Category: Art in Second Life

Mandalas, whether presented as art or an expression of spirituality or as a symbol of the universe or as a result of geometric teasings of fractals, have long fascinated me. The name literally means “circle” in Sanskrit, and within Buddhism and Hinduism the mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol representative of the cosmos around us.

Within Second Life, an artist who captures everything of the rich context, ritual form, balance and harmony of the mandala in her art is Sheba Blitz, and she is currently the Artist in Residence for August at  InterstellART, where she is presenting Simply Spiritual, featuring several of her mandalas, and more besides.

Sheba draws on numerous sources as inspiration for her mandalas. Some of these may be close to the spiritual origins of the form – Buddhism and Hinduism -, others might be as diverse as western astrology or tarot cards. Whatever the source, she produces these marvellous pieces using gouache, acrylics or metallic paints on either canvas or paper, and the uploaded images offered for display within Second Life lose nothing of the intricate beauty of their production.

One of the most fascinating forms of the mandala is created by Tibetan Buddhists. Called dul-tson-kyil-khor (mandala of coloured powders”), or sandpainting, it is a most intricate ritual that sees the production of the most stunning mandala art that has to be seen to be truly appreciated. None of the pieces produced – generally over the course of several days – survives long after its completion; instead, it is destroyed and the sands used taken to a body of water where they are given up as an offering. The entire process serves as both a metaphor for the “impermanence” of the physical world, and also as a means to reconsecrate the earth and its inhabitants.

In many respects, through their survival beyond the creative process, Sheba’s mandalas also offer a metaphor. However, rather than being representative of the impermanent nature of the physical world, their continuance serves as a reminder of the enduring beauty of the universe in which we reside.

Sheba notes that she didn’t originally come to Second Life to display her work. However, after joining, she found herself drawn to the world of art in Second Life, attending exhibitions, seeking other artists, buying pieces by others, and immersing herself in the means to experience art in a new way. Fortunately, she was asked to start exhibiting her own work, and Second Life has been the richer for it.

More recently, the rich diversity of artistic opportunities she’s experienced in SL has led Sheba into new avenues of expression, notably in-world photography and 3D art and sculpture. Simply Spiritual also presents some of the fruits of these broader endeavours, with a number of Sheba’s paintings, photographs and 3D art also on display within the gallery space.

An engaging visit, Simply Spiritual will run through until the end of August, 2018.

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• InterstellART (Nice Atoll, rated: Moderate)

“There’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in” are the words printed on the invitation to see an exhibition of photographic art by Carolyn Phoenix that recently opened at the Club LA and Gallery, curated by Fuyuko ‘冬子’ Amano (Wintergeist). Whether this is the title of the exhibition or a byline for it, I’m unsure. But I can say that the pieces on offer are hauntingly beautiful in their composition and presentation.

The mezzanine level of the gallery, where the exhibition is being hosted, has been converted into a dark, enclosed space in keeping with the title / byline. On display within it are 20 images by Carolyn, sharing the space with torso mannequins equipped with angel wings that add to the dream-like feel of the environment.

The images themselves are mostly dark in tone and subject – so much so that specific details can be hard to make out beyond the shard or pools of washes of light each image contains. These bursts and flickers and beams of light reflect the title  / byline: they have seemingly entered the worlds of these pictures through cracks or holes or as a result of sunlight breaking through clouds or a lone bulb hanging from a ceiling or a reflection from somewhere, to revel things that might otherwise remain unseen.

What these casts of light reveal various from image to image.  Some are mindful of dreams or secret thoughts, often dark in tone – the kind of imaginings we’d rather not shed public light upon, but that nevertheless draw us to them. Others are lighter in nature, simply exulting in the play of light and shadow or the beauty of an artist’s expression of their work; there’s even a hint of playfulness about one.

Some of the images seem to call into focus ideas of identity and of judgement. Teller (seen on the left of the banner image for this review) for example, with its reclined figure looking at a list of eyes from eyeless sockets, tends to suggest the idea of how we present ourselves to the world. The eyes, after all, are the windows of the soul; so how better to project who we might want to appear to be than by selecting our eyes, and only revealing what we want to be seen of ourselves? At the same time there is another potential interpretation: if the eyes are the windows into the soul and thus to who we really are, then how better to remove the potential for the light of understanding to penetrate our inner self than by expunging our eyes altogether, lest we be judged for what lies within.

