Category: Art in Second Life

Enchanted Garden is the title Mareea Farrasco has given to a small exhibition of her own work available at her IMAGOLand gallery. Comprising just 10 paintings reproduced within Second Life, it is nevertheless an engaging exhibition, taking visitors literally and figuratively on a walk through a garden whilst asking a question.

The paintings are of a classical nature, encompassing themes and styles familiar to any lover of art: nature, women in flowing gowns, hints of faery and fantasy, ideals of love and marriage, summer days with fields of flowers and lavender, and so on. They are presented with a dream-like finish, the haze and soft form suggesting horizons and ideals which extend far beyond the edge of the canvas.

Looking at these images, it is hard not to see within them the echoes of great painters mixed with the imagination of a modern-day dreamer with the rich range of image manipulation tools at her disposal and an imagination capable of carrying us on the wings of story to wherever our own imaginations and dreams choose to alight.

At least three of the pieces paint a story of their own: one of a wedding, the bride and her maids – possible post-ceremony – caught in moments of contemplation (or lightness) within a garden. Posed they might be, as all such wedding photographs are, they encompass both s sense of the romantic painters of a bygone age and the artificial construct of a posed photograph in a manner that might be seen through a certain lens as, well, kitsch.

It’s a sense evident within the other paintings to different degrees, and in using the term I am not in any way denigrating Mareea’s work; for in presenting these pieces, she asks us to define what is kitsch.

Often used in a pejorative manner to express the feeling that a piece of art – visual, written or musical – is naïve, overly-eccentric, gratuitous, or of banal taste. “Kitsch” is a term that at its height became – ironically – somewhat passé, the means by which not so much to pass a critique but to demonstrate our own hipness. However, the term has other connotations; some kitsch art can, for example, be appreciated for the irony or humour or quirky nature without it being visually offensive.

More particularly, Kitsch as a statement has been around for long enough that it might itself be considered an aesthetic category and style of its own; and it is this idea Mareea explores through these ten images. For while they may well encompass themes and elements we might – in different ways – require as “kitsch”: the flowers in the hair, the “soft focus”, the posed nature, the themes of gardens and faeries, there can be no denying that each piece within this collection is beautifully executed as a work of art, and the pieces collective are an expression of art and talent that is richly evocative. As an adjunct to this, Mareea also asks us to consider kitsch more widely, pointing our thinking – if we are so inclined – towards how it might be considered as broadly as within the topic of politics…

However, I’ll leave that for you to discover and close this piece by saying this is a engaging, easy-to-view selection of art, whether you opt to see it in its own light, or through the lens Mareea casts upon it in her introduction.

SLurl Details

•  IMAGOLand Gallery (Stairways to Heaven rated Moderate)

Currently open through December 2022 is Cyborgs, an installation by Austrian artist Sophie de Saint Phalle (Perpetua1010) located within her Subcutan Art region  At its heart Copper plate etchings and lithographs, although they are framed in a much broader story.

Leave the security and assurance of your spoiled civilization and immerse yourself in the fantastic and futuristic world of Cyborgs and dangerous creatures.

– Cyborgs by Sophie de Saint Phalle

The full story behind the exhibition can be obtained from the information giver board at the landing point. In short, it is the far future and humanity is now an interstellar civilisation. However, it has also faced numerous wars with other civilisations, some of them possibly biological / genetic in nature, so humans have been left weakened and in need of cybernetic enhancement in order to survive, eventually reaching a point where children are conceived in vivo and assigned to full cyborg bodies which define their role in their civilisation.

Within the exhibition, the images represent a group of these human-cyborgs now forced to live bound to a single planet, where limited genetic materials are of ever increasing importance, as does the need for these human constructs to express their humanity. Set within an environment representing the landscape of the planet to which they are confined, the installation comprises two parts: the landing point and events area – the installation opened with 6 hours of music – with the second containing the art itself. when visiting, it is essential you have Advanced Lighting Model enabled (Preferences → Graphics → make sure Advanced Lighting is checked), and preferably use the local environment (World → Environment → make sure Used Shared Environment is checked).

