Category: Art in Second Life

Hailing from Denmark, Prins (Skylog) has been active in Second Life for more than a decade; however, he has only recently gained an interest in Second Life photography (starting in December 2021) – and in a relatively short space of time, he has established himself as a highly visual artist and something of an experimentalist. Proof of this can be found in a somewhat immersive exhibition of his work which runs through until the end of October 2022 at the ground-level exhibition space of NovaOwl Gallery in Second Life

Entitled simply Prins, this is a genuine tour de force of the artist’s work; one that literally takes over the exhibition space in what can only be described as a riot of colour.  Large-scale reproductions of his work cover walls, floors and ceilings alike, forming a backdrop to more “traditional” framed pieces. The result is a hall literally alive with art, several pieces of which are animated and all of which – be they on the floor, walls, windows or ceilings – appear to be for sale.

On entering the gallery space, one is greeted by Prins himself (as a large self-portrait on the floor) whilst facing a clever view of the gallery’s centre room windows, which Prins has effectively turned into a  triptych of paired “glass” images (if I might be allowed to mangle ideas like “triptych” and “pair” like this).These are bordered to the left and right respectively by a marvellously evocative image of a sea monster entitled Nessie and a mural depicting a woman in clown-like garb and in various poses, entitled Ladies in Red.

This is the start of a three-room adventure into colour and presentation, where there is literally not a single corner without something to attract the eye. From landscapes through avatar studies to expressions of other people’s art, Prins has an ability to both capture his subjects – and our attention – in a multitude of engaging ways that speak to a natural eye for angle and focus. He is also an artist unafraid to both offer a restrained hand with post-processing and also experiment freely with layering, colour, depth and finish to present pieces that might be said to border on abstract expressionism, further captivating and holding one’s attention.

Such is the immersive nature of the exhibition, it can be a little overwhelming when entering the gallery (I’d advise reducing draw distance if you’re on a lower-end system and tend to use a DD of 100m+ just to ease texture loading), it can take one or two moments to adjust to the all-inclusive use of space.

However, the very fact that every surface has been utilised, coupled with the richness of colour throughout the majority of the space, balanced here and there with the considered use of darker or more muted tones, given a sense of life to the entire exhibition, the sheer vibrancy evident in some of the pieces giving the impression they are shouting their stories in joy.

As is usually the case with NovaOwl, the exhibition had a “soft” opening on September 3rd. However, there will be a more musical gathering to celebrate Prin’s work on September 11th, 2022, starting at 12:00 noon SLT, with an open invitation for anyone interested in Prins’ work and art in general in SL to attend.

SLurl Details

• NovaOwl Gallery (Novatron, rated General)

Currently open (for a while longer, I hope, given its debut was August 11th, 2022), at  Onceagain Art Gallery curated by Onceagain (Manoji Yachvili) is B&W Group Exhibit – the title of which pretty much speaks for itself, being an ensemble exhibition of black and white and monochrome photography featuring both Second Life landscapes and avatar studies.

And when I say ensemble, I really do mean it: a total of 24 artists have submitted at least one image for the collection. Some of those who have done so will doubtless be familiar to patrons of art in Second Life, and others may be less familiar names – although their art is no less engaging.

Together they are: Apple Pippage, BlazeAme, Celestial Demon, Dane Albion, D’cuir, Etamae, Kika Yongho, Kunisaki Izumo, Lika Cameo, Nino Vita, Madame Reve, Manoji Yachvili, Mara Telling, Mariza Reifsnider, Mihalisk, Moki Yuitza, Nekonuko Nakamori, Opie, Terrygold, Scylla Rhiadra, Violette Rembrandt, Whiskey Monday, Yeya Zuta and Zakk Bifrandt.

Given this list, and breadth and depth of the images on display is impressive, with the restriction of having to remain with black and white (as the majority have, although there are a number of more monochrome pieces within the collection) adding to both the appearance and appeal of those where one is more accustomed to seeing the artist’s work in colour.

With 24 artists taking part, it is not surprising that the entire main gallery is given over to the exhibition – and in this it is especially well suited to the exhibition’s theme.  The tonal quality of the gallery and its various rooms, coupled with the local environment setting leads an almost monochromic feel to the gallery, something further enhanced by the choice of décor placed within the various rooms, which heightens the feeling that the gallery is very much a part of the exhibit, rather than merely hosting it.

A further framing for the exhibition can be found on two of the gallery’s exterior walls, which feature quotes on the power of black and white photography from Ted Grant (1929-2020) – widely regarded as the father of Canadian photojournalism -, and Robert Frank (1924-2019), whilst the layout of the gallery, with its different rooms and levels (with access to the main hall down the stairs from the landing point, or to the upper level rooms via the catwalk, then using the internal stairs to visit the lower level) prevents the exhibition from every feeling “top heavy” from the sheer volume of piece on display.

As noted, I have no idea how much longer B&W Group Exhibit will remain open, so I would advise that if you should like to visit, you do so sooner rather than later, just in case!