Judgement is a theme brought into focus by a piece called Verdict (on the left of the image directly above these two paragraphs). But Again the meaning seems to be twofold. On the one hand, the tall figures surrounding the smaller one suggest a fear of judgement; of being looked down upon by others. But closer examination of the smaller subject, catsuited and hooded, perhaps suggests something else: a desire to be judged, to be found wanting and perhaps “punished”. Thus the light haloing the scene perhaps reveals kink-edged secret she at the centre of the image would rather remain hidden to all but a few – or even takes a guilty pleasure in having it so revealed…

Nuanced throughout, a captivating display of photographic art well worth visiting. And while doingso, why not avail yourself of the exhibitions by tralala Loordes and Sighvatr (worthaboutapig), both of which can be seen or accessed on the ground floor of the gallery.

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• Club LA and Gallery (Amano, rated: Moderate)

The G.B.T.H. (Grab By The Horns) Project, curated by Megan Prumier and Marina Münter, and described as being “focused on the extension of creative processes, 3D environments and art related subjects”, opened its August 2018 exhibition at the start of the month.

Concrete Diorama features the work of sculptor Mistero Hifeng, presented in a strange, semi-dark environment where the contrasts of dark  – black and grey – spaces with the bursts of brilliant white within some chambers is as much a part of the exhibition as Mistero’s pieces.

From the landing point, visitors travel along a semi-dark hallway, lined by port holes lit by spotlights. Each portal looks out over individual scenes of couples caught in acts of tenderness, suggesting a theme of love (and perhaps loss or regret). A second darkened hallway follows, windows on either side looking out onto scenes of figures floating in bubbles. Further along, two large proportioned figures stand beside cracked models of the moon, ramps to either side of them leading up to the first of the white chambers. Here, figures lie in a circle, prostrated under fine mess nettings, all facing a central lone tree.

In further chambers dancers perform ballet as couples lie in shallow troughs in the floor, whilst a grand diorama focused on a piece called Bruciando Ricordi (Burning Memories) awaits in the uppermost chamber of the exhibition space.

It’s a haunting, evocative setting, rich in mood and emotion. The expressions of love and loss, coupled with pleading, desire, and regret are all present throughout – most clearly through the crowning piece that features Bruciando Ricordi, which joined by the likes of La Magia di Quell’incanto (The Magic of That Enchantment) and Su Questo Silenzio…Balla (On This Silence … Dance). But the nuances and measure are broader than may first appear.

The couples in their troughs beneath a transparent floor, for example, perhaps carry with them the idea of loss through death, and a desire never to be parted. Meanwhile, the figures prostrated around the tree under their fine netting, appear to be in a different kind of mourning. Are they perhaps a reference to the way we humans can be indifferent to the plight of nature at our hands – at least until it is too late, as signified by the denuded and barren tree sitting at the centre of their circle and the apparent focus of their grief? And what of the large women beside their broken moons? Are they attempting to hide their heads in shame, the result of seeing the slender figures before them, and the  knowledge that society encourages us to embrace the slim as figures of beauty and reject the over-sized?

I’ve long appreciated and enjoyed Mistero’s sculptures, but this is perhaps the first time I’ve seen them brought together in a way that suggests a layered, nuanced narrative; one that resides not only in the individual pieces or in the way some have been brought together to form a diorama, but also right throughout the different levels and chambers within the installation as a whole. It’s an approach that, despite some of the darker tones (literal and metaphorical) apparent in the exhibit, is both effective and captivating.

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• Concrete Diorama, the G.B.T.H Project (Starry Night, rated: moderate)

Open now on the upper floor of the Visions of Beauty Gallery 2 is an exhibition of physical world art by Kayly Iali, featuring pieces from her sketchbook as well as paintings. Untitled, so far as I could tell, the exhibition includes 11 pen-and-ink architectural sketches, together with a selection of what appear to be pen-and-watercolour paintings, to offer a total of 28 images (including what might be regarded as the “title” image to be appreciated.

I’ve long admired the skill of those who can draw or paint – I lack any such abilities in either sphere – and I also have a love of architecture, so this exhibition really appeals to me. The pen-and-ink drawing, showing specific elements of buildings, coupled with the angle from which they have been captured, are marvellous exercises in art and perspective. They present not just the form of their building subject, but also its very nature; there is a wonderful beauty in the aspects Kayly has chosen to capture, the lines, materials, angles, that each of the buildings see offer here seems to be very much alive.

The breath of life is very much in evidence in the paintings facing the sketches from across the gallery space. These comprise a range of subjects, from people through to architecture by way of nature. Most of these – perhaps because of their use of colour – offer not some much standalone images, as might be said of the pen-and-ink sketches, but vignettes; scenes of broader stories caught within their  frames. Just what are Heather and Lucy sketching? What is the raptor trainer telling us about the bird perched on his glove? Where will the story of the woman nursing her child take us?

