Images and sculptures at The Living Room

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Faith Maxwell and Mareea Farrasco at The Living Room

Opening on Thursday, January 7th is the latest exhibition at The Living Room, and this month, it’s a double-header featuring the work of Mareea Farrasco and Faith Maxwell.

In About SL People and Places, Mareea presents a series of images of people and places from within Second Life. some of these have a distinctly photographic finish to them, while other lean more towards paintings. All of them are uniquely personal in both subject and the effect they have on the observer, drawing you gently into them, presenting glimpses of lives as they unfold, or places which seem both new and yet familiar.

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Mareea Farrasco at The Living Room

This is particularly true of the images depicting rooms and places of work: an art studio, a bathroom, a desk on which sits  typewriter; each carries the hint of places we may have seen or visited , but it at home or when out and about, whilst at the same time offering a glimpse inside the lives of people when they are otherwise engaged elsewhere.

“The pictures I create are small steps in the indefinite journey to myself. Join me and, who knows, you might find yourself,” Mareea says of her work; a comment which perhaps gives some of the images here an even deeper personal perspective in the suggestion that some of the spaces depicted in the image might be her own, and thus we are sharing in her world as much as in her view of the world.

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Mareea Farrasco at The Living Room

With Sky is the Limit in SL, Faith Maxwell presents a series of her sculptures which reflect the theme of her title. Several of the pieces have a distinctly astral / cosmos / space feel to them – witness Cosmic Reaching Out, Astroid 2, and Time Marches On. Others have a strong aerial / avian flavour to them, as is the case with Lifting Spirit, Pureness of Doves, Hummingbird in Flight, and Turning Point (with its suggestion of a gyroscope).

Within the free-standing works are framed or mounted pieces which hold their own fascination. I particularly found myself constantly drawn back to the elegant simplicity apparent in Fallen Leaves and its suggestion both of time passing and the promise of open horizons, together with the hauntingly powerful In Mask, which suggested new themes and feeling each time my camera passed over it.

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Faith Maxwell at The Living Room

Like Mareea, faith pours a lot of herself into her work, noting, “When I came to SL I wanted to try my hand in sculpture. All my work is totally a work of me; my mood, my feelings.” Thus, both are ideally suited to sharing space at The Living Room.

About SL People and Sky is the Limit in SL formally open at 12:00 noon on Thursday, January 7th to music by The Vinnie Show! The exhibition will remain open through until Tuesday, January 26th, when there will be a closing show with music by Aminius Writer at 12:00 noon SLT. And don’t forget the Thursday Music Party at The Living Room, which this month takes place on Thursday, January 14th, and features Bat Masters at 17:00 SLT, followed by Lyndon Heart at 18:0 SLT.

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Faith Maxwell at The Living Room

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Of Heritage and Vestige in Second Life

Heritage: Vestiges - Gem Preiz
Heritage: Vestiges – Gem Preiz

Heritage is the over-arching title of two immersive installations created by Gem Preiz. The first, Vestiges, opens On Thursday, January 7th,  with the second, Wrecks commencing on Monday, March 7th 2016.

“Heritage is the theme of the two exhibitions,” Gem explains of the pieces. “The heritage passed to us by our predecessors, and the one we shall bequeath to our descendants in the endless fight of life against Time.”

Vestiges evokes the first of these aspects: the heritage passed down to us by others; a journey through the past, visiting the ancient places and secrets of long-past civilisations – but are they the civilisations which gave rise to us, or are we perhaps archaeologists travelling through space and time, witnessing the past of worlds and those who inhabited them, the examination of their past causing us to reflect upon what we might leave for those who follow us?

Heritage: Vestiges - Gem Preiz
Heritage: Vestiges – Gem Preiz

This is a huge installation, eighteen rooms in total, through which the visitor travels as if on a quest. Those who are familiar with Gem’s fractal art will know he can produce huge and beautifully complex pieces, rich in detail and grandeur, and the rooms the visitor travels through are intended to enhance the feeling of being immersed within the scenes they present.

The arrival point offers notes  on the installation, presenting a wealth of background material as well as providing guidelines on how to both best experience your time spent exploring them, and how best to set your viewer.

Heritage: Vestiges - Gem Preiz
Heritage: Vestiges – Gem Preiz

A teleport system (which will only be available to the public once the installation has opened to the public on January 7th) then carries visitors to the first room, and the start of their journey. Do make sure you enable the music stream here to enjoy the compilation of music Gem has created specifically for the installation.

From here you journey comprises alternating between witnessing the exteriors of vast citadels and then visiting “hidden” chambers within them, each with its own treasure to be found. The way forward is variously indicated by rocks on the ground marking a path, or pillars between which a footpath is set, or arches under which you must travel. Guidance is given in chat, and invisiprims help to ensure yo stay on the right track, gently nudging you in the right direction and lifting you to the phantom passages between rooms (use CTRL-ALT-T to see them if you find this easier).

