The New York Times has previously covered RMB City (“Flying Avatars Admire the Artwork,” Mar 12, 2008), but a few weeks back, they published another foray into the strange territory where “Second Life” and “art” overlap.

In “Portrait of an Artist as an Avatar,” writer Sara Corbett profiles Filthy Fluno (RL: Jeff Lipsky), a painter who uses Second Life to sell his Real Life canvases. The article is admirable for its depth of research into its subject, and for sketching out a picture of how at least some SL art could work in a somewhat traditional “commercial” model.

I was curious to learn more about the avatar Filthy Fluno, but was unfortunately a bit disappointed with the conventional style of most of his paintings. However, in his SIM/museum I did spot something of particular, funny interest to me — there is a sign prominently announcing that one sculpture/mannequin was “Facilitated by Taralyn Gravois”. The only other place I’ve seen that Facilitator role; besides our own city, which lists its beloved Mayor UliSigg Cisse as a Facilitator…