I first became acquainted with Charlie Namiboo as a result of her involvement in the (long since retired) Frisland region, which I had the pleasure of documenting in these pages on a number of occasions in 2015 / 2016.
Back then we did joke that we had something in common: she referred to herself a the Typo Queen, and I had a habit of wearing a tag that read Kween of Tpyoland. However, and to my shame, it was only later that I became familiar with her work as an extremely talented photographer. So, it’s with a great deal of pleasure that I’m able to write about her latest exhibition of work, which opened at the start of April at Kitten Mills’ Eulennest Art Gallery.
Well, so you asked me about my reasons why I started taking pictures. I guess, it was the same reason as many people have for their Flickr accounts. They simply take snaps of their second life to capture moments and make memories. When I explored places with my partner or had a special moment with him, I took snapshots.
– Charlie Namiboo on her work
The exhibition is offered without title, but I’ve taken the liberty of referring to it as “reflections” here, because it is the most marvellous selection of images that bring together elements of introspection and commentary on life.
Predominantly presented in black-and-white, these are pieces that are genuinely rich in narrative; more that a picture or image, they are the encapsulation of a thought, a feeling, or an emotion. Each one is perfectly framed and set to words.
I went through different phases; after pure (and very simple) fashion pictures, I fell for taking landscape themed pictures as regions and places became more and more attractive due to better landscape items. I worked with different windlight settings and also created my own when I found out that I was able to change the entire mood of a picture just by changing the windlight. And inspired by some of the greatest story tellers on Flickr, I started trying to tell my own short stories in a single picture.
– Charlie Namiboo
Viewing the pieces offered, it is clear that Charlies does more than just “try” to tell stories in her photographs – she does so quite magnificently. Each of the pieces included in this exhibition beats with a heart as it reveals a depth of soul. These are stories we can all relate to, touching on our own feelings and thought because they embody the things we have so often experienced. Also within them there is at least one challenge (so line on up, and take your place and show your face …), which has a particular depth of meaning in this day and age.
They are also, perhaps, personal reflections – if not on the things Charlie herself has experienced, then certainly on the depth of connection she has with her photography; a connection not only revealed by the images on display, but by the little vignettes of props she has included in the exhibition.
All told, a superb selection of pictures which I recommend to all patrons of Second Life arts.
SLurl Details
- Charlie Namiboo at Eulennest Art Gallery (Novatron, rated General)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 