Catherine’s black and white photography in Second Life

It is two exhibitions for the price on one with this article – in part because both exhibitions have been open a while, and one at least is liable to be closing in the next few weeks; and in part because they both offer opportunities to appreciate the sheer artistry of Catherine Nikolaidis.

Catherine is a Second Life photographer whose work I’ve touched upon a few times in these pages, as she has participated in a number of ensemble exhibitions I’ve attended, but it is not often I’ve seen her work individually exhibited – some again, these two exhibitions are a dual treat for me.

Those familiar with Catherine’s Flickr photostream will know she has a penchant for black-and-white photography – something bound to attract me – and a focus on avatar studies, often using her own avatar, and this certainly the case with both of these exhibitions. More than this, however, is Catherine’s use of tone, pose, contrast, and overall composition. These come together with her innate sense of detail to create pieces which have a depth of life which genuinely suggests her avatar inhabits the physical world as much as she does the virtual, crossing easily and naturally between the two.

This is particularly true within The Body I Was Born With, which has been open at Artville’s Gallery 2 since at least the start of July 2023. Within it, Catherine presents 10 self studies which are both deeply personal in content and presentation but which all carry that sense of having actually been taken at a studio in the physical world. This is achieved first and foremost through an expressive and skilled use of chiaroscuro, the play of framed lights and darkened background, together with the play of shadow, used across the entire composition of each piece.

Then there is the choice of pose and position of camera; rather than presenting her avatar in full, Catherine offers glimpses, giving the pieces an more intimate presentation – yes, with nudity, but not the kind intended to titillate; rather it further enhances the sense of intimate revelation, presenting each piece as a part of a story.

There is much that could be said about this exhibition in terms of identity and identification – certainly the title of the exhibit prods the thought processes it that direction. However, I’ll refrain from jumping down that rabbit hole here; the vignettes contained within these ten pieces are more than sufficient to engage the eye artistically and the imagination narratively. What I will say is that this sense of personal expression and potential for narrative also winds through August Noir, which opened within the main gallery complex at the Kondor Art Centre in late July (and so is likely to be coming to an end sooner rather than later).

Here, again, Catherine uses black and white to present s series of images which offer both an invitation to enter into stories of summer and vacational escape. Again, they these are all pieces that are highly personal and where light and dark – more subtle than outright chiaroscuro – are a vital part of the composition and appeal of each piece.

This is particularly noticeable in that out of the ten images within Autumn Noir where the subject’s face might be seen, in only one is it actually revealed; for the rest, shadow and angle play a role in obscuring her features. Thus we are somewhat cast into the role of voyeur in witnessing these pieces, far more so than with The Body I Was Born With; possibly because of the naturalness of the actions being performed: sitting, walking, swimming, enjoying the sun… 

Within both of these exhibitions there is a musical fluidity; with The Body I Was Born With this might be defined as a sonata, whilst Autumn Noir might be seen as a rhapsody, further enhancing their appeal.

All told, these are two highly engaging exhibitions featuring the work of one of SL’s most engaging avatar photographers and which really do deserve to be seen before their respective time in-world expires.

SLurl Details

• The Body I Was Born With, Artsville Galleries (Caribbean Ocean, rated Moderate)
• Autumn Noir, Kondor Art Centre (Waka, rated Moderate)