Heritage: Vestiges - Gem Preiz
Heritage: Vestiges – Gem Preiz

Some of the citadels have a certain familiarity about them; there is s distinctly Egyptian feel to the second, for example, while another suggested to me an echo of the ancient orient. Whether these citadels represent our own distant past or that of another civilisation entirely is for you to decide. For while all we see is somewhat familiar, so to is it so very alien; And thus the installation – and the images within – toy gently with our sense of perspective, causing us to stop, examine, and ponder.

The intricacy of Gem’s fractal art is always a marvel to behold, and this installation is a veritable tour de force of his work, where the extent to which he has used fractals may not always be immediately apparent, and so considered study of both citadels and chamber images is required. The former are of such a huge scale that only careful camming can really bring out their beauty, allowing our impressions about what they are and represent to flow freely as we move across them. Similarly, it is only through considered study of the images within the chamber we can fully appreciate the extent to which Gem has used fractals in their construction.

Heritage: Vestiges - Gem Preiz
Heritage: Vestiges – Gem Preiz

If I’m totally honest, such is the scale and presentation of some elements, that it can, on repeated visits diminish their overall impact. But these instances are in the minority, and more than compensated for by the knowledge of what is to come. One thing I would recommend is that if you plan to make one more repeat visits (I found myself drawn back a number of times to specific rooms and scenes), they try to do so in the company of a friend who hasn’t previously visited Heritage; sharing in their reaction experience of seeing these cityscapes and images for the first time can be as involving as any first solo visit.

As noted earlier, Heritage opens to the public on Thursday, January 7th.

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Vote for Windlight Magazine in the UK Blog Awards

UKBA-logoThe UK Blog Awards, sponsored by Odeon Cinemas, Debenhams department stores,  and Hills Balfour PR agency, was founded in 2014 “to recognise true viral style and creative excellence across a variety of 16 UK industries, as well as awarding 2 sub-categories: Best Storyteller and Most Innovative award.”

“For what may seem like a lifetime, company employees and private individuals have been found Blogging about opinions, facts and sharing good practice with viewers of the worldwide web since the early 1990s,” the organisers note. “So, here at UKBA we thought it was about time that individual Bloggers and companies received recognition for all your well-earned innovative opinions and content!”

Nominations for the 2015 UK Blog Awards were held over November / December 2015, and one of the blogs nominated for a possible award has been Second Life’s own Windlight Magazine, for which I’m privileged to be a Contributing Writer.

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Read the January 2016 edition of Windlight Magazine

Since its inception in July 2015, Windlight has become perhaps the premier arts magazine in Second Life, featuring a team of highly talented writers (and I’m not simply saying that because I do contribute!), and an outstanding editor / founder in the form of John (Johannes1977 Resident).

During the months following its inaugural issue, Windlight Magazine has provided superb coverage of the arts in Second Life, and has gradually encompassed broader elements of the platform – travel, fashion, etc.

At the same time, the Magazine has sought to promote the arts through the Windlight Fellowships, has supported notable charity activities, and has most recently stepped in to sponsor the UWA art gallery.

During this same period, the Windlight blog has become a go-to resource by which people can discover the arts in Second Life, learn how to improve their SL photography, find advice on art, photography and writing, read reviews of places to visit in-world, and more. As such, it is a worthy nominee for a UK Blog Award.

UKBABut it needs your help.

Public voting on blogs nominated for the 2015 Awards commenced on Monday, January 4th and will run through until the end of February. The top 10 most popular blog from the various categories in the nominations will then be shortlisted for judging by an adjudicating panel of experts, with the winners being announced at a special awards evening which will in London ion Friday, April 29th, 2016 (full details TBA).

To help ensure Windlight Magazine might be one of those finalists, please click on the image immediately above right, and place your vote.

Doing so might not only help Windlight Magazine reach the finals and possibly receive and award, but it will also help promote Second Life and Second Life arts to the rest of the world.

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An avatar’s story in Second Life

i.avatar - Dathúil Gallery
i.avatar – Dathúil Gallery

Opening at 13:00 SLT on Sunday, January 3rd, is the first in the 2016 season of exhibitions at the ever marvellous Dathúil Gallery, operated by Max Butoh and Lυcy (LucyDiam0nd), and it is a another fascinating show.

i.avatar presents 34 images by Io Bechir which might be described as avatar studies – but this would also fall far short of the mark; i.avatar is a deeply autobiographical piece, the story of Io’s experiences as an avatar and a person in Second Life.

i.avatar - Dathúil Gallery
i.avatar – Dathúil Gallery

“My hope is to communicate my impressions with regard to my experiences here over the past three years,” Io states in her exhibition notes.

“During this time period I fell in love. I met some amazing and wonderful friends. I suffered a broken heart. I came to realise my own strength. I took up sailing. I found my voice as an artist, and discovered new ways to express my Self in this limitless space of ethereal light and imagination. Probably, many of the same experiences you have had.”

So it is, for example, that the images are placed almost as chapters within a book. To one side of the ground floor of the gallery, for example, is a series of images of Imogen, of whom Io notes, “If you know me for a time you will eventually encounter Imogen. She represents a slightly different facet of my personality. You’ll probably notice small changes in me when I’m manifesting in this form.”

