Category: Art in Second Life

Having opened within The Annex at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, curated by Dido Haas, Beach Life is a highly engaging series of Second Life centric images by Kelsey Sakura-Yuitza (Kelsey Yuitza), perfectly showcasing both her abilities as a self-taught Second Life photographer and her passion for spending time at the beach. A modest collection comprising just nine images – with two of them forming triptych-like pieces, one at either end of the gallery space – Beach Life carries within it arrange of emotions and narratives, with all but two of them focused on beach settings, even if their narratives far surpass the setting itself.

As a Second Life photographer, Kelsey is self-taught, developing her skills as a result of curiosity and a willingness to learn via tutorials and videos, and a determination to master the tools at her disposal. The fruits of her labours can be seen in the fact that her images are finely crafted, perfectly edited and easily comparable to anything a physical world photographers might create.

Supported by beach-like vignettes by Adwehe with which visitors are encouraged to interact by sitting or kicking a beachball around, etc, Kelsey’s images are presented in the large format generally found within the main gallery. This allows the observer to be drawn into each piece and appreciate its beauty. Most of the images speak clearly for themselves and express the joy and freedom to be found in the pleasure of a beach visit. However, mixed within the collection are pieces which I found breath-taking in their depth, artistry and message. These included both of the triptych-like pieces, Where I Began and Ronin, together with Fallen not Forgotten.

Where I Began a celebration of origins, possibly on a personal level of Kelsey, but also in reflection of her growing love of photography in Second life. Ronin, meanwhile, offers a wealth of visual metaphor; there’s the idea of feminine strength and courage; the hint of honour and loyalty as enshrined in the Bushido Shoshinshu followed by samurai (even if ronin were regarded as having failed to live up to the demands of the code to commit seppuku upon the death on his master).

Then there’s evocation of the traditional interpretation of ronin (“wanderer”; “drifter”) together with the idea of the modern-day drifter who might be found wandering along a beach, and the rich counterpointing of the more idiomatic interpretation of the word (“wave” and “person”) with the backdrop of the open, unfettered ocean to suggest a free spirit.

In its use of camera angle, lighting and shadow, focus and vignetting Fallen not Forgotten genuinely speaks for itself. To call in poignant would be an understatement; it is a marvellous tour de force of artistic expression and richness of narrative. It is powerful and evocative.

A truly marvellous exhibition; one not to be missed.

SLurl Details

• The Annex, Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (Sunshine Homestead, rated Moderate)

Currently open at the Elven Falls Art Collective is an exhibition by Julana Allen (Julana Teichmann) and eta (etamae) entitled Where the Flowers Are.

The name is apparently a reflection of Julana’s love of Joan Baez, and the art is a mix of AI images created by Julana, mounted on frames created by eta (I believe I’m correct in saying), together with additional 3D elements by eta. The exhibition is spread across two floors of the gallery space, with an elevator teleport linking the two levels.

Offered primarily in monochrome (there is a well-considered use of colour in places), the images are – as might be gathered from the exhibition’s title – focused on flowers and plants; although not exclusively so. All of the work is finished using PBR materials, so using a PBR-capable viewer is recommended for viewing the exhibit as intended by the artists.

What is most striking about the images, for me at least, is the manner in which they are been processed. This gives them an extremely tactile look, as if they have been etched. This is further enhanced by the manner in which they have been mounted, eta’s backings helping to give depth and substance to each piece.

A further attractive element within the exhibition space lay with the 3D elements provided by eta. Comprising circles, curving lines, teardrop forms, spheres, and flowing glass-like forms, the perfectly counter the harder lines of the picture frames and mounts, enhancing the presence of nature within the exhibition, as found within Julana’s images.

There is so much to find with the individual pieces, from single-frame narratives (e.g. Scent of a Woman) to reflections on Nature’s order of things (e.g. Busy) to reflections on Nature’s ability to please and inspire (e.g. Smile). This further adds depth found with Where the Flowers Are.

In all, an elegant and appealing collaboration.

SLurl Details

• Where the Flowers Are (Elven Falls, rated Moderate)

Just over a year ago, I wrote about Venus by the Water, a Homestead region designed by Elizabeth (ElizabethNantes) and Cecilia Nansen. It featured a captivating setting, as I described in A Venus by the Water in Second Life, one which included the Gallery Björk.

