Category: Art in Second Life

Stories and colours in art in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
PsyGallery, March 2023: Deyanira Yalin

A recent visit took me to Psygallery, operated and curated by Twister Grut, for a couple of small exhibitions by two well-known Second Life artists: Ilyra Chardin and Deyanira Yalin which, while individual in content, do compliment one another quite nicely.

Located in the lower level hall facing the landing point, Ilyra presents Once Upon a Where, a selection of her original paintings reproduced in-world. This comprises a series of nine images located around a central sculpture – Time in a Bottle -, which nicely encapsulates the central theme of the exhibition: fairy tales, stories and flights of the imagination.

PsyGallery, March 2023: Ilyra Chardin

The images are all mixed digital media finished in the style of paintings, eight of which plumb the depths of visual storytelling to great effect, with the ninth forms a superb life study of a coastal bird bearing the title Not All Who Wander Are Lost, which. The latter, depending on your perspective, might call to mind Tolkien, Shakespeare or perhaps Lana Del Rey. Whichever might come to mind, there is no denying that the title fits the images perfectly allowing the imagination to take flight – if you will – in thoughts of the subject’s life on the wing, and where it might have journeyed from and journey onwards to.

Accessed via the teleport board is Col-or-ing, a series of vividly striking images by Deyanira Yalin. This is a richly diverse selection of pieces all joined one to another by equally vivid narrative content as well as their sheer beauty. As with Once Upon a Where in the gallery space below, the eleven images are framed around a central sculpture by Deyanira, a piece as rich in colour, and with a life and motion which matches the vitality of the digital paintings.

PsyGallery, March 2023: Deyanira Yalin

The latter – as is all of Deyanira’s art – are immediately captivating in tone, content and style. Each speaks to its narrative equally as strongly  the next, but I confess I was very much drawn to Africa, Lady Under a Red Moon, and In My Room – the latter very cleverly bringing a certain literal interpretation of the old metaphorical idiom about elephants and rooms in a most delightful manner. Africa, meanwhile, caught my eye as an expression not just of natural beauty, but a beauty encompassing the whole of the temperate African continent.

That said, all eleven pieces within Col-or-ing are attractive and engaging, the stories waiting within them  – as noted above – joining this exhibition with Ilyra’s as eye-catching expression of storytelling through art.

PsyGallery, March 2023: Ilyra Chardin

SLurl Details

An artistic Hello to Spring in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Galerie L’autre Monde: Hello Spring – Rage Darkstone

‘Twas back to at Galerie L’autre Monde curated by Lady Anais (Anais Yuhara) and located at The Uzine, for me recently, to witness an ensemble exhibition entitled Hello Spring. Featuring the work of seven artists, the exhibition combines both real-world photography and digital artistry in a celebration of the coming burst of colour and light (for the northern hemisphere at least!) as spring brings forth new blooms and blossoms to brighten our world.

My visit marked the second time I’ve dropped into the gallery – the first having been at the start of February 2023. At that time, I pondered whether out not the design of the gallery space was specific to the exhibition being mounted at that time, or the gallery’s natural appearance. With my return to view Hello Spring I was pleased to note it appears to be the latter; there is something quite engaging about the use of partially demolished / destroyed buildings with the detritus of human habitation scattered around, all caught under a twilight / night sky (make sure you have your viewer set to World → Environment → Use Shared Environment) that makes this striking gallery space.

Galerie L’autre Monde: Hello Spring – Nils Urqhart

The artists presented within Hello Spring are TerraMerhyem, Rage Darkstone, Hermes Kondor, Tutsy Navarathna, Lalie Sorbet, Nils Urqhart, and Deyanira Yalin, Each presents at least two pieces of art representing the arrival of spring, each artist using a section of the gallery’s ruins.

