Category: Art in Second Life

Black Box is the title of a new exhibition by Italian artist Terrygold, which opened on Sunday, March 13th, 2016. Located high above the Solo Donna club, home to the Art on Roofs series, Black Box is a compelling series, further enhancing Terrygold’s reputation as an artist with a considered eye for composition, nuance, framing and narrative in her work.

Following on from Ceramic Dolls (reviewed here) and Onirica (reviewed here), Black Box shares some aspects with the previous exhibitions, notably Onirica, whilst presenting new images and models, with the exhibition space itself very much as part of the overall installation in tone and form.

To appreciate Black Box in its fullest, it is essential you have Advanced Lighting Model (ALM) enabled through your graphics preferences. It is not required that you have Shadows enabled as well (which tends to be the heavy hitter when it comes to performance degradation); but as the exhibition space makes use of projected lights, ALM really is essential in order to gain the deepest exposure to the exhibit. Ambient Dark is also the recommended windlight setting.

As with Onirica, the visitor is led through a series of rooms (initially by a blue line on the floor), each of which offers 2D or 3D art (or a mix of both) created by Terrygold, finely lit using projectors, and each piece evocative in its own right. As with Onirica, elements of the exhibition space also form backdrops or elements within some of the images displayed, making for something of an almost recursive experience when appreciating those images. Also like Onirica, passage from one room to the next is, on a couple of occasions, through an element of the displayed art, again adding depth to the exhibition.

With her work, Terrygold always presents a fine eye towards the use of black and white and the inclusion of colour. This was much in evidence in both Ceramic Dolls and Onirica, and is so again with Black Box; and if anything the subtle ebb and flow of colour through the images brings an additional vibrancy to the pieces displayed here, whilst presenting Black Box almost as the third part or a continuing chapter in a series which perhaps commenced with Ceramic Dolls.

As well as ensuring you have ALM and a suitable windlight when viewing Black Box, be sure to came around carefully –   there are places where you’ll need to cam up to catch everything.

All told, Black Box is another exquisite blending of 2D and 3D and environment,  one which comes highly recommended, and which will remain open through until Sunday, April 3rd.

SLurl Details

• Black Box (Rated:  Moderate)

Opening Sunday, March 13th, 2016 at 14:00 SLT is the inaugural exhibition at a new Second Life gallery. The Edge Gallery,is the latest addition to the Windlight Magazine family, forming a part of the magazine’s The Edge brand managed by  Eleseren Brianna.

The Edge is the fashion division of Windlight Magazine, with a focus on the artistic and cultural side of fashion in both Second Life and the physical world. Eleseren, an accomplished Second Life model and designer and the 2015 Miss Virtual World, serves as both editor for The Edge and curator of The Edge Gallery.

The inaugural display brings together artwork by Honey Bender, Wicca Merlin, Danity Mynx, Tempest Rosca, Miele Tarantal and Joanne Vuitton. Many of the images are original pieces by the artists, and are presented in a variety of mediums.

The Edge Gallery is a clean, modern design, reflective of its purpose to showcase fashion-focused art, and the opening will be marked with a performance by live singer  Saintess Laria at 14:00 SLT on March 13th. The exhibition runs through until April 23rd, 2016.

SLurl Details

• The Edge Gallery (Rated:  Moderate)

Opening on Sunday, March 6th at noon SLT is an ensemble exhibition entitled Solitudes, which is taking place at  CK Ballyhoo’s CKB Gallery on Mistwood Isle.

On display are works by Whimsical Aristocrat, Jamisson Burnstein, Sera Galaxy, Hana Hoo, Rawnie Lane, Johannes1977, Peep Sideshow, Ceakay Ballyhoo and myself. As the title of the exhibition suggests, each artist’s works (three each) on the theme of solitude. Such are the different approaches each of us takes to our work, the result is a broad range of images, each set of pictures distinct from the others, yet all recognisably linked by the theme.

From avatar studies through ethereal, story-like images, to landscapes and sea views, the exhibition is set out on the slightly fog-bound beach at Mistwood Isle, the fog adding an appropriate level of atmosphere given the theme of the display.

“For this exposition I’ve asked some of my favourite SL-Flickr photographers to join me in displaying works around the theme Sollitude,” CK says of the exhibition, “I find it exciting to work with a theme and have guest artists at the gallery, because nobody looks at a theme in the same way and it is interesting to find other people’s take on things. The many different styles and angles are always a joy to discover!”

The opening will feature the music of Lisa Brune, and the exhibition itself runs through until the end of the month.

For myself,  I’m very honoured to have my pieces displayed among such a gathering of talent; particularly given some of them are artists I know well and admire for their incredible work. My thanks to CK for allowing me to be a part of it.

SLurl Details

• CKB Gallery, Mistwood Isle (Rated: Adult)

“I create in Second Life for my own amusement, things for photos, things to adorn my avatar with, things just to see if I can,” Zib Scaggs says of her work as a creator and photographer. “I share many of those creations with others who adorn their avatars and take their own photos too. Simple enough.”

Simple it may be, but it is also something that has led to Zib becoming the latest artist to be invited to exhibit her photography at Dathúil Gallery, operated by Max Butoh and Lυcy (LucyDiam0nd). Entitled Slow Motion Riot and a Nude, the exhibition opens on Thursday, March 3rd at noon SLT, and will run through until the end of the month.

“The images,” Zib says of the exhibition, “are of those things I have made, or avatars I adorn.” She also notes that she doesn’t look for hidden messages or nor deeper meanings in life or art.and doesn’t hide them in her own work. Thus,  Slow Motion Riot and a Nude presents a series of images, some in muted colours and tones, some black-and-white, which should be interpreted exactly as the eye sees them, and not with any idea that there is a particular story or nuance behind them.

Sitting between the images are little behatted zebras in ones and twos (and which also feature in one of the images in the exhibition). When touched, these will offer the visitor a little gift created by Zib, and which may be one of the items featured in the pictures around the gallery.

Given the artist’s statement about her work, I’m loathe to say too much on it, lest I perceive meanings which aren’t intended to be there. What I will say, however, is that each of the pieces offer at Dathúil is both intriguing and eye-catching; when taken together, they present another exhibition which should not be missed.

As noted towards the top of this piece, Slow Motion Riot and a Nude officially opens on Thursday, March 3rd at noon SLT, and runs through until March 30th.

SLurl Details

• Dathúil Gallery (Rated: Adult)