SLurl Details

• Onceagain Art Gallery (Peaceful Mountains, rated Adult)

Currently open through until the end of August at the Monocle Man sky studio is an untitled exhibition by European artist Duraya which is simply captivating in its content.

I first encountered Duraya’s work earlier in 2022 and was immediately struck by her technique. Starting with a foundation of an image captured or framed / posed within Second Life, Duraya uses a skilled application of post-processing to create images which are genuinely breath-taking in their beauty and narrative strength.

Within this exhibition, Duraya takes this a step further, adding animated elements – both 2D and 3D – to some of the 27 images within the selection presented across the gallery’s two floors, supported by 3D elements Duraya has either created or added in order to provide further depth to the exhibition.

Avatar focused, some of the images might be said to lean towards nightmare, others towards joy, and some appear to be statements on the state of Earth and life. Each can be appreciated in its own right; however, there is a broader sweep of interpretation here, one that is likely personal to Duraya – the images potentially being reflections of her state of mind within her journey through life.

The clue to this comes in the form of selected lines from Our Deepest Fear, a passage by Marianne Williamson which first appeared in her 1992 bestseller A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles, and which has often been (mistakenly) attributed to Nelson Mandela. It’s a passage (found in chapter 7 of the book) which has gone on to be used as an inspirational poem, the first stanza of which reads:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.

– Marianne Williamson

In her selection of Williamson’s words, Duraya offers a clear framing to her works at Monocle Man: a recognition of the power (and creativity) of self when one is at ease with who one is, together with the liberty that brings (including through self-expressive mediums such as art) to oneself – and to others one encounters.

Rich in content and metaphor, this is a richly layered selection of art in which the pieces can be appreciated both in and of themselves as single-frame stories, beautifully presented (and animated in some cases), or as a whole and as an exploratory selection.

SLurl Details

• Monocle Man (Flying Fortress, rated Adult)

Now open at the Kondor Art Square – a part of the Kondor Art Centre, owned and operated by Hermes Kondor – is Illusory Frameworks, an exhibition of 2D art by Moki Yuitza.

Having entered Second Life in 2008, Moki was immediately drawn to the endless creative possibilities inherent within the platform. Starting with the basics of building, she moved on to master the use of lighting, projectors, SL physics, opting to focus on the use of prims – which are in many respects more “organic” than mesh, simply because they can be manipulated, changed, re-shaped in an almost tangible manner. The result of all this effort has been some of SL’s most remarkable 3D installations such as Hypercube, Synapses, and Cells, all of which have been both visually engaging whilst offering the opportunity to explore multiple themes  – reality dreams, growth, change, geometry and more – some of which I’ve covered in these pages.

Moki is also very much adept with 2D art. Much of her work within her Flickr stream focuses incredible avatar studies; pieces in which she brings to bear all of her vision, and skill with lighting, form, colour and narrative. However, Moki’s 2D extends much further, exploring many of the ideas and themes found within her 3D art – as with the likes of her Mindscapes exhibition at Nitroglobus earlier this year.

Within Illusory Frameworks – which is, as noted, an exhibition of 2D pieces – she combines her love of form, architecture and building with her thoughts on matters of life, reality, and the world to present a most engaging series of images that celebrates locations across Second Life whilst also offering the opportunity to take a deeper thought journey into the nature of SL – and, potential of our modern society.

The 20 images presented within the square all feature locations from around Second Life, with each piece either overlaid with a subtle grid-like pattern, leaving the primary image visible but intentionally blurred, or post-processed to present a sense that it is entirely lattice-like in nature, reduces to a complex geometry of lines and bright concentrations of light.

Offered against black backgrounds and in more muted tones – noticeably teals, white and greys – these latter might initially put one in mind of something like Disney’s Tron Legacy, and this would not be entirely incorrect. Some of the underpinning terms within both Tron and Second Life – whilst not necessarily originating with either – are the same: the grid, rezzing, etc. Within both, all constructs are only made possible only thanks to an underpinning framework of intersecting lines, a wireframe, if you will. Thus through the lines and patterns in her art, Moki reminds us of this hidden fact: that all we see is an illusion of form, one built from a simple guiding framework (one you can bring forth, if you are so minded, through the use of CTRL-SHIFT-R and then hid once more in the same manner).

More than this, however, is the reminder that even that framework itself is illusory, it exists only as long as there is power running through the circuitry managing the algorithms and computations need to keep it alive. And in this, perhaps is a deeper reflection of life and civilisation as a whole: that all of society is itself bound by an invisible framework of “laws” and “norms” which are themselves utterly illusory, holding true only so long as we allow them to do so.

Whether you opt to view Moki’s work through the lens of these deeper interpretations or simply as works of experimental art, Illusory Framework is an engaging visual feast.

 SLurl Details

• Kondor Art Square (Waka, rated Moderate)

Oftentimes the matter of who we are or whom we would like to be is bound into the idea that it is all matter of listening to our “inner voice” and following it direction.

But what happens when that inner voice is itself confused – or rather, unwilling to be constrained by a bilateral thinking and choosing not to be A, bit to embrace B; what if that inner voice desires to be C or D or more, even if giving expression to one, excludes us the allowance of one of more of the other ideals of who we are? Can we even make a choice, or are we forever caught in a state of flux – vibrating if you will, enduring a struggle not just with the matter of who we are or might be, but also what society expects of us.

