Day: July 14, 2016

Bridgewood Barrow: a cosy corner of Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Bridgewood Barrow; Inara Pey, July 2016, on Flickr Bridgewood Barrow – click any image for full size

I’ve said in the past that it is not always necessary to have an entire region in order to create something worthwhile, either as your home or as a place for others to visit. Such is the case with Bridgewood Barrow, a 8192 sq m parcel offered as a place to visit and spend time within by Aby (Abysinnia – also known as Harper Quinne), with a little help from Darthenian (DarthHill) and Marcus Keown.

Located in the south-east corner of its home region (Aurore), Bridgewood Barrow offers visitors a cosy corner of Second Life in which to relax or wander – without having to worry about breaking out the walking boots in the case of the latter!

Bridgewood Barrow; Inara Pey, July 2016, on Flickr Bridgewood Barrow

The landing point is a small pier located over a little beach. Here visitors can collect a note card about the parcel, and update themselves with the latest news.  Facing this and a very short walk away is a brick-built house offering a place to dance, a little café and, up on the roof (reached via the fire escape ladders at the side of the house), Greedy, Greedy and cuddle loungers are available.

A small lawned garden sits behind and to one side of the house, a tree-lined track pointing the way east from it. Following this will as it passes above a small lake will lead visitors to a dirt track switch-backing down to a second building sits partially nestled among trees, the bedroom looking out over the lake.  A footpath runs around the back of this, pointing the way to a short climb to a bridge crossing the entrance to the lake, and so back to the beach and the pier.

Bridgewood Barrow; Inara Pey, July 2016, on Flickr Bridgewood Barrow

Within this deceptively simple layout, there is a lot to enjoy, both indoors and out, with plenty of places to sit and cuddle, and views to be found. There is a Flickr group available for the latter, although it was looking a little forlorn when I visited; which is a shame, as couple with the right windlight settings, Bridgewood Barrow offers a picturesque setting for photography.

The parcel notes make it clear that Bridgewood Barrow will remain as it is through until the end of August, after which Aby will be working on a new project, which I gather will also be open to the public. So, if you fancy spending a little time in charming surroundings, either on your own or with a close friend, one without the need to explore an entire region, Bridgewood Barrow could be just the ticket.

Bridgewood Barrow; Inara Pey, July 2016, on Flickr Bridgewood Barrow

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BURN2 Town Hall and “Burniversity” lessons

Posted on by Inara Pey

logoBURN2 have announced a Town Hall meeting for all Burners and interested parties on Sunday, July 17th, which will take place in the Burning Man Playa. The aim of the meeting is to pass on all the latest news and information on activities and events, including the upcoming Octoburn.

In addition, there’s also news on “Burniversity” courses on using textures as avatar skins like those seen at this year’s Skin Burn Fashion show.

The press release on the Town Hall meeting reads in full:

July 17, 2016 9:00am SLT, 6:00pm SLT
SLURL: http://tinyurl.com/zzd86e6

“Welcome Home!” we say to Burners, calling out across the grid, welcome Home to the Playa! You’re invited to a Town Hall meeting where we bring you news of the year just past and announcements of the upcoming Big Burn and all the good stuff that comes with it.

Catch up on what we’ve done since the last Town Hall meeting…Get the news about OCTOBURN theme, plans, preparations. Think about your camp, about getting involved! Bring your creative selves and be a part of our best and Burningest event of the year!

We will meet twice, 9am SLT and 6pm SLT, to accommodate as many time zones as possible the content will be the same both times. Then watch for the notices they will be sent out to the BurningMan 2.0 group in-world. If you’re not already in the group, join it (it’s FREE!) to make sure you don’t miss out on the latest news!

Learn to use textures as skins in Daark Gothly's fun lesson
Learn to use textures as skins in Daark Gothly’s fun lesson (image via BURN2)

Ahead of the meeting, on Saturday, July 16th, Daark Gothly will be hosting “Burniversity”, a fun and easy instructional class on making texture skins like those seen in the Skin Burn shows. No specialist texture programs are needed nor skin templates required – so anyone can join and have fun.

The class  will be held on the 16th, 10:00 SLT and again at 21:00 SLT, again to suit people in different physical world time zones. There is no sign-up required, people are invited to simply show-up at The Playa and join in the fun.

In addition, Daark is willing to schedule further classes if there is interest. So if you can’t make either time on Saturday, 16th, IM her  in-world.

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Giovanna’s Last Harbour in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
The Last Harbour: Self control and Eve
The Last Harbour: Self control and Eve

“I had been thinking for some time about having a place,” Giovanna Cerise said as we stood at the landing point of her new exhibition space, The Lost Harbour, which officially opens on Thursday, July 14th. “Some time ago I had a gallery, and many people have asked me if I would have a regular place where they could see my work and so I decided to make one.”

If I’m totally honest, Giovanna having a space in she can freely display her art once more is well overdue. Whether it takes one of her large-scale immersive pieces such as Tristan und Isolde or The Eternal Suspense (to name but two), or her smaller pieces, as seen in her recent Retrospective , her work is beautifully exquisite and quite marvellous to see. I was therefore excited to learn about The Lost Harbour, and delighted to spend time visiting with her ahead of the opening.

The Last Harbour
The Last Harbour

Occupying the north-east corner of a region, The Last Harbour is a fabulous setting for Giovanna’s work, beautifully laid out and presented to visitors. From the landing point, a series of platforms sit on the waters of the parcel, connected by transparent and translucent tiles from the aforementioned Tristan und Isolde. These form both a display space and a walkway passing across the parcel.

On the seaward side of the parcel sit four pieces which those familiar with Giovanna’s work may recognise as being from some of her past installations. On the landward side, against the boundary wall, are more pieces, notably her black pen line images and forms mindful of installations like Line, together 3D pieces, such as Breeze, a piece best appreciated by camming around and through it, rather than simply regarding it whilst stood still.

The Last Harbour
The Last Harbour

Between these two sides is a stepped platform on which are displayed four new studies, comprising single and paired figures. “I wanted to do some new work,” Giovanna told me as we studied them. “In recent times I have worked mostly for large installations. I wanted to focus my ideas and my inspiration on smaller works.”

She continued, “Each of them expresses an idea; a thought emotion. Pandora, Eve, Self Control, Stranger, The Unbearable Lightness of Being … symbolic names.” Symbolic they may be, but they are also deeply intimate; one doesn’t so much observe each of these figures; one becomes a part of each of their stories, a confidante in their expression, if you will.

The Last Harbour: the beach
The Last Harbour: the beach

This is a place where wandering, sitting and contemplation are welcomed. “I imagined a place to walk among the works of art and even then relax by the sea,” Giovanna said, indicating the arched wall along one side of the exhibition space. Passing through this will indeed bring you to a little beach, beautifully landscapes and with seats in which visitors can relax, as well as little beach house, while hovering over the sandy tide are the sirens from Il Folle Volo (The Mad Flight).

The Last Harbour formally opens at 13:00 SLT on Thursday, July 14th at 13.00 SLT. My congratulations to Giovanna in establishing the space, and my thanks to her as well, for allowing me to pop over and spend time with her discussing it.

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