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i.avatar – Dathúil Gallery

Facing these from across the gallery are a set of images, representing a time when Io was facing the end of a relationship, the darker tones and framing reflective of the emotions  she doubtless encountered during that period.

And this is where the power of these images lie; these are not pictures posed for the benefit of an audience; they are images created to express deeply personal feelings, responses, needs, and emotions.  They are a very personal exposure of Self and the discovery of who “Io Bechir” really is within; hence why, perhaps many of the images are of Io unclothed – a physical reflection of her baring her soul.

i.avatar - Dathúil Gallery
i.avatar – Dathúil Gallery

I never fail to be stunned at the quality of the art displayed at Dathúil; each and every month seems to build upon and exceed the last in terms of my response to the art displayed here, and I’m constantly left in awe of the skill Lucy and Max exhibit in selecting the artists they display here. However, with Io, who is presenting her work here as her first solo exhibition, I have to confess I feel they’ve achieved something very special; the autobiographical narrative in the selected pieces is quite extraordinary;  I’m sure you will find so as well. And don’t miss Io’s Flickr stream.

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Windlight Magazine: New Year challenge L$5k prize pool

WindlightFancy winning a nice New Year prize? Windlight Magazine is running a photo contest offering three people the chance to share in a L$5,000 prize pool.

The New Year’s Photo Challenge ask entrants to take a photo of themselves “dressed to the nines” (i.e in formal wear)” for a New Year celebration. The photo can be of an individual, couple of group, and the setting can be anything you like – posed at home, at a club or special New Year party – just so long as everyone is formally dressed.

On offer are three prizes to the lucky winners, who will be selected by an independent panel:

  • 1st Place: L$2,500 plus a double page ad in Windlight Magazine
  • 2nd Place: L$1,500
  • 3rd Place: L$1,000.

All entries must be posted to the official Windlight Magazine New Years  Photo Challenge Flickr group, and entrants are allowed up to 3 submissions each, and must be in accordance with the following guidelines:

  • When posting your photos please use the following naming convention: New Years Photo Challenge – SL Name-Photo #1, (or #2 or #3 for additional entries)
  • All photos must:
    • Be your original work, but can be posted to other Flickr groups
    • Must include the SLurl of the beach where they were taken (please do respect the covenant of any club or venue, and make sure you obtain the permission of the venue owner to use their location in your submissions)
  • Nudity and / or adult activities are not allowed
  • Post-processing using external tools is permitted.

All entries must be submitted by midnight, Saturday, January 2nd, 2016, and the Flickr date and time stamps will be used to assess whether or not entries meet this criteria, so check your time zones.

So – if you haven’t already done so, get yourself and your loved ones / friends suitably attired and get snapping!

Please refer to the contest page at Windlight Magazine for any additional information.

Avatar studies in Second Life

Bellisimo Gallery - Addison Summerwind, December 2015
Bellisimo Gallery – Addison Summerwind, December 2015

Madalynn Rose recently contacted me about Bellisimo Gallery at Vivara, which offers free space to artists on a month basis. Currently on display are pieces by Ryanna Foxclaw, Broderick Logan, Wheelerwood Oppewall, Addison Summerwind, Astrid Zhangsun and Indieskies Almodovar, who provides a series of 3D pieces.

There doesn’t appear to be a set theme to the exhibition, but given the greater proportion of the images feature avatars, one might consider it something of an avatar study, even allowing for the landscapes, 3D work and images from the physical world which mark this as quite an eclectic exhibition.

Bellisimo Gallery - Addison Summerwind, December 2015
Bellisimo Gallery – Ryanna Foxclaw, December 2015

On entering the gallery, I found my eyes immediately drawn to the artwork of Addison Summerwind (topmost images), who presents a series of very evocative images covering a range of themes: portraits, fantasy, sensual … each one with a story to tell, and each one instantly captivating. Among these are six landscape images, smaller in size to the avatar studies, but no less appealing.

A thread of a theme connects Addison’s display with that of Broderick Logan, and given the current blockbuster movie on release world-wide, it’s in some ways quite topical: in the midst of Addision’s pieces sits Sith, whilst within Broderick’s sits the opposite side of the coin – Jedi.

Broerdrick’s display area is shared with the work of Rynna Foxclaw (immediately above). Again, both artists present an intense series of avatar studies in which sit single landscape pieces to offer contrast.

Bellisimo Gallery - Wheelerwood Oppewall, December 2015
Bellisimo Gallery – Wheelerwood Oppewall, December 2015

Addison Summerwind also shares a link with Wheelerwood Oppewall through the Obsession Exposed Studio and gallery.  Wheelerwood also offers up a series of avatar studies, striking in both style and finish, both Skip and Hania capturing my attention, constantly drawing me back to them as I wandered the gallery.

Astrid Zhangsun presents something entirely different: a set of photographs from the physical world, which make a striking contract to the studies of the other artists, while Indieskies Almodovar, as noted, provides a series of 3D pieces together with two paintings.

As noted, this is something of an eclectic exhibit in some respects, albeit it with some very compelling images which will remain on display through until January 8th, 2016.

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