Day: December 3, 2016

Opening at 12:00 noon SLT on Saturday, December 3rd, 2016, is the last Art at the Park exhibition at Holly Kai Park.

Joining us to see out the year are Owl Dragonash, Kayly Iali, Frankx Lefavre, Kody Meyers, Bluesrocker Resident, and Caitlin Tobias, and I’m delighted to have all of them appearing at the park through until the end of December 2016. And here’s a little more about each of them.

I’m particularly delighted to see Owl Dragonash at the Park. I imply no favouritism here, but I’ve been wanting to have Owl join us ever since I took on curating the exhibition spaces at Holly Kai. But circumstances have meant it’s not worked out  – until now.

Owl’s art – and her writing – are always thought-provoking, evocative, and beautifully conceived and presented. I’ve been in awe of her work for a long time, and through it, she has taught me a few things which I hope have improved my own attempts at SL photography.

For her time at Holly Kai, Owl presents a series of images which reflect both her love of places in Second Life, and her exploration of personal expression through her avatar. When not photographing, exploring or writing, Owl host art exhibitions and handles booking live music artists for Commune Utopia. More of her work can be seen on her Flickr stream.

Physical world artist Kayly Iali both presents her work in Second Life and promotes the art of other artists through her galleries. I’m particularly in her debt for introducing me to Silas Merlin and Sheba Blitz, so her appearance at Holly Kai Park is a genuine delight.

Kayly entered art in 2009, and started exhibiting in Second Life in 2010. Her pieces are expressive oil paintings which she produces in one or two sittings, allowing them to appear as fresh as her subjects. She was recently selected for entry into a major regional art competition, the Crocker/Kingsley Art Competition – and was just one of 75 selected to participate out of 1200 applicants.

You can discover more of Kayly’s art through Etsy and Daily Paintworks and via her website.

I’ve admired Frankx Lefarve’s immersive 3D art environments ever since his debut appearance at the Linden Endowment for the Arts in January 2014 with Glass and Light. There is a spectacular beauty in his use of light, colour and form which is exquisite; his installations often incorporate elements which look as if they have been spun from glass and transported in-world.

Whether full region installations, such as those presented at the LEA, or smaller pieces such as those produced for the UWA or SL Birthday celebrations, Frankx never fails to stun and delight the eye. His art can also be deeply personal. With  Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor for example, he explores his experiences in dealing with anxiety and depression; it’s an evocative piece, one I sought to try to capture in both words and film.

For Holly Kai Park, Frankx presents his interactive Reflections at Midnight – please follow the instructions on the board leading up to it in order to enjoy it to the fullest – and Oracle.

“Capturing the wonderful ambiance and environments created by so many talented landscapers in Second Life is my way to relax and explore my imagination,” Kody Meyers says of his photography. “Each picture depicts a story or is a reminder of an experience one can reflect upon when admiring it. As a perfectionist, I take the time necessary to capture the picture, experimenting with different angles, framing and windlights, until the perfect shot is created — the one that comes alive.”

The result is work which, whether focused on an avatar or a landscape or piece of art, never fails to captivate the eye and hold the attention – as can be seen from his Flickr stream. I’ve long admired Kody’s work at exhibitions in Second Life, and am very pleased to welcome him to Holly Kai Park.

“I’ve been involved in the arts most of my life,” Bluesrocker Resident says of himself. “Coming from a musical background, I have had a very keen appreciation of the creative process, whether it be in music,  the performing arts, painting, writing or photography. Having that interest sparked my involvement in the artistic possibilities of Second Life.

“I much prefer shooting out on location in the multitude of amazing sims which populate SL than in a studio, as I feel I get much better results that way,” he continues. “Since starting seriously taking photographs in SL about two years ago, I have broadened my horizons in what wonders this virtual world has to offer.  Really, the only limits are those of the imagination.”

I’ve shared a number of exhibitions with Bluesrocker, and have always been intrigued by his work. His involvement and fascination with the creative process is readily apparent in his work, which is richly diverse in content and approach. This latter point is illustrated by the selection of images he has brought to Art at the Park, and can further be seen throughout his Flickr stream.

Caitlin Tobias has always lived her Second Life to the full. A former C:si combat player, specialising in the katana, she has been and active blogger and photographer since 2012, and has gained a rightful reputation for emotive, evocative, richly layered images which not only illustrate her blog and Flickr stream, but have also graced the pages of the RFL Fantasy Faire website.

“Taking pictures in Second Life is a hobby and I do not consider myself an SL Artist,” Caitlin says modestly. I’m not sure I agree; the artistry in her work is readily apparent, and amply demonstrated in her exhibit, Come As You Are.

“I asked six good friends one simple question, would you pose with me?  And the answer to their question on what to wear was: ‘Come as you are’. It is not just posing, it is about accepting friends – as they are. I have used the same pose (by Del May) for all six and the men in them are: Almost Finished (nearly.doune), Temperance Haalan (tem.haalan), Huckleberry Hax, Grabriel (gabriel4botto.resident), JC Underwood and Brad Zeurra, and I want to thank them so much for their time and patience!”

You can also try your hand at photographing yourself and a friend using the provided poses and backdrop.

 

My thanks to all of the above artists for participating in Art at the Park, and I hope you’ll pay them a via at Holly Kai Park between now and December 31st.

SLurl Details

• Art at the Park (Holly Kai Estates, rated: Moderate)