Author: Inara Pey

Now open at the Third Eye Gallery, curated by Jaz (Jessamine2108) in Second Life, is a broad cross-section of art from both the virtual and physical worlds, and which stands as a excellent introduction for those seeking to discover more about artistic expression in Second Life.

Entitled Songs of Earth it is an outreach of the Unity Art project, founded by Viktor Savior, the exhibition is intended to present “the artists’ vision of thanking, and cherishing this beautiful planet which has enabled us all to experience the joys of life in a tiny corner of the universe.”

With 33 artists participating, it is perhaps the most extensive exhibition mounted at Third Eye, with the art displayed over three balconied levels within the gallery space, all connected by staircases and walkways. Each artist has provided two pieces of art each, with their works displayed side-by-by, with most also providing a giver which will present those touching it with further information on the artist – always a welcome element in such a broad ranging display of art, allowing those particularly taken by an artist to find out more about them and where more of their work might be appreciated / purchased.

And when I say “broad ranging”, I do mean precisely that. Within Songs of Earth one can find images of Second Life Landscapes, reproductions of abstract pieces, mandalas, and digital compositions from the physical world; avatar studies, and even a touch of art utilised the Midjourney AI system.

All of the pieces offer a unique take on celebrating the world around us; some doing so through the presentation of flowers, landscapes, and so on, others more creativity, calling on the eye and mind to work a little. In this latter regard, I would particularly call attention to Lalie Sorbet’s Song Of Earth pairing, two images which perfectly encompass the unique beauty of the planet on which we walk, the complete encapsulation of nature’s creativeness through the beauty of a flower and that of the human eye itself – the very organ which allows us to see and appreciate nature and beauty.

However, it would be unfair to single one just one artist or one or two pieces of art; the entire exhibition is engaging and rewarding of a visit, and as it opened on May 8th, you likely have the rest of the month in which to do so and appreciate it.

SLurl Details

• Third Eye Gallery (Ravenglass, rated Moderate)

Currently open at the Kondor Art Centre, curated by Hermes Kondor, is an exhibition of art by Eta (Etamae) entitled Skewered. It forms the second of two exhibitions at the centre I recently visited, the other being Bamboo Barnes’ Unusual, which I recently wrote about in An Unusual statement of freedom in Second Life.

Of the two, Eta’s was actually the first I visited, and as I toured both, I felt a thread of connection between them which I initially saw as a means of writing about both in a single article. However, given the idea there might be a connection between them was purely subjective, I decided against and joint-write up, and to instead focus on each in turn, starting with Unusual, as that had been open a few days longer than Skewered.

The latter is presented within a sky gallery designed by Etamae’s SL partner, Jos; it is also best viewed through the use of a specific EEP setting – Bryn Oh’s Virginia Alone. The latter is one of over 200 former Windlight settings converted to EEP assets (through the hard work of Whirly Fizzle) which can be found in the Library section of your Inventory. To use it, just run an Inventory search for “Virginia”, and it should show up in your results (located in the folder Library → Environments → Skies → Bryn Oh). When located, right-click on it and select Apply Only to Myself. A copy of the asset is also contained in the introductory notes for the exhibition (available from the information giver close to the landing point), and can be copied from there to Inventory an applied to your avatar from there.

In addition, the installation makes use of the viewers Advanced Lighting Model (ALM) and looks its best with Shadows: Sun/Moon enabled (although this is not vital). Both of these can be set through Graphics → Preferences, if needs be.

The core of the installation comprises 10 free-standing mounts, each displaying two layered images on reverse sides of each mount. Abstract in nature, these pieces have about them the suggestion of human flesh / the body in a fluidic state, as if in motion across a darkened surface, subtle animations layered in to each adding an almost subliminal additional sense of motion. This is further added to by the installation space itself through the use of sine wave patterns along the walls and part of the floor and the play of projected lighting (hence the requirement for ALM being enabled).

It is this sense of fluidity and gentle motion that – for me – suggested (tenuously, admittedly) the incidental connection with  Bamboo’s Unusual and, perhaps more appropriately – if equally tenuous – a link to Eta’s recent installation entitled Pariah – The Hidden Persona, displayed at the Hannington Arts Foundation (see: Art and our Hidden Personas in Second Life).