Sadly, Venus by the Water has since closed, but Gallery Björk continues within a skybox location and featuring a new, light and expansive building sitting on a sandy island offering views on all sides out over open waters. Given the building appears to have been designed as a residential structure rather than a gallery / commercial structure, it’s an interesting choice for a venue – one that works well.

My visit was to see Essence of a Man, an exhibition organised by Cecilia and Elizabeth and featuring an ensemble gathering of pieces by male artist-photographers, which Cecilia describes thus:

We have asked a group of 11 men to create a black and white image depicting their personal interpretation of “the essence of a man”.

The 11 invited artists, who each submitted a single image, are: “Aegean”, “A. Salvatore”, Ayden Huntsman , Creep Wolff, Klint Kord, LordDylan Ansaldo , “Pedro”, “PK”, Shad Whybrow, “The Base Of Bad Ideas”, and Titus Palmira (quotes used against some names, as the gallery only appears to reference display names, making positive identification of the artists difficult).

Individual pieces are to be found throughout the rooms of the lower floor of the gallery and are placed such there no more than two in a given space – hallway or room –, allowing each piece to be appreciated without distraction as one meanders through the gallery.

While each is highly individual, almost without exception, the majority of the pieces focus on “alphaness” – buffness, muscle and bare chests – as representative of the male essence. Outside of Vulnerability and Strength by Pedro (note the way the guitar is being held as if shielding its owner), there is very little display of the softer, more vulnerable, aspects of the male nature.

I say this not as a critique of any of the pieces or the artists, rather – and allowing for the fact that such a direction might have been implied as a part of the invite to participate – that I find it interesting. Perhaps it is a reflection of the core difference between how men and women see as defining characteristics within their respective genders. Either way, each of the pieces is fully deserving of consideration in its own right, and all of which makes Essence of a Man any engaging and provocative / evocative exhibition; one well worth viewing.

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• Gallery Björk (Gravity, rated Adult)

In Japanese culture, names often convey profound meanings through kanji characters. One such concept conveyed by kanji is that of ‘hidden’, signifying mystery and secrecy, adding depth to a name. While I am no expert and am open to correction, I believe one such kanji is Inoru (“hidden”), which lends itself to a number of potential meanings in combination with other kanji, such that it might be used to form ideas such as hidden one, hidden village, hidden flower, and so on.

Another kanji is 祕, which can be taken as ‘secret’, ‘hidden’ and / or ‘conceal’, and at the Kondor Art Centre, Angelika Corral uses this Kanji as the focal point for what is a simply marvellous exhibition of black and white photography with a strong lean towards chiaroscuro, entitled Seeing Without Seeing.

Angelika has deep roots within the Second Life arts community as both as a curator of art and as a photographer. In the former role, she was a co-creator and operator of DaphneArts, in its time one of the foremost Second Life galleries in presenting exhibitions both ensemble and singular, which explored complex and rich themes.

As a photographer, Angelika works primarily in black-and-white, focusing on avatar studies noted for their depth and introspection, whilst carrying a richness of artistic technique and classic photography. Such is her skill, in 2022, she won Flickr/SmugMug’s World Photography Day award in the virtual photography category for I’m not just what you see, an award highlighting both her ability to craft compelling visual narratives within virtual environments and the validity of such environments as a vehicle for artistic expression.

The title of that winning piece actually resonates with the theme for Seeing Without Seeing, which Angelika describes thus:

This series is an invitation into the quiet … These images do not shout. They whisper. They leave space. They suggest rather than explain.

Inspired by traditional Japanese principles, these images aim to slow the act of looking. They are meant to be lingered [upon]. The subtle textures, partial forms, and quiet moments ask: what might lie just beyond the visible?

– Angelika Corral

Thus, within the images on offer, we are asked to look beyond the partial (and in places fragmented) nature of individual photographs and consider the nuances of framing, cropping, lighting and pose, and allow each piece and see what lies beyond, not what is presented in an of itself. To allow each each picture to talk to us in its own voice and listen to whatever narrative – or narratives – it might suggest.

Given the above, I am not going to offer my own interpretations here, but simply recommend Seeing Without Seeing to your own eyes. Just be sure to look closely and listen to what each piece might decide to whisper.

SLurl Details

• Kondor Art Centre (Royal Tea, rated Adult)