Capped by a set of four painted architectural pieces that form a natural link between paintings and sketches (which particularly work if visitors follow the tendency to turn to the right at the top of the stairs to the display space), this is a genuinely delightful exhibit. My congratulations, also, to Kayly on her selection to be part of the 2018 (?) Crocker/Kingsley Art Competition – one of 75 artists to be selected out of 1,200 applicants!

When visiting Kayly’s work, do take time as well to enjoy the exhibition of digital geometric art by Giselle Seeker on the ground floor of the gallery building, and more of Sisi Biedermann’s wildlife and fantasy art, some of which I wrote about recently, and which lies on the mid-level of the gallery building.

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• Visions of Beauty Art Complex Gallery 2 (Whinlatter, rated: Moderate)

Now open at the Diomita Plaza Gallery / R&D Gallery is an exhibition by LuAnne Anatine (LeeLu Anatine) entitled Whimsy and Fantasy, which opened on July 16th, 2018.

An artist / illustrator in the physical world, LuAnne focuses on fantasy and nature art as her core themes, and she has brought her art into Second Life for a broader audience to appreciate and enjoy – and I am, for one, pleased that she has.  On display are 18 pieces of her work, all of which are available for purchase at a very modest price, which perfectly exemplify her expressions of both fantasy and nature.

These really are delightful pieces, each an individual study, rather than a scene or setting. Everyone of them is captivating to the eye, with most rich in colour, adding to their natural depth and beauty.

Some of the pieces, while individual studies, suggest they are part of a broader narrative, enticing the eye and imagination to consider what the story might be. Others, such as the charming and attractive Colours of Winter (right) simply stand on their own, inviting appreciation purely in their own right, without the need for thoughts of wider story.

What is also special about this exhibition is the fact the LuAnne provides insight into how she produces her art.

My method of painting is a mix of traditional and digital, which is painted in Photoshop and Corel Painter. The line work is drawn for each painting, then is scanned into Photoshop, where it is painted digitally in a traditional manner using a Wacom Cintiq painting and drawing tablet.

– LuAnne Anatine describing her technique

We often talk in terms of virtual environments like Second life presenting artists with a means by which they might reach much broader audiences their work might otherwise attract, but it is also fair to say the reverse is also true.

By visiting exhibitions like Whimsy and Fantasy, we are given an opportunity to discover and enjoy the work of artists and talents whom we might otherwise never get to appreciate in the physical world. Hence why I tend to find exhibitions like this one a very valid field of virtual world art and expression, and always encourage others to take the time to visit.

“Art is an incredible joy for me,” LuAnne states. “It’s my link to the universal river that connects us all.” By displaying and offering her art in-world, she presents us with the opportunity to connect with her as well.

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• Diomita Plaza Gallery (Gigli Waves, rated: Moderate)

When thinking about art is Second Life, the mind perhaps tends to focus on thoughts of paintings and photographs and sculptures and 3D models. It’s rare that why immediately think of the written word as a form of art in SL, despite the extensive use of the spoken word in readings and performance pieces like plays and musicals.

So it was with a degree of pleasure I found myself at the Lin C Art Gallery, which is – through until the 10th of August, 2018 – hosting an exhibition of the poems of Tim Timaru.

Occupying two levels within the gallery, Tim’s poems are presented framed within images that help define the mood and tone of the written word. Most of these images have been taken from the physical world, but some have come from Second Life.  In terms of subject matter, many of the poems are focused on a subject close to many a poet’s heart: love and relationships (and loss). Others are perhaps more philosophical in nature, questioning or seeking to challenge our perspective. All cause the grey cells to cogitate as the eye appreciates the accompanying images.

Most of the pieces here stand as a perfect fusion of image and words giving rise to a response from within us. But some reveal just how liberating the medium of Second Life might be for a poet as much as a photographer, painter or builder. Words are, by their nature, static. Once arranged and written, their metre and measure generally points towards a single interpretation. But within Second Life, the poet has a certain freedom: words unchanged can be presented side-by-side, but with different images to underpin them, rendering their interpretation dynamic.

Take The Deck and The Deck 2, in this exhibition, for example. Both are the same poem, but where the image of one presents a couple walking hand-in-hand up a crystal-like staircase leading to a cabin floating idyllically against a night sky, the second offers images of a coastal setting behind a wind-blown sky coloured by a sunset. Thus, with the first image, we’re encouraged to think of the poem in terms of togetherness and what is and what will be; poem and image are together, uplifting. However the second leads us in a different direction. Here, perhaps, is not promise, but regret; no looking forward to what is now beginning and will grow, but what has passed and what was – and will never be again.

With playful tickles of humour, considered reflections on life and love, echoes of Eliot and even Shakespeare (in form if not in words), this is an enchanting collection of poems and images; an absolute delight for any lover of the written word.

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