Category: Art in Second Life

Open now at Holtwaye ArtSpace are two exhibitions of art which focus on avatars.

The first, Femme, features a series of eight images by Sabbian Paine, located on in the north wing of the gallery’s ground level building.

While small in number, the images displayed are highly individual and both graphically and narratively powerful in content.

Take Swan Lake as an example (the leftmost picture in the trio at the top of this article). Here is a piece of masterful execution as the poise and elegance of the woman, the fall of her gown, the arms of her arms, presents an image strongly evocative of  the stately appearance of a swan. At the same time, the black gas mask encasing her head adds a subtle twist to the image, removing her identity from view in what may seem an oppressive or menacing way whilst simultaneously enhancing her swan-like looks. Thus there is a subtle enfolding of elements here: the direct comparison with a swan, the hinting at the classic ballet and the idea of hidden secrets.

Each of the pieces offers a narrative of its own, making this a small, but highly engaging exhibit in which you may well find yourself spending far more time studying each piece than you might otherwise have expected.

Located in the skyborne gallery space (reached via the teleport sign outside of the ground level complex) is a relatively new (having opened on March 28th) exhibition of images by JJ Goodman.

On display are eighteen images, the majority of which are once again focused on avatars (although one or two are broader in nature).

Here the focus is very much on avatars going about their lives, be it a man bathing in a pool, participants in a carnival, a group of guys dancing at a 50s-style diner, and so on. Many of the images have a vibrancy both in colour and composition which give them a unique feeling of “living”. Others are beautifully posed, lit and shot as to evoke a story of their own.

In this there is something marvellously engaging in the juxtaposition of various styles displayed within the images displayed here, with the likes of Chess Girl, Duncan, and Coop’s Serenity offering that rich depth of narrative which draws one into each of the pictures – and particularly in the case of pieces like Coop’s Serenity, directly into the subject’s eyes -, which beautifully contrasts with pieces like 50’s Guys and Candy Girls, where the story is painted more in the picture as a whole, and the richness of the colours within it.

Taken together, these two exhibition present two fascinating and very different studies into avatars as art, and both are recommended visits.

Related Links

• Holtwaye ArtSpace main SLurl (Rated: Adult)

I recently had the opportunity to visiting a couple of galleries within Second Life  which are owned and operated by two talented individuals who use them to display their own unique artwork.

The Shifting Waves Gallery is operated by Masquerade Snowbear, and comprises two linked skyboxes. The first of these presents Masquerade’s work over two levels – the lower “ground” level, and an upper mezzanine reached by a single open frame wooden stair case; the second is a large single level space around the walls of which Masquerade’s more recent work is displayed.

“I make my art for everyone, not a particular age or clique,” Masquerade says of his work, “I want everyone to enjoy some aspect of my art and hope its seen by everyone.”

His art very much reflects this view, covering as it does a wide range of subjects and styles, rather than focusing on one or two particular areas. This means that as you wander through the gallery, you’ll come across landscapes, portraits, still life pieces, ocean front pictures, indoor studies, and so on, each one of them beautifully finished and presented in a way that not only catches the eye, but draws the observer right into it.

Post-processing features large in Masquerade’s work, and to good effect. The pictures here have all be variously worked on such that each one is truly unique; some retain much of the look and feel of a photograph – in some cases perhaps an ageing photo – while others have the look and feel of a painting, be it watercolour or oil. All of them are enticing, and some are quite haunting in their beauty; during my visit, I found it hard to pull myself away from Shadopan Monastery, such is the ethereal beauty within it.

All of the pieces in the gallery are available to buy, and are very modestly priced; any one of them would be sure to grace any home.

Spiral Silverstar’s art is altogether of a different kind, although no less captivating than Masquerades, and he presents it within his own art space, The Spiral Art Gallery. A long-term Second Life resident, Spiral’s work encompasses 2D and 3 D art and machinima, and he often participates in art competitions and challenges in all three mediums.

For those who, like me, enjoy fractal art, his gallery space offers a special treat, as within it one can find traditional fractal art, fractal kaleidoscope art, moving, layered fractal art, 3D fractals and more, all presented in a light, airy space, utilising a building design by Yumok Latte which is popular among gallery owners.

All of the pieces on display here have their individual beauty, and most feature some form of motion, be it pattern-based, layered, or both. Unsurprisingly, but nonetheless quite beautifully, some of the pieces take you deep into traditional Mandelbrot forms, their patterns at times taking a hypnotic hold over the observer. Other pieces offer Droste effects which are again quite amazing in their complexity and execution, while still others offer quite marvellous scenes which verge on the surreal or the abstract in the most amazing ways.

Spiral offers his pieces for sale, again at very modest prices; so much so that those with a deep passion for fractal art could well find themselves repeatedly dipping into their account balances!

In addition, just across the plaza from the main gallery, Spiral has his “Freebies and Bargains” gallery. This offers a number of Spiral’s fractal pieces for sale at – as the name suggests – bargain prices, and a series of animated GIFs which are free to people wishing to take one home.

All told, both Shifting Waves Gallery and The Spiral Art Gallery offer visitors the opportunity to see (and purchase) pieces by two of SL’s finest artists, and both made for an enjoyable and eye-catching visit, so be sure to add them to your list!