Within the art area, the etchings and lithograph are presented mounted on a series of granite-like blocks. At least two copies of each etching is presented, generally on the same block (or a neighbouring block), with each version of an etching given a different finish. They form expressive and very human aspects of life – people at work, people resting from exhaustion, male and female alike. None of them looks particularly “cyborg-like”; rather, but for the title given each piece, these could be studies of fully flesh-and-blood humans. And it is in this that the power of the art lies: the rich suggestion of largely artificial beings trying to express (or recapture?) their essential humanness through art and carvings; seeking to reconnect with their species heritage and origins. As well as the images, the landscape includes figurines intended to represent the races which may have forced humanity down this evolutionary path, the creatures they have had to tame – and the artificial bodies into which they have been forced based not on will or desire, but as a result of genetic make-up and algorithms about which they had no knowledge even as the life-forming decisions were being made about their futures.

Sophie’s work is always evocative and captivating, and Cyborgs offers a further dimension to her work displayed in Second Life, whether you opt to view the pieces as etchings in their own right or within the framework of the installation’s wider narrative. When visiting, do also consider using the teleport disk to visit the other exhibition spaces Sophie has created within her Subcutan arts region (about which you can read about in my January 2022 review).

SLurl Details

• Cyborgs, Subcutan Art Gallery (Ocean Island, rated Adult)

November 30th, 2022 saw the opening of the latest arts centre within the broader selection of galleries spaces and art walks making up the Corsica South Coasters, a group which includes the NovaOwl Gallery and the South Corsica Art Trail, both of which I’ve written about in these pages, and CK’s Corner.

The new facility is located on a sky platform and is called – appropriately enough – the Cloud Galleries. It has been created by arts patron Owl Dragonash, and offers 10 galleries spaces available for rent use by artists.

For the opening, se were occupied by:

• Elan (Ineffable Mote) – primarily paintings from the physical world at the time of my visit.
• Michiel Bechir – Second Life landscapes.
• Anna Maria (AnnaMaria Lysette) – avatar studies.
• Prins (Skylog) – images from Second Life.
• Suzen JueL (JueL Resistance) – physical world art.
• Pau (Paula Sieberi) –  abstract expressionism.
• KayLy (Kayly Iali) – animal and pet paintings from the physical world.
• Jaminda Moon (Jaminda) – Second Life landscapes.
• Raisa Reimse (RaisaReimse) – Second Life landscapes and images.
• Owl Dragonash – Second Life landscapes.

Set within a garden, the gallery units are all built to the same style, offering split-level display space  indoors, and a small outdoor display / sitting space to the rear.

Unit rentals are set at L$100 a week for 50 LI. CasperLet rent boxes are located at the rear of each studio, should one be available. General enquiries on availability and other requirements for using the gallery units should be passed to Owl Dragonash.

As a part of the broader Corsica South Coasters, Cloud Galleries can form part of a wider visit to locations in the group, and can be enjoyed alongside group music events and activities. Details of the group and everything going on within it can be found on the Corsica South Coasters website.

SLurl Details

• Cloud Galleries (Novatron, rated General)

It’s been over two years since my last visit to Ilrya Chardin’s Emergent Gallery space. At that time, it occupied a landscaped 1/4 Full region, offering an exhibition space for Ilrya’s 2D and 3D work, together with a small number of invited artists. Now, two years on, the gallery remains within that same 1/4 Full region, but now comprises a series of art facilities built directly over water and linked one to the next by paved footpaths.

The largest of these, within the landing point directly before it together with teleport information boards to Ilrya’s other current exhibitions in Second Life, is the main gallery building. Inside, the entrance level comprises a collection of Ilyra’s 2D and 3D work. Above this, on the mid-level, a series of exhibition spaces host art from guest artists, with a further level – the Penthouse Level – above that with additional exhibition halls.

Now to be honest, I’ve no idea if the spaces within the gallery are offered to artists on a rental basis or are invited exhibitions that change over time. However, at the time of my visit, the mid-level comprised displays by Chuck Clip, CybeleMoon (Hana Hoobinoo), Mareea Farrasco (three artists for whom I have a lot of admiration), Riannah Avora, Kisma Reidling and Eylinea Seabird. The Penthouse, meanwhile, hosted exhibitions by Carelyna, Chelo Baron, LIV (RagingBellls), Sheba Blitz, and Toysoldier Thor.

Together, these 11 artists present an engaging mix of 2D and 3D art, while outside, five smaller halls offer exhibition space for a single artist each. Again, whether these are offered for rent or to host limited-period exhibitions by invited artists is something I’m not sure about; however, at the time of my visit, they housed exhibitions by Zia Sophia (Zia Branner), Suzen JueL (JueL Resistance), Ladmilla Medier (Ladmilla) and Eli Medier and two more artists who I admire greatly: Hermes Kondor and Sisi Biedermann.

