Category: Art in Second Life

The Rose Gallery, curated by  Shakti Sugafield (Shakti Adored) is hosting a”late summer” exhibition with a focus on physical work art, of which the greater theme within it might be said to be of an abstract nature.

On the ground floor, in Halls 1 and 2, the marvellous art of Sisi Biedermann continues to be exhibited. Her work – always marvellous to see – was a focus of what might be called the “early summer” ensemble of art on display at the Rose, again in Halls One and Two, and was a subject of my review of the Rose exhibitions at that time. Her display has been refreshed, with a further offering of her stunning art, some of which can also be found in her What a Wonderful World exhibition at the Lin C Art Gallery (read here for more).

Occupying Halls 3 and 4 is a visually impactful exhibition of abstract art by Sabine Mortenwold. Working in mixed media on canvas, Sabine’s work is powerful in tone and style, with the pieces offered at the Rose perhaps split into two halves. Within Hall 3 is a series of images that might be referred to as more deeply abstract, the 11 pieces  offering  reflections on emotional states. Vivid, strongly abstracted and layered, there are pieces that may at first be hard to grasp, but there is also a subtleness in the way each really is reflective of its title.

Hall 4, meanwhile offers what might be referred to as a “softer” series of Sabine’s art, with 13 pieces, the majority of which are clearly collage paintings of flowers. With softer tones and lines that clearly denote leaves and petals, these are perhaps the easier images to grasp with eye and mind, but each of them retains a wonderful abstract form within it.

Hall 6, on the floor above, is home to a series nine pieces of digital art by Leigh Quartz. Small the series might be, but each image is powerfully evocative, colour and tone carefully balanced to match its title, with just a hint of abstraction within some of them to offer a  connection with the exhibitions on the ground floor.

The use of the available space within the hall, with wide gaps between most of the pieces, allows the eye to focus on each painting in turn, encouraging the visitor to fully appreciate it without the distraction of neighbouring pieces slipping into the eye’s periphery. Thus it is possible to almost feel the primal force evoked with More Than a Conqueror, sense the passage of time in Seize the Moment, or find oneself caught within the gaze of Jolie Moly, seen on the right.

The abstract theme continues into Hall 7, where art by Etamae is presented.

Several of the ten images offered here are of an abstract nature in tone and idea; but with a much softer, more organic approach that perhaps found in the abstract pieces found within Sabine Mortenwold’s and Leigh Quartz’s pieces. Shapes here are more rounded, offer flow and a sense of quiet, almost relaxed (hypnotic?) motion within them.

Also offered within the set are paintings of flowers. Again abstract in nature, these offer a connection back to the flower-themed pictures within Sabine’s exhibition, and so again present a sense of thematic threads follow through the exhibitions, weaving them together on a subconscious level.

The Gallery’s main exhibition hall is given over to a presentation of art by Mary Sparrow, via her alter-ego(?) Bianca (biancajane Juliesse). Known for her portraiture of both humans and their pets, Mary’s art also encompasses still life, animals (notably horses) and photography.

Portraits and pets are very much the subject of the exhibit at the Rose Gallery, although wildlife and farm animals and poultry are also represented. The portraits  – all of them women and their dogs, are neatly presented to one side of the hall, becoming an exhibit in their own right, all presented in Art Deco or gilt-edges frames that perfectly compliment and complete the images they contain, which are themselves perfectly executed paintings.

However, it is likely to be the animal paintings on the remaining walls of the hall that are liable to captivate, simply because of the depth of character caught within them; not only with the portraits of cats and dogs, where it is perhaps most clearly evident, but also with the paintings of pig and piglet, cow, rooster and flamingos.

I believe this selection of exhibitions continues through into September – but please check with the gallery.

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• The Rose Gallery (Angel Manor, rated: Moderate)

Artfest 6 is currently open through until November 6th, 2018, and is accepting applications for participation from artists, DJs, singers and performers.

The focus of the event is to raise funds for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in their continuing work to bring aid and relief to people around the world who have suffered from the effects of a local disaster – earthquakes, flooding, storms, fires, enforced migration, and so on. IFRC has been chosen due to its record of delivering help, aid and support without discrimination against race, religion or gender.

A full region – Tiger Hill – is given over to the event, with locations both at ground level and in the air overhead, with individual display spaces marked out for artists who apply to take part. The vent supports art of all kinds, including:

• Second Life snapshots, both raw and post-processed.
• Physical world photographs.
• Physical world art and image manipulations.
• Sculpture and 3D art.
• Poetry recitals, spoken word recitals, music and dance.

Fund-raising within the event takes a number of forms. For example, artists can enter their art into the Artfest competition, in which visitors “vote” for the art by making donations. Or, if artists prefer, they can sell their art through the event on the understanding that at least 50% of all sales goes to raising funds for the IFRC. Profit sharing is via scripted means, and the organisers will provide the necessary script to those artists wishing to use it.

100% of all funds received by the event will be donated to the IFRC.

In addition, and quite aside from the fund-raising “competition”, there is also a juried art competition artists can opt to enter – details on this can be obtained from the organisers.

The ground level area is set out with a large number of available plots for artists to use. Due to the length of time the event will be running, artists are encouraged to refresh their allotted space as often as they can, in order to encourage people to come back and pay further visits, exploring and (hopefully) making further donations. In particular, artists are encouraged to build-out their display spaces in situ, allowing their displays of art to grow over time, again encouraging re-visits by the public.

DJs, singers and performer can apply to participate in the entertainment that will take place through the event, centred on the Tiger Hill Den, a skyborne club sharing its space with shops and other facilities related to the event.