Related Links

• Shifting Waves Gallery SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• The Spiral Art Gallery SLurl (Rated: Moderate)

Now open through until the end of the month at Max Butoh’s wonderful Dathúil gallery, is an exhibition by Yannick Whoa entitled My Way of Beauty. Featuring a collection of 29  images of people from within Second Life (including a self-portrait just inside the entrance to the gallery), My Way of Beauty presents a series of images that are both a captivating and enigmatic in nature.

The easiest way to explain the exhibition is to quote Yannick directly:

What  you see here is how I see my world. I look into people’s faces and find beauty. As a photographer I’m trying to capture this beauty. Often the mystery of that beauty is in the eyes of the model…

For me someone’s beauty is always just a mirroring effect of the way someone thinks or feels. So when I see someone beautiful maybe I just see something that touches me and makes me feel for a person.

 

It is this idea that someone’s beauty can reflect something within them and lead us towards an empathic response (rather than – for want of a better term – a purely hormonal reaction) which is the first thing to make this exhibition  captivating.

Many of us work hard to refine our avatars, sculpting them, creating a desired look, and so on, that in doing so we’re actually defining ourselves through them. Thus, their beauty, how they are or can be perceived may well resonate with others in ways that might not consciously occur us during that process of creation and refinement; so you might say they become the digital windows to our souls – and it is this which almost hauntingly forms the essence of Yannick’s images.

Each image is beautifully crafted in terms of the camera angle, lighting, and so on; I’ve no idea how many may have been posed or how many might be the result of “genuine” on-the-fly moments – the happenstance turning of the camera to find a subject poised in the frame and then capturing the moment before it is lost. I suspect all of them are more the former than the latter, but this is hardly important. What is captured in each of the pictures is more than a moment in time or a choreographed image; it is a story.

And that’s the enigma also present in each these pictures; we have no idea who any of the subjects are (unless we have happened upon them ourselves and thus recognise them through friendship or acquaintanceship). Nor do we have any description or title to any of the framed images which might otherwise guide our thinking around them.

Thus, each will speak differently to each person who studies it (something, one might say, is also a reflection of the old adage, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”); the story it tells will be unique for each of us. Nevertheless, it is there; a narrative which seems to start most often with the eyes – themselves often the focal point for Yannick when framing an image – and permeates the entire image, drawing us in and eliciting that empathic response.

Yannick notes that we all have a different measure by which to assess beauty, and he’s right – again, the old adage about eyes, beauty and beholders returns to mind. But looking at the images displayed at Dathúil, it is hard not to see the many layers of beauty in each of them. In this respect, I’d venture to suggest that his observation that some might feel him “shallow” for focusing on beauty over inner qualities is unfounded; rather, it is hard not to see the depth of perception and revelation his images both contain and evoke.

As noted at the top of this article, My Way of Beauty is open through until the end of the month, and should not be missed.

Related Links

• Dathúil gallery SLurl (Rated: Adult)
• Yannick Whoa’s Flickr stream

Wednesday, April 1st saw the opening on Giovanna Cerise’s installation Line, located on Franz Markstein’s region of Otium. A full sim installation Line is a symbiotic piece within the region, offering a means to appreciate Giovanna’s art in an original setting, whilst also – if you’ve not done so previously – exploring the beautiful setting of Otium itself.

Line presents numerous elements of Giovanna’s art in both 2D and 3D, at least one of which is interactive. These are located both indoors and outside, where you’ll encounter them along footpaths, in doorways, on terraces and further out from Otium’s charming village, along the beach or over the water.

The focus of the exhibit is an exploration of the concept of the line, perhaps the simplest  expression of artistic intent; one which, as it is drawn, painted or created, might lead anywhere. As Giovanna notes in her introduction to the installation, there is a depth and freedom hidden within the line, whether it is expressed in two or three dimensions – and, in the case of some of the works on display here, through a melding of 2D images to create a 3D piece.

All of the pieces found throughout the village and the region are available for purchase, and those familiar with Giovanna’s work may find some of them familiar, having been featured in previous exhibitions she has presented in Second Life. Their presence here helps to lend a sense of familiarity to the village for those who have not previously visited, as corners are turned or buildings entered, and pieces come into view which are recognised, and so offer a welcome.

What I particularly like about this exhibit is the manner in which the pieces on display within the village blend with their surroundings. They are placed against  walls, lie across the cobbles of footpaths and terraces, and so on. Thus on the one hand, there is a distinctly street art feel to them, and on the other they present the feeling that the artist has stolen through the village unseen, leaving these drawings behind to tantalize the locals and attract visitors’ attention, with both of these feelings drawing one onwards through the village to discover what else might be waiting around the next corner, under the next arch or against the next wall.

A number of LMs are supplied with the introductory notes, which can be obtained on arrival via the note card giver. These can help you find some of the pieces on display more easily. However, rather than leaping around the region, I do recommend taking the time to explore on foot (although do keep in mind there are some private homes within the village and off-shore); that way you can not only discover and appreciate Giovanna’s work as you wander, you can also fully experience Otium’s own Mediterranean beauty.

Related Links

• Line at Otium SLurl (Rated: Moderate)