For their pieces, Hermes and Nils present stunning macro-level views of flowers in bloom, Nils presenting his with a subtle vignette finish, his backdrops suggestive of a dark sky to bring the focus of his images to the fore in all there natural beauty. Hermes similarly uses a vignette effect to frame his subjects, but counters it with a more obvious use of depth of field. In both cases, the results are stunning life studies of nature’s beauty.

Galerie L’autre Monde: Hello Spring – Tutsy Navarathna

Artistic couple Rage Darkstone and TerraMerhyem present a vibrant mix of digital art and colour. Terra offers three pieces which suggest an unfolding story of sorts. To the right is a single sakura, carrying with it all the promise of spring mixed with a sense of mysticism – the latter enhanced by the soft illumination of sunlight through clouds to produce a pink sky tinged by a rainbow refraction as if from a lens to one side as the Sun edges its way around the clouds to the other. In the next two, the tree appears to have been transplanted into what might be otherworldly places, suggesting the universiality of rebirth and renewal. With his pieces, Rage uses light and geometry to present flowing, living forms rich in the colours of spring and a marvellous mix of fantasy and marine life.

With their pieces, Deyanira, Tutsy and Lalie also use digital techniques to offer us views on spring, with Deyanira presenting more macro-level views of flowers and springtime insects, with Spring – I believe – combining photography and digital rendering – offering a fabulous journey into a flower to reveal the anther and filament. Tutsy’s pieces bring together image and metaphor, and Lalie similarly using metaphor in the form of avatar-like people in a triptych of pieces visualising the richness and beauty of spring.

Galerie L’autre Monde: Hello Spring – Lalie Sorbet

Warm and vibrant, Hello Spring is a richly engaging exhibition.

SLurl Details

Art and our Hidden Personas in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Hannington Arts Foundation: Etamae – Pariah – The Hidden Persona

We all have facets of personality we reserve for different occasions – and home with family, at work, and so on – and which we are able to wear or switch between without conscious thought. They provide us with a degree of agency over in terms of how we are perceived by others and what we chose to reveal about ourselves.

But what of those aspects of self we don’t, for whatever reason, reveal, even to those closest to us? Those traits which we’re aware of but strive to keep hidden, most likely because we fear what might happen were we to express them, either to others or ourselves. We treat them as pariahs, pushing them down and away from our thoughts, but they never really go away; they remain just below the surface of thought, waiting for the opportunity to take hold, to tear friendships and relationships apart or terrorise us with fears we cannot express or really face because of the sense of panic or upset they induce.

Hannington Arts Foundation: Etamae – Pariah – The Hidden Persona

These are the facets of self explored by Etamae within Pariah – The Hidden Persona, now open at the Hannington Arts Foundation. Eta is an incredibly expressive artist who uses both 2D and 3D forms in both static and interactive pieces, together with a use of space which tends to draw people into her installations and exhibitions. Within Pariah she again demonstrates with with the use of 2D and 3D pieces, some of which are animated, and within which the presentation space is very much a part of the overall installation – as is the environment; when visiting, it is essential you have your viewer set to Use Shared Environment (World → Environment) in order to view the installation under the intended environmental lighting.

The installation is set within a large cube space which extends above and below the visitor, being split by a transparent floor. On the walls of this cube are images of faces, male and female, each offering an expression and utilising a subtle animated texture which might be taken as the flow of thought / emotion. Floating within this space, again above and below the floor area on which the visitor stands, is a series of transparent cubes. On (and within) these are etched further faces bearing a look / emotion, some of which echo those on the wall. Some of the faces of these cubes are are animated, he images on them appearing to slowly pulse back and forth to give a further suggestion of the ebb and flow of feelings and emotions, and that inner struggle we can face with aspects of our own persona.

Hannington Arts Foundation: Etamae – Pariah – The Hidden Persona

Also on the walls are extracts from the lyrics of Keep the Streets Empty for Me, a track from the debut studio album by Fever Ray, an alias used by Swedish singer-songwriter / performer Karin Dreijer, and first released in 2009. The lyrics of the song are well suited to this exhibition, containing as they do introspective reflections / pleas, with the Outro refrain in particular well suited to the theme of the exhibition.

