Category: Art in Second Life

Headgear has long played is significant role within societies around the world, particularly in terms of denoting spirituality or royalty. This is potentially for two reasons. The first is that, as the highest point on the human body, the head is the best point from which to indicate authority, and so elaborate or distinctive headgear the best means to signal said authority. The second is that, being the part of the body with the proximity to the heavens, and thus potentially the first point of contact with the divine or spirits descending from on high, the top of the head is considered, and thus should be covered as a sign of modesty and deference.

More widely, hats, headwear, traditional headdress, and so on, having long been a means of expression throughout societies and communities the world over. They can indicate everything from broader religious adherence to social status / profession, societal adherence (it is not that long ago that in many western societies it was considered uncouth for anyone of educated means – male or female – to appear in public without a hat, and one only has to travel back a little further to reach a time when women were expect to wear a hat, indoors and out), or basic social status. In this, just think of the worker’s flat cap, the British bowler, the Stetson, the fedora, the fez, and allow they evoke.

Some of these ideas are explored within the January / February 2023 art exhibition occupying at the ground level gallery at NovaOwl Gallery, curated and operated by ULi Jansma, Ceakay Ballyhoo & Owl Dragonash, featuring as it does the work of Caly Applewhyte.

Self-taught with Photoshop, Caly entered Second Life in 2010 with – as she describes it herself – “no specific goal”, but while exploring the grid, she found an outlet in Second Life photography. As her interest grew, so did a parallel interest in both her own avatar and the ability to use this virtual domain as a means to explore emotions, feelings and ideas, generally through the use of minimalist settings intended to bring the intended focus, the essential theme and emotion, of each piece to the fore.

Within Crowns, Caly offers a series of beautifully minimalist set of pictures exploring the expressive nature of headdress, particularly in terms of spirituality (although there is also a hint of royalty about them as well).  Each is highly individual in both form and the style of headdress, one to the next, yet all carry within them core recognition of the implied authority, faith and prowess of the wearer. Not, note that the wearer is necessarily gifted with these abilities – just that their headdress encourages us to view them as such.

In keeping with much of Caly’s work, Crowns does not require a lot to be written about it – each piece clearly and evocatively speaks for itself, with all of them collectively offering a narrative which is easy to follow. As such, I recommend Crowns should be viewed rather than written about – and I’ll leave you with the SLurl once more to allow you to do so.

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• Caly Applewhyte at NovaOwl (Novatron, rated General)

In 2016 I visited the wrote by the Peace is a Choice Gallery, founded and curated by Dove (TheDove Rhode) and located on the north coast of Nautilus. Originally founded as the the S&S Gallery of Fine Art more than 15 years ago, the gallery has grown to a region-wide centre of 2D and 3D art, both collected by Dove and provided by the artists, the displays of art both indoors and out with event spaces.

At the time of my 2016, the focal point for the gallery was its impressive glass-and-steel main building (one of Calpo Wrexler’s extraordinary designs) which was bracketed by outdoor display areas and a dance studio. Whilst the main hall remains, the external facilities appear – at least to my eyes and a memory that is admittedly dimmed by the intervening years – have increased to offer more space for artists, including what appear to be dedicated parcels.

Within the main gallery building – the entrance to which forms the landing point for the centre – visitors may find 2D and 3D art, animated and static, by the likes of Cica Ghost, Bryn Oh, CioTToLiNa Xue, Chao’s’Chen (sChen), Moya Patrick (Moya Janus), Nessuno Myoo, Morlĭ (MORLITA Quan), Alo (Aloisio Congrejo), all of which have been provided by way of Dove’s personal collection of art, which are joined by pieces donated / exhibited by some of the artists named above and also the likes of Daco Monday, Robin Moore, Noke Yuitza, Russel Eponym, Gleman Jun, Fuschia Nightfire, and Ink van Helsinki (Instincta Starchild).

Beyond the main hall are additional installations of 3D art, together with some indoors and 2D gallery spaces. These outdoor areas present works by Vroum Short, Kerupa Flow, Haveit Neox, Kicca Igaly, Tansee, Igor Ballyhoo and several of the already-named artists above, together with dedicated spaces by Paula Cloudpainter (paula31atnight), Rage Darkstone and TerraMerhyem, Cherry Manga, and Vincent Priesley (sweetvincent).

As I noted in August 2016, such is volume of art and its placement across the centre’s land, Peace is a Choice offers one of the most engaging displays of art:

Whether you start your explorations inside or outside the gallery is entirely a matter of choice; there is no set path to follow, and Dove has wisely placed the art so that there are no assigned areas for individual artists. This allows for some interesting juxtapositions of art, technique and expression, allowing visitors to gain a strong feel for contrasting styles among artists in Second Life.

– Myself, August 2016

Getting around the various installations can be a little bewildering – during my 2016 visit I found myself flycamming a lot, and did the same this time around. However, explorations during my original visit were also aide by the presences of a teleport system; while it is entirely possible I missed it this time around, I did try to keep an eye out for it. On the plus side, this encourages exploration on foot,

A further complication to easy exploration is that some of the parcels, such as by walking around the front and sides of the main gallery to reach the beach and and outside deck display areas. However, it was disappointing to note that some of the connecting exhibition parcels are restricted to those with Payment Information On File (PIOF). Whilst once a common practice to discourage griefing, used within what is intended to be a public space does run the risk of itself being seen as unwelcoming by those new to Second Life who are simply exploring and seeking places of interest to engage their curiosity, but who have not yet registered a payment method with Linden Lab.

