In
his series The Metaverse is Beautiful,
Joel Lederer photographically captures the complex, layered, and constantly
changing landscape of a virtual world called Second Life. The artist explains:
“Virtual land parcels are sold to Second Life residents, who design, shape, and
build their own custom arenas. My screen-captured photographs document the
landscapes and organic objects that were built as communal, natural spaces for
avatars.”

The project suggests a utopian orientation on at
least two levels—the avatar’s ability to construct an ideal landscape without
the constraints of the real world, and Lederer’s freedom to go out and capture
any image from Second Life and make it his own.