I say this because both Unusual and Pariah in part (or fully) focus on matters of identity and what lies within each of us, often hidden (or forced into hiding) by the demands of society / conforming to what is expected of us, and only given the opportunity to thrive / find release when we are alone or as we embark on a journey of self-discovery. Though highly abstract in form, the images within Skewered might be said to suggest the idea that life is a transformative and we are organisms in a constant state of flux and change, revealing (or discovering) new facets of ourselves – perhaps in defiance of the demands of “fitting in”, whilst also hiding others through the fluidity of expression.

I’ve honestly no idea if this interpretation is anything close to Eta’s intent – if indeed she had any intend beyond getting us to engage the grey cells between the ears -, and it is not something I’ve discussed with her. But even if you don’t see Skewered as it occurred to me, there is no denying the manner in which this exhibition engages and draws the visitor back to it, each viewing of the pieces often revealing something new / causing additional cogitation. As such, I suggest you hop on over and take a look for yourself.

SLurl Details

• Skewered, Kondor Arts Centre (Waka, rated Moderate)

There are two exhibitions I recently visited in turn at the Kondor Art Centre, curated by Hermes Kondor. Both are by artists I greatly admire, and there is what might be seen as a thread of connection between them. However, given that such a thread is by no means certain, I’ll be looking at them over the course of a couple of articles, tackling them in the reverse order to how I viewed them, but rather in chronological order in terms of when they opened.

The first is that of Unusual, the latest selection of art-in-reflection-of-thought by Bamboo Barnes, which opened on April 20th, 2023 within the Kondor Art Centre’s Main Gallery.

Bamboo is, as I’ve often noted in these pages, one of the most vibrant and evocative digital artists displaying her work in Second Life. And I mean this not just in terms of her use of colour or form or subject – but in the way she layers her work both physically and narratively, such that it offers a depth of emotion and sense of being, it draws the observer into it, dominating both the space the work occupies and to the eye and mind.

A major theme within Bamboo’s art is that of identity; who we actually are in life in the face of an ever-changing world, when society, ego, id, work, friends, politics, and more continually impinge on us. Sometimes these pressure encourage us to flow and change and reach beyond who we are; at others they demand we conform; confine ourselves to ideas and dreams others see as being what (or all) we can achieve, thus preventing “disappointment”; or that we “stay in our lane” (always a pejorative outlook often born from a mistaken idea of self-privilege by those voicing it), and so on.

Unusual takes the latter point – that we must conform and limit ourselves without crossing the lines others have drawn for us – and asks what happens when we decided to step beyond them, much as Bamboo has done, particularly the mix of joy and wonder an excitement (and the sometimes chaotic results of doing so). These disparate elements can be seen – to my eyes, at least – in a variety of ways. Take, for example, the use of geometry in some images, with its suggestions of limits or boundaries.

Elsewhere, the use of repetition within some images might be seen as a dichotomy in its statement; on the one hand, it might appear to say “we are free to express ourselves, but only so far; we should still conform”; hence the repeated poses, limited used of colour palette within them – as with Kagerou A, as an example. At the same time, the very title (which might be translated as “heat shimmer” (or “haze”) or “mirage”) suggests how we are all so much more than we appear to be, the mirrored nature of the piece adding to the notion that we have more than one side to our nature, despite those aforementioned constraints others would place on us.

Then there is the use of colour in some of the pieces; vibrant hues which seem to have a life of their own, echoes perhaps that sense of excitement, wonder and chaos as we step beyond the constraints to which we have been subjected. All of this perhaps comes together most of all within the 3D piece Little Girl Blue, with its constant movement and shifting images suggesting the true fluidity and changing nature of life.

However, in this I’ve said enough with which to colour your thoughts; as such, I invite you to hop over to the Kondor Art Centre and view Unusual for yourself.

SLurl Details

• Kondor Art Centre’s Main Gallery (Waka, rated Moderate)