I don’t want to see too much more about the art or the installation, as by its nature, Pariah – The Hidden Persona is a “personal” piece in that it will speak to each of us differently, and as such should be visited and experienced first-hand. There is simply no way the manner in which the images and words within the installation will impact you as they did me. So this being the case, and having hopefully set the scene, I invite you to visit the installation yourself.

Hannington Arts Foundation: Etamae – Pariah – The Hidden Persona

SLurl Details

Mindful Explorations in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Third Eye Gallery: Thus Yootz 

Currently open at the Third Eye Gallery, curated by Jaz (Jessamine2108), is a selection of pieces by Thus Yootz which might be seen as both enigmatic and also revealing.

For those unfamiliar with Thus, she is an artist based in Greece who has been active in Second Life for over 12 years as a creator, region designer, SL wedding planner, photographer and artist. She studied for a BA and MA in art over 5 years at the Athens School of Fine Arts, studying under masters such as Christakis Tassos, with her physical world art since being publicly exhibited, spanning as it does drawing, painting, etching, sculpture, and photography.

Third Eye Gallery: Thus Yootz 

Within this exhibition, visitors are presented with images reflective of Thus’ broad range, with some of the pieces focused on drawing and landscape work, others of a more abstract nature, and some potentially reflective of Tassos’ work (I fount this possibly evident within The Brides and My Longing, without in any way being derivative).

These are pieces which can each be taken individually, or as a series of explorations through thoughts and emotions and reflections on life and living. But whether these explorations are purely through the mind of the artist (as might most clearly be seen in Real Life Pictures within a Picture) or, due to the pieces presented in the collection perhaps resonating with the observer, an opportunity for self-reflection on these themes, is down to personal interpretation – the artist wisely leaves this open by not imposing any liner notes for visitors.

Third Eye Gallery: Thus Yootz

I admit that – outside of the potential for echoes of Christakis Tassos within a couple of the pieces – I found myself heavily drawn to Three Dancers, Running Away Through the Magnolias and A Mountain of Blossoms for their strong oriental flavour: use of form, colour, texture, their presentation and even their titles, together with the rich vein of abstraction each carries.

But having said that these are pieces which all have something to say to the eyes that pay attention –  and definitely an engaging and richly diverse selection of work from one of SL’s most versatile artists.

Third Eye Gallery: Thus Yootz

SLurl Details

An artistic dedication in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Onceagain Art Gallery: Celestial Demon – Les Fleurs du Mal

Les Fleurs du mal, an exhibition of images by Celestial Demon being hosted on a sky platform at Onceagain Gallery by onceagain (Manoji Yachvili), is an interesting installation in that its title appears to be juxtaposed with its intention to venerate, something which immediately piques the curiosity.

Across the platform, which is dressed as a garden – or perhaps a meadow in which is centred a small, modern building apparently built within the ruins of a slightly larger, older, house – there sits a total of six small display areas, each home two images of women presented with floral surrounds which may have been part of the original set used to create each of the images or added during post-processing – although which might be the case isn’t actually important.

Onceagain Art Gallery: Celestial Demon – Les Fleurs du Mal

Reached by selecting Les Fleurs after clicking the teleport disk at the entrance to the ground-level of the Onceagain gallery spaces, the building-within-a-building of the garden platform acts as a central introduction and hub for exploring the six pairs of images, On the wall, in both English and Italian, can be found the dedication for the installation, which reads:

This moment of my life is dedicated to the marvellous creature called woman.
To her who despite the storms and demeaning periods, she always manages to flourish.
To her who blossoms into a smile despite the incessant rain of the darkest night.
May the earth beneath her feet be always soft.
For her, Les Fleurs du mal.

