Day: January 6, 2020

Edie Horngold at DiXmiX in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
DiXmiX Gallery: Edie Horngold

Calling Out For You is the title of Edie Horngold’s exhibition at DiXmiX gallery. Located on the gallery’s White hall mezzanine and running through until early February 2020, this is an intriguing series of avatar studies, each of which is intended to frame a story, rather than representing an avatar through portrait or action.

Quite what the story might be is entirely down to those who visit – hence the title for the exhibition – as each image in this selection is highly personal in interpretation. All but one of the images deliberately avoid including the full face of their subject (Edie herself), a move that helps to settle those viewing them into a wider consideration of the narrative framed within each image, rather than being focused purely on looks and expression.

A further aspect to the story elements of the pieces comes through the use of colour, with most of the pieces offered as monochrome pieces. Where colour is used, it is generally not only minimalised, it is often offered through softer tones, allowing it to form a part of the overall narrative without distracting from it by causing the eye to unduly focus on individual parts of the image.

DiXmiX Gallery: Edie Horngold

Take Hisssteria, for example. Here the broader monochrome aspect of the piece is “broken” through the reflective sheen afforded the leather suit, while the use of a flesh tone of the arm blends, rather than clashes, with the more alabaster tone to the exposed flesh elsewhere whilst also offering a suggestion of sinuosity in keeping with with the snake (also offered in softer tones), thus helping the eye and mind to focus more on the relationship between figure and reptile.

A contrast to this approach is Hand With Cigarette. Here the use of colour is richer – the green of the dress deliberately contrasting with the paler flesh and the black background. This helps draw the eye to the red nails, the tempting partial exposure of nipples and the languid hand with the cigarette between relaxed fingers. All combine to imply seduction, the dress and poised hand at the side enhancing the potential for story through the suggestion of a femme fatale.

DiXmiX Gallery: Edie Horngold

It is these hints and echoes that make many of the pieces so intriguing. They draw one into each picture, teasing the imagination, presenting both evocative and provocative lines of narrative; mysteries, if you will, in which the solution is unique to each of us.

SLurl Details

Tales of wonder and stories of extraordinary women

Posted on by Inara Pey
Seanchai Library

It’s time to highlight another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library. As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s home unless otherwise indicated. Note that the schedule below may be subject to change during the week, please refer to the Seanchai Library website for the latest information through the week.

Monday, January 6th 19:00 The Integral Trees

Dispatched on a mission of exploration, the Earth ship Discipline, operated by the the all-powerful State, encountered a strange phenomenon: a torus-like ring of gas and dust surrounding a neutron star. Within the torus, the crew discover a thriving ecosystem of plant and animal lifeforms that have evolved to living continually in a state of free-fall.

Despite being overseen by the ship’s AI system, Sharls Davis Kendy, from which they received advice and information, the crew abandoned the Discipline in favour of living among the plants and trees of the torus, which they call the Smoke Ring.

Now, 500 years later, the descends of the original crew have formed a tribal society focused around some of the trees of the system. Adapted to free-fall life, their societal structures are sharply divided, with “wars” common among them, as well as stronger tribes raiding or enslaving weaker tribes, whilst in all of them, artefacts from the original mission are sought-after and venerated. 

In the midst of a round of aggression between various tribal factions, one group find themselves aboard an original craft from the Discipline and caught in space beyond the Smoke Ring, where the Discipline and Kendy are still waiting – and Kendy is willing to provide assistance.

Join Gyro Muggins for more.

Tuesday, January 7th 19:00 A Glorious Freedom: Older Women Leading Extraordinary Lives

Selections from Lisa Congdon’s book celebrating extraordinary lives and redefines what it means to gain wisdom and maturity. From the book’s back cover blurb:

In this richly illustrated volume, best-selling author and artist Lisa Congdon explores the power of women over the age of forty who are thriving and living life on their own terms. Profiles, interviews, and essays from women—including Vera Wang, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Julia Child, Cheryl Strayed, and many more—who’ve found creative fulfilment and accomplished great things in the second half of their lives.

Wednesday, January 8th, 19:00:The Starless Sea

Caledonia Skytower reads selections from Erin Morgensterns novel.

Deep beneath the surface of the Earth and upon the shores of the Starless Sea, lies a network of tunnels and rooms filled with stories and tales. The ways into this secret place are many, but hidden, and perhaps set for just one individual to find. They exist where least expected: on the floors of forests, behind doors inside private homes or around alleyway corners or within mountain caves – almost anywhere in which they cannot be anticipated.

Zachary Ezra Rawlins is searching for his door, though he does not know it. He follows a silent siren song, an inexplicable knowledge that he is meant for another place.

When he discovers a mysterious book in the stacks of his campus library he begins to read, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, lost cities, and nameless acolytes. Suddenly a turn of the page brings Zachary to a story from his own childhood impossibly written in this book that is older than he is…

Thursday, January 9th 19:00 Ancient Fires

Shandon Loring delves into the case files of Jules de Grandin, occult detective, as created by Seabury Grandin Quinn for the pulp magazine Weird Tales. He starts with Ancient Fires. Also in Kitely – grid.kitely.com:8002:SEANCHAI).