The final and second largest hall within the gallery is given over to a permanent exhibition of 2D and 3D art offer by Ilyra and as a tribute to several of the SL artists she admires. However, this is not the end of the exhibits or exhibit spaces. An open-air space offers the potential to be used to be for either 2D or 3D art, or a mix of both. This latter point is ably demonstrated by the space hosting a display of 2D and 3D work by Adrian Harbinger.

With two further platforms hosting Ilyra’s 3D pieces and more individual 3D pieces also sitting over the water, Emergent offers a lot for art lovers to appreciate. As such, it remains an engaging centre for art in Second Life.

SLurl Details

• Emergent Gallery (Mystique Isle, rated: Moderate)

Lizbeth Morningstar is relative newcomer to Second Life, but is making her mark as both a photographer-artist and – as from November 26th, 2022 – a gallery owner and curator, with her Starborn Gallery.

Located on the southern coast of Geata V and with a beachfront setting offering space to host exhibition opening events, the gallery utilises its own shared environment for ambient lighting, and it is recommended visitors set their viewers to Used Shared Environment (World → Environment) so that it is used when viewing the art on display. The building itself – designed and built by Lizbeth – presents two display wings, one of which features selections of Lizbeth’s own work, and the other to guest artists who will be displaying at the gallery on a rotational basis. For the Gallery’s opening, Pedro (PedroGlande) is the guest artist.

SL is such amazing world for photography inspiration. I Love Photography; for me, it is the Fusion of mind and scenery. I take photos to express my feelings. My photos vibes varied by flowing mood. Self-Healing is the theme of this exhibition.

Taking photos in SL is my Self-Healing, Self-Meditation process. You may find a sense of purification or calm in these photos. I want to breathe fresh air and embrace sunshine in both RL and SL. Let’s take a soothing step to recall the light of our lives.

– Lizbeth Morningstar

Despite her relatively recent arrival in Second Life, Lizbeth has fairly immersed herself in the world of Second Life art and photography, developing an approach and style that is both eye-catching and somewhat unique. Many of her images are semi avatar-centric, in that her own avatar is featured within her pictures;  however, they are not avatar studies in the traditional sense of that term. Instead, they are what might be called “life studies” in which her avatar (or one of her pets!) is seemingly caught in a natural moment so that while our eyes are drawn to both avatar and / or pet, it is the setting as a whole that gives the image both context and sense of spontaneity that counters the fact it has been posed and post-processed.

In many of her images, Lizbeth opts for a combination soft focus and depth of field to bring her avatar to the fore, with her colour palette tending towards softer tones. This gives many of her pieces a slightly dream-like effect, helping her work to be instantly recognisable.

In the second wing, Pedro presents Transmute, a collection of images which also feature his avatar.  However, rather than being individual narrative pieces, the images in Transmute are offered under an over-arching theme: our relationship with (and perhaps, the discovery of) our relationship with nature and natural things.

Within these images, we find Pedro within natural woodland settings, exploring, relaxing, and exulting in the natural cast of tress, woodlands and tall grass. These are pieces that use angle, focus and post-processing to enormous effect to present single-frame, tightly focused narratives, each beautifully tied to the core theme; a theme also framed by the lyrics from Pendular by the Brazilian indie rock group Scalene.

The one exception to all this can be found at the rear of the hall’s lower floor. It takes the form of a small photo studio complete with a chair for posing and three greyscale self-portraits of Pedro in various poses on the chair. The images are engaging, their greyscale tones providing a level of natural reality in a manner which colour renders would require much more intrusive post-processing to achieve. I’ll be honest, I had hoped the chair within the little studio would offer a series of poses so that visitors might try their own hand in capturing themselves whilst seated / standing on it and thus experiment with their own artistic expressionism, but alas, the chair had (at the time of my visit) just the one pose.

It is always pleasing to see new artists and new galleries appear in Second Life, and I certainly look forward to witnessing further exhibitions at Starborn and in witnessing Lizbeth’s evolving journey as a Second Life photographer-artist. And now that I’ve been properly introduce to Pedro’s work, I hope all be able to witness more exhibitions where he is a focused artist.

SLurl Details

• Starborn Gallery (Starborn, rated Moderate)