Residents in Second Life whom have been to Pooky Amsterdam’s “The 1st Question” game show, or seen the episodes online (http://www.the1stquestion.com/) have seen a tiny panda named Kat2Kit, doing the opening acts. Kat (as his friends call him) is also among the "tinies" in Pooky’s Second Life Machinima “I’m Too Busy to Date Your Avatar.”As it turns out, not only is Kat a talented virtual actor and game show star, he is also a skilled and inventive artist in real life.Outside Second Life, Kat2Kit is Matt Shapoff of New York City. He creates one of a kind artwork using a 19th century non-silver photographic technique called “cyanotype.” His unique work has been described as “combining 19th Century printmaking techniques with 21st Century digital photography and design.”Kat has been doing artwork, “Officially after dropping out of collage for aerospace. " When asked how Matt got started, he stated "I got into NYU photography as an undergrad after discovering a love for photography and art. Using a a portfolio I made in high school under the basement stairs in my house. (I) took one class in "non-silver" where I learned several processes, but cyanotype soon became my favorite. In the early 1990's I began doing this more extensively. Because the process is a "contact" process, it requires a negative the size of the final print. Most often this is done with BIG cameras, but I prefer to use a laserwriter and overhead slides. The department chair will now admit I was the first to do digital art in the department.”Kat also commented that the initial response wasn't enthusiastic, "I heard alot of 'why blue?' " But over time their attitude changed, “Now the department is called Photo and *Imaging*!"The idea of selling artwork never really came until about fifteen years later. “A dozen or so,” pictures were sold on his first try, Kat described, “It was a jewelry sale for my wife, and we put a few out to see.” What surprised Kat the most was, “I offhandedly set a price, and they paid it! Well, it was what I guess I would part with them at. Pretty high I thought, $75 for an unframed one of a kind 6" wide by 30" long print of local botanicals.” Kat used the plants themselves in the pictures, saying they worked, “but they somewhat expensive in commercial terms. My cards are created in much larger, more repeatable, volume via offset or inkjet. I have cyanotype cards, but they are a bit pricer.”Kat first began advertising his commercial art online in 2005, “First with etsy ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/handmadeonpeconicbay ) and then with supermarket ( http://hmpb.us). He got the idea of selling them in Second Life, “pretty quickly, as I started making film again, but this time using SL as the camera.” Kat had been a part of Pooky Amsterdam’s “The 1st Question” from the beginning, “I was doing my bike tricks at ‘Brooklyn is Watching’ and she asked me if I would be the opening act for her show.” He also did the filming, “If SL years are like dog or cat’s years, it feels like 10 years.Kat went on to say he and Pooky would be on real-life television on December the 31st 3 PM in New York City, “I made the tape. (For) over year I have trying to get the files. I have worked in broadcast media both at Showtime networks, and BBDO. Finally we got enough short together for 1 hour special. Pooky submitted it, and we feel honored to have been chosen for December 31st. We will stream it in-world, and have a part in-sync with real-life. We are considering a weekly show for the Dating Casino ... a real-life slot on MNN TV ... public access.” Pooky later told me the episode was broadcasted as planned, and was very pleased with Kat’s work.Kat’s personal blog is at - http://handmadeonpeconicbay.com. He pointed out a short webfilm on cyanotypes at (http://blip.tv/file/341745?filename=Mattlabs-DigitalCyanotype664.flv). Kat is sometimes seen in Second Life operating a printing press with the tiny panda. He pointed out another short webfilm “Using the Pearl” at - (http://mattlabs.blip.tv/file/1884211/)Matt Shaphoff's work can be viewed and purchased online at http://hmpb.us . His digital art can be purchased in Second life at his store in the LlSound New York sim (http://slurl.com/secondlife/LISound%20New%20York/134/163/24). Commissioned work can be created or brought into Second Life on request.Bixyl Shuftan
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