It’s a charming and disarming dedication, encapsulating the central theme of reverence for women; however, it cannot be denied that the idea of presented women who have so captivated with les fleurs du mal jars a little; or perhaps the expression is used in reference to those self-same storms and rains of dark night the subjects of these images have overcome. I’ll eave that for you to juggle with when visiting.

Onceagain Art Gallery: Celestial Demon – Les Fleurs du Mal

What I will say is that is little doubting the expression of reverence and the desire to off a visual dedication to the women – to all women, perhaps – presented through these pieces, each of which is available for purchase on a limited number basis.

Through graceful posing, a degree of soft focus through depth of field, and the employ of a plain white background and in some either the softest touch of a primary tint to match the floral arrays and or a gentle suggestion of shadow, the 12 presented pieces are eloquent and captivating in their depth of beauty and narrative. Each image is attended by more words – again in Italian and English – as an expression of the character and nature of the individual featured in each piece.

Onceagain Art Gallery: Celestial Demon – Les Fleurs du Mal

Poetic, graceful and set within a location in keeping with the ideas of reverence and dedication, a garden one can wander in silence and come upon each pair of images and their words free from the distractions of surrounding pieces, complete with places where one can sit and contemplate, Les Fleurs is an idyllic exhibition of art from a gifted teller of visual tales.

SLurl Details

Remember to use the teleport disk to reach the exhibition platform.

Transcend Struggle in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Yann Gyro – Transcend Struggle

I first encountered Yann Gyro’s (sempiternel) work during what was to become the last set of exhibition at La Maison d’Aneli in December 2022, when he presented an untitled but engaging 3D installation (see: Five at La Maison d’Aneli in Second Life). I was not the only one taken by that installation, as Dido Haas also saw it as well and asked Yann to consider exhibiting at her Nitroglobus Roof Gallery – and he accepted. So, officially opening on Monday, March 6th, 2023, we have Transcend Struggle, a combined 2D and 3D installation created by Yann.

This is a highly personal installation for Yann, focusing as it does on his mother’s diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer, and his love for her and his wish to support her through her diagnosis and subsequent treatment – and most of all to her memory and her strength.

For those who might not be familiar with the term, metastatic breast cancer is a stage VI cancer where the cancer cells have spread beyond the axillary lymph nodes to distant sites, including the bones, the brain, the liver and the  pulmonary pleurae. it can occur several years after a primary breast cancer has been identified and treated (or at the same time the primary cancer is identified) and is the final stage of breast cancer; while treatment is possible, there is no cure. Treatments can take many forms, some of which can be as debilitating as the disease itself (e.g. radiation and chemotherapy).

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Yann Gyro – Transcend Struggle

Given the above, it should come as no surprise that the images and 3D elements of Transcend Struggle are powerful in message; metaphor is not required (although it is powerfully present in one sculpture and one of the images). Supported by a poem by Yann, the pictures and sculptures speak eloquently and fully to his love for his mother, her strength, and what is means to live within the twin shadows of a terminal cancer and its treatment regimes – shadows which fall across both the person afflicted and those around them.

As someone who has both lost her mother to cancer and has herself faced breast cancer (mine was fortunately a benign DCIS, and as of May 2023 I am 5 years “clear” of the disease following surgery and treatment), I found Transcend Struggle deeply moving. However, you do not have to have gone through diagnosis and treatment – or know someone who has – to appreciate the outflow of love found within the installation; it in clear both within Yann’s words and the beauty of his images, while his sculptures convey an equally strong message. As such, it is difficult to write about it; Transcend Struggle very genuinely needs to be visited, and Yann’s the images, sculptures, words experienced first-hand.

Cancer loves to hide in the darkness of fear and silence where it can prey on the mind as much as it does on the body, gnawing equally on those diagnosed with it and those around them; confronting it – be it through seeking a diagnosis, through treatment or just by talking about it – may not always lessen its threat, but it does shine a light on it  and allow strength and love to be shared as it is faced. Transcend Struggle speaks eloquently to this fact.

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Yann Gyro – Transcend Struggle

SLurl Details