Artfest is a fairly free-form event, the core rules of participation being to keep all art and performances in line with the General rating for the region and the Second Life Terms of Service / Community Standards. There are some general guidelines on prim, script and glow usage, but these are guidelines, not tablets-of-stone caps / limits, and are provided to all those applying to participate in the event.

Those wishing to apply to participate in ArtFest 6 are asked to do so by note card, and provide:

• Avatar name (not Display name).
• Type of art or performance – give as much information as possible – or:
• Other ways in which you would like to take part – as an artist, performer, helper, etc.

Note Cards should be sent to Huntress Catteneo.

General enquiries about ArtFest 6 should also be sent to Huntress Catteneo.

Now open at La Maison d’Aneli Gallery, curated by Aneli Abeyante, and located in the gallery’s sky exhibitions space, is a series of exhibitions which – with one exception – might be described as exercises in the surreal and the abstract, mixed with a little geometry.  The artists sharing the space are Cullum Writer, JudiLynn India, Senka Beck and 9Volt Borkotron, and Aneli Abeyante herself. Four of these artists are exhibited on the upper level of the gallery space, and one on the lower, who shares the space with Megan Prumier, who completes the current set of artists.

“My work is entirely intuitive,” JudiLynn says of her paintings. “I get lost in the layering of texture and colour. My work embodies my spirit and personality [and] my goal is to allow you to experience the image with your own mind’s eye.” The result of this approach is highly individual painting, rich in colour, abstract – sometimes surreal – in nature, which are by turns wonderful primal and, despite their abstract nature, very natural.

This latter aspect is though the layering of colour to which JudiLynn refers, and the colours themselves, offering a rich foundation of what might be called earth colours – greens, blues, browns, which are overlaid and blended with bright, vibrant yellow, oranges, red, golds and more, to create images that can be so richly interpreted by the imagination.

Facing Judilynn’s exhibit is that by Aneli Abeyanti. Fully embracing geometry in their form and motion (most of the pieces are animated), these are glorious pieces of modern abstract art, mesmerising in form and movement. A small display, true – just seven pieces; but one not to be missed.

Between the two, and to one side is Detoxomania an immersive 3D art piece of abstract form by Senka Beck and 9Volt Borkotron. In terms of colour, this is again a primal installation in may respect, the colours and motion within it intended to illicit an emotional response. It’s also ethereally tactile. Moving (or camming) through it, it is as if the various elements can be felt as one passes them.

“It isn’t about substance abuse,” Senka explains of the piece, which might be seen as a surreal landscape, “but about the mania of interpreting our lives in terms of toxicity. Toxic people, toxic relationships, toxic environments, toxic thoughts … Please enter, reflect and detoxify if you may.” To aid those wishing to do so are places within the installation to sit and contemplate.

Born in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Cullum Writer found her artistic inspiration through Second Life. From in-world snapshots, her expressionism has grown to encompass fractals, collages, and digital art with a defined geometric foundation. She presents some 14 pieces at La Maison d’Aneli on the lower floor of the exhibition space. All of them are abstract in nature and exceptional at capturing the eye. Some appear to be traditional painting in form, others more digital in origin, with a stylistic flow from left to right as you face her display area.

Also on the lower level, and standing quite aside from the more abstract exhibitions Is a small monochrome exhibition of Megan Prumier’s always evocative avatar studies.

Overall, an interesting, eclectic selection of art across five exhibitions.

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• La Maison d’Aneli (Virtual Holland, rated: Moderate)

Now open at the Lin C Art Gallery, curated by Lin Carlucci, is What A Wonderful World, an exhibition of the extraordinary art of Sisi Biedermann.

I’ve reported on a couple of exhibitions featuring Sisi’s art of late – and with good reason; her work – all of it original pieces she has painted and composed – is quite unlike art produced within Second Life and exhibited in-world – nor is it quite like any real world art uploaded into Second Life by artists. Rather, and in a sense, thanks to Sisi’s imagination, style, and rich use of colour and ideas, to me it straddles the two. So many of her pieces could depict settings and situations waiting to be created in-world, whilst all offer doorways into fantastical worlds that come to life as virtual places within our imaginations.

Sisi’s work is broad-ranging, although there is a focus perhaps on wildlife and fantasy art. It is also so skilfully executed, it is possible to become a lost in her techniques (which, I’d hazard a guess mix both traditional and digital approaches – but I have not had the opportunity  to discuss this with her), as in the stories contained within each painting.

What is particularly captivating about many of Sisi’s pieces also lies within the manner in which she presents them. Some may appear to be oil or watercolour on canvas, others as tiled mosaics, and others appear to have been embossed. Which approach is used doesn’t appear to be as result of random thought; often times the presentation and finish to a piece is as much a part of its story as the images itself. Take The Boy in The Moon, for example, with the embossing of a net-like finish over the piece as the boy dangles his rod from a crescent Moon; or the finish impressed on to My Amazing Garden that allows the imagination to feel the texture of flower petals and the soft brush of dandelion heads…

With around fifty pieces on display, this is the largest exhibition of Sisi’s work I’ve seen, and my only small regret is that none of the wildlife pieces see at exhibitions she’s held earlier in the year aren’t also more in evidence here. This is obviously to avoid any feeling of repetition in displaying her work – but such is the sheer beauty and power contained within her animal images, it would have been nice to have seen a fox or a giraffe or similar here…

And if you think 50 is a lot of pieces to display – where Sisi is concerned, I assure you it isn’t. As I’ve intimated, these are more than just paintings, they are stories, and as such, they are each as individually engaging to the eye and imagination as the last.

What A Wonderful World will remain open through until Thursday, September 13th, and should not be missed.

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• Lin C Art Gallery (Hana Aloha, rated: Moderate)