This is the country of the mind Noir Tater explores within Noir Vibrations, which is open through the rest of August 2022 and into September at Dido’s Space – now officially called The Annex – within Nitroglobus Roof Gallery. It forms my first conscious introduction to Noir’s work, and I admit to finding myself draw into an ever-branching training of thought.

My need to be free in all aspects dominates, anguishes and suffocates me. Vibration Noir is my daily struggle to be what I am and who I am. 

– Noir Tater

Across 14 pieces – marking this as one of the largest exhibitions I’ve witnessed within the Annex at Nightroglobus – Noir offers a series of striking self-portraits which are striking in their presentation. Layered to present a sense of multiple exposures, cut through with large “pixelated” blocks of colours, some edges with touches of cubism and others rendered almost as anaglyph images, they are at once highly stylised and also deeply engaging, bringing forth that idea of vibrating between states of who ae are / might be.

These are pieces which quietly speak the to struggles the artist faces in their need to find the fullest freedom of expression. A quote from Jean-Paul Satre used to further underscore the fact the struggle can be made that much harder because of the all-pervasive binary structures we have woven into society – up to and including the notion that there is only “good” and “evil” (a particularly poignant underscoring, given the way those of so-call “good” religious beliefs seek to demonise those who look beyond the binary perceptions that have been enforced on humans by humans).

Fortunately, for many of us, Second Life offers a safe haven for positive self-expression – and Linden Lab has done (and continues to do) much to foster this. However, through the use of “pixelated and “anaglyph” forms, these pieces also (perhaps) remind us that even hers, freedom to express ourselves is not easy: it requires time and effort on our part: learning to use the viewer, building visual representations by others may come to know us, etc. – just as is suggested we need anaglyph lenses to bring some of these images into “clarity”.

SLurl Details

• Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (Sunshine Homestead, rated Moderate)

Open through until September 25th, 2022 at the NovaOwl Sky Gallery is a exhibition of Second Life art by Vanessa Jane (VanessaJane66), which stands a both a celebration of the beauty of Second Life, and also as a reflection of some of the artist’s thoughts on matters within the world at large.

Placed across the two floors of the gallery space are 26 images of locations around Second Life, all of which offer reflections of all that might be found here in terms of landscapes and similar. They encompass townscape, pastoral and rural scenes, coastal studies, street scenes and life studies (primarily and intentionally using NPCs that can be found within various locations in SL, rather than avatars).

As one would expect with Vanessa’s work, these are all pieces that have been carefully framed and focused so as to offer a single frame story; one enhanced by Vanessa’s considered use of post-processing techniques to evoke mood and narrative. For example, the painting-like finish to pieces like Orkney Croft, Mist Lake and Sunset Trees) gently calls forth thoughts of the great landscape masters; meanwhile, the more photo-like finish to the likes of The Horses, The Picnic Spot and The Bend in the Road, entice us with ideas of romance as bound within the words of the great romantic poets. Together, they remind us of the enduring beauty and power to be found within life’s passage.

However, this is not simply an exhibition of yet more tranquil and / or engaging places we can visit in Second Life. Set between the above are other pieces that are more subtle in their narrative tone. They start as subtle whispers through the likes of The End of the Holiday, The End of the Line, Aftermath, The Room, Bleak House, and reach full voice within the upper floor trio of The Lights in the Sky, The Innocents and The Cornfield, three pieces specifically produced in response to the war in Ukraine.

As Vanessa explains via her Artist’s Statement located that the top of the stairs accessing the galley’s mezzanine-like area, this is an exhibition that offers reflections on both the enduring beauty of life (and art), and also its great fragility – and the inherent risk that in only focusing on the one (beauty), we forget the inherent nature of the other (fragility), putting that beauty at risk of being torn down and broken by darker forces within our natures, unless we awaken and take proper action to avoid such fates.

To underscore this, Vanessa has called the exhibition Endymion, after the romantic poem by John Keats (published 1819, and itself building on the Greek legend of Endymion the shepherd / astronomer of Greek mythology and his love for Selene, the Titan goddess of the Moon), with the first stanza of the first book also quoted within the exhibition.

It is a poem which focuses on the idea that whilst it is easy to dream of eternal love in the arms of another (book 1 of the poem), it is much harder to achieve the same whilst awake; requiring as it does earnest travail and conscious effort (as depicted in Endymion’s journeys, recounted through books 2-4 of the poem). Thus its is only through conscious effort and action, rather than dreamy reflection, that we can truly appreciate – and safeguard – the real beauty and power of life.

In this, perhaps, there is also a reflection on Second Life itself: it is a places of dreams and the imagination kept alive and available through our daily conscious effort of logging-in and devoting our time and attention on it.

Evocative, beautiful, and personal, Endymion is thus a rare and thoughtful journey through Second Life, life, and the thoughts and reflections of the artist.

SLurl Details

• NovaOwl Sky Gallery (Novatron, rated General)