not that interested by a tunnel ^^

Art: What is your project at MU about?

Eupalinos: “One Less Car”

Art: What is it that drives you, as an artist?

Eupalinos: I don’t consider myself an artist but using the costume could help in some situations.

 

Art: Is there a specific style of art that you consider to have a significant influence on your creativity?

Eupalinos: Many ?

 

Art: Is there a specific artist or artwork that resonates with you on a deeply personal level?

Eupalinos: I like what these people invent: Andy Goldsworthy, Ralph Steadman, James Turrell…

 

Art: And your own art, are there specific themes you like to explore?

Eupalinos: Click on the different tabs here ?

 

Art: What is playfulness in art?

Eupalinos: Alpha Auer/Elif Ayiter wrote a paper on Eupalinos (and Naxos) on this subject.

 

Art: Where does your work begin, what’s your creative process?

Eupalinos: Random. Small sketches in some cases.

Art: What do you eat for breakfast?

Eupalinos: Homemade bread usually.

 

Art: When do you feel social media is good for art/artists and, when is it not?

Eupalinos: Good as long as you can eat it.

Art: If someone came to you for advice on how to bridge the gap between imaginative ideas and producing artwork, what would you say?

Eupalinos: I don’t see a gap between the two.

Art: Kou? (you don’t need to speak russian for this one)

Installation by Eupalinos Ugajin in the metaLES simulation in Second Life, nov/dec 2014