About Me
Welcome!
This site is my portfolio of art, as well as my ramblings on various issues, from Second Life to current affairs, science, history, whatever captures my interest.
Some of the images here were made a few years ago, in Poser and Vue. More recently, I have become very active in Second Life and creating images there. My name there is Miro Collas.
I am on several social networks.
Read the rest of this article for a brief bio and artist statement.
Fabiano Fabris – AKA – Miro Collas
![Miro Collas [2010-05-27]](http://www.penguinbar.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Miro-2010-05-27-02-512.png "Miro Collas [2010-05-27]")
Miro Collas
In Second Life, I am perhaps better known as being co-owner of Animations Rising (together with my business partner, Island Projects).
An only child, born in Barbados, West Indies, of European parents: Italian father and Czech mother. I grew up with the classics in art, music, literature, and am still influenced by them, and love them. I was raised with European, yet somewhat Victorian, morals and values.
Both my parents were artists, but I found myself unable to draw at all. The only thing I was good at was technical drawing. I loved all forms of art, but was incapable of doing any of it myself. Even music was denied me, because when my voice changed with the onset of adolescence, I became tone deaf. So I could still compose, by following the principles, but I could no longer play any instruments.
As a result, I gravitated to the sciences, which stimulated me in different ways. Eventually, when the time came to select a career, I opted for the then new field of Computer Science. And so off I went to Canada.
The rest is a story of ups and downs, not unlike the story of many others. I left university and Canada after two years, and moved back with my parents, who by then had relocated to Italy, where I did a short stint in the military before starting to work as a computer programmer.
And it was while I was in Italy that I eventually discovered computer art. At last, I had found a way of creating images without being able to draw! And I instantly set to work, trying to create on my computer screen, the stuff of my fantasies: men.
For several years, I experimented a great deal, trying to learn what could be done with the software I had, and how to achieve different effects. My early images were clumsy at best, and many times I would neglect one aspect as I tried to learn some new technique. So for instance, figures might be awkwardly posed, but I would have a stunning sunset in the background. And in the meantime, the software itself evolved, so there was always the challenge of discovering what new things it would allow me to do.
Gradually, however, I began to find a style that suited me. The focus of my work was (almost) entirely on the male body. I believe that the male body is a living work of art, in and of itself. It is an amazing combination of lines and curves, of smooth curving surfaces and flat planes. I tried to bring out these contrasts in my images in various ways, by showing men in different positions, from varying angles, and through the use of lighting.
My work has always been inspired by Tom of Finland. I loved his men, with their broad shoulders and tiny waists, and of course, their huge… “endowments”. 
To this day, my style is a result of his influence. And that extends to my SL avatar. I create fantasy men, the men of my best wet dreams… men I know do not exist in real life.
Computer art is relatively new, and I do not think that it is right to try to make it conform to the norms imposed on other forms of art. It is not photography, the images I make are not photographs. The men in my digital art, and my avatar, are not real, they are “fantasy perfect”. At least, perfect in my fantasies.
My SL work follows this to some extent. I am making no attempt to try to create “photographs”. In making a portrait, for instance, I do not remove the odd creases and angles that avatars so often have. Doing so would result not in SL art, but… Photoshop art, in my view. Not that this a bad thing, but it is not what I am striving for. Instead, I am trying to capture the beauty that exists in Second Life, and to show it to others in my own way, while preserving the elements that make that avatar or place a part of Second Life.
If you made it all the way to here, then congrats on your patience. And thank you once again for your interest.
Proud to be honored with the Bi Men Network’s 5 Star Goodwill Gold Award 2004
Proud winner of the “StoneWall Society 2004 Pride In The Arts – Visual Arts – Community Theme Award” for my image “Creation”
Proud winner of the “StoneWall Society 2005 Pride In The Arts – Visual Arts – Statement Of Pride Award” for my image “Dark Night of the Soul” – as well as the 2005 Visual Arts Angel of the Year!
Proud to have been awarded the