This aside, Peace is a Choice makes for a fascinating visit, with much to see and and appreciate, with one of the richest cross-sections of art past and present to be found in Second Life.

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• Peace is a Choice Gallery (Rated: Moderate)

Kicking off 2023 at Monocle Man Galleries, curated by Lynx Luga and Kit Boyd is an exhibition of art by Hannah Starlight entitled Dream Again – a fitting title to go with the start of a new year. It is an exhibition taking place in one of the newer galleries spaces Kit and Lynx are providing for artists within the Monocle Man facilities, being hosted within the Cabaret sky gallery.

This is an interesting gallery space, offered as something of a speakeasy-like cabaret club, tucked away out-of-sight of any passing authorities, reached by walking down a back alley and then climbing down into what appears to be a storm drain, but which is in fact the entrance to a “basement” club with wood panelled walls and deco-like electric lights.

Dream Again is a collection of 28 images, either mounted on the walls of the club or on easels located around the the columns and edges of the dance floor. Predominantly avatar-centric these are images rich in content and message – commentaries, if you will on life, love and expressing oneself, at least one of which I seem to recall from a prior exhibition (His Song), which does not in any way detract from the overall thrust of this exhibition.

Offered in a variety of formats, small and large, 4:3 through to fully panoramic, these are pieces which are all richly expressive and predominantly celebratory in nature. Given the time of year, some of the pieces might be seen as holding to the Christmas theme and ideals of faith: Here’s My Heart, Lord, The Prayer, He Carries Me, and  – perhaps most notably – A Baby Changes Everything. However, even while they may do so, they also speak to more secular interpretations; take A Baby Changes Everything: is it not true that a baby, whether of natural or divine conception, a miracle that truly changes everything for its parents?

Meanwhile, Beautiful Warrior speaks to the physical beauty of the subject, as we are drawn to look at her face. However, her pose, the placement of her arms in particular, speaks powerfully and eloquently to her inner strength in the face of what can be a terrifying and seemingly implacable foe – check the description of the piece for more on this.

Elsewhere within the collection, Hannah offers more direct celebrations on love, marriage and the joy of being able to freely express oneself and enjoy life. All are worthy of appreciation, although I confess that Light for Your Path drew me to it, not only because of its panoramic nature; whilst New Light, tucked away behind one of the columns, carries with it a simple, direct message of the power of new life, layered with the taboo nature of pregnancy as an expression of beauty (one might even say it offers a link to the other pieces with a divine lean to them: might the light of the Sun breaking through the clouds be taken as a spiritual reference to the light of God?

I’ll leave that for you to decide if this might be the case. In the meantime, I will say that Dream Again is a richly engaging exhibition, and it officially opens at 12:00 noon SLT on Sunday, January 1st, 2023 with a performance by Rogue.

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Monocle Man Caberet Gallery (Flying Fortress, rated Adult)

Theme for art exhibitions is not a new idea – many, many art exhibitions are built around a theme, whilst individual works are frequently used by artists to express an idea or ideal or theme, often with a defined commentary. Such themes can be complex and layered; hinted at, rather than openly expressed, offering their audience suggestions to prod their own cognitive faculties. Others are more direct in tone and theme, presented as a direct commentary – or simply as a celebration.

Ode to Snowmen falls cleanly into that last category. Presented by CK (Ceakay Ballyhoo) at the NovaOwl Sky Gallery, curated by curated and operated by ULi Jansma, Owl Dragonash and CK herself, this is an unbashed celebration of winter snowscapes and the joy and humour found within the creation of snowmen.

Naturally split between the two levels of the gallery, the exhibition features images of snowmen CK has found in her travels across Second Life, from the massive sculpture at the heart of Linden Lab’s Winter Wonderland through to snowmen (and snowwomen and their children!) getting up to all sorts of activities and mischief from simple family portraits to skiing (yes, some snowmen have legs!) to peeping in through windows to see what is going on in those warm places which we love but are anathema to snow folk.

With the floorspace covered in snow and dotted with paintings and drawings of snow-laden fir trees and snowmen, this level of the exhibition also stand as a reminder of the immersive storytelling installations CK used to build in-world, often working with artists such as Silas Merlin and CybeleMoon (Hana Hoobinoo).

The upper floor of the exhibition features a set of seven watercolour paintings by CK celebrating winter landscapes. Collectively, they offer views which bring to mind lyrics from songs like Walking in a Winter Wonderland and (for me, as I love its haunting tones – particularly in Isao Tomita’s evocative version) Debussy’s Des pas sur la Neige (Footprints in the Snow), itself said to have been inspired by a painting of a winter snowscape.

From snow-covered paths guarded by denuded trees standing to attention on either side, to frozen ponds suggesting an invitation to go skating, and signs pointing the way to trails lying just out-of-sight relative to the painting, these are all warm, inviting pieces which call to the fore childhood memories of the wonder of snow and (perhaps for some) romantic walks through pristine fields of snow with a loved one. All of this is overseen by several snowmen painted on one wall, and several on the floor which blend nicely with one of the paintings.

A fun, easy-on-the-eyes exhibition presented in a timely manner for the holiday season, Ode to Snowmen will be open through until the end of December 31st, 2022 – so get your visit in soon!

SLurl Details

• NovaOwl Sky Gallery (Novatron, rated General)