Category: Art in Second Life

Second Life is awash with opportunities for people to express themselves creatively, be it through talents and skills they bring to the platform from their physical lives, or through the opportunities the platform itself offers for them to discover new avenues through which to express themselves – or indeed, a combination of the two. Through the platform we also have the opportunity to share in people’s creativity and their artistry and even to witness its growth.

This has certainly been the case for those familiar with Fly Kugin (FlyQueen). She first entered Second Life six years ago, and the majority of us were probably none the wiser. However, this changed in 2019 when, as a talented violinist with over 20 years of professional playing throughout her native Turkey and overseas, Fly started performing in Second Life.

In doing so, she quickly and rightly establishing herself as one a highly sought-after musician, with many of her concerts form early 2020 onwards presented through The White Mask Project, specifically established so she could channel the funds raised through such concerts into various charities close to her heart.

As well as bringing her music to Second Life, the platform has encouraged Fly to express herself through other mediums available within it, notably SL photography. She started taking landscape pictures in-world in 2020, teaching herself Photoshop to produce images that carry a the impression of having been painted. From here, either directly or indirectly, she started experimenting with art in the physical world, teaching herself techniques in line art and painting using on-line resources, and over the last several months she has exhibited her work at a number of in-world galleries.

On August 22nd, Fly opened what is her latest – and possibly last, at least for an unspecified period – exhibition at Chuck Clip’s Janus Gallery III at Sinful Retreat. The Falling Leaves is a gorgeous collection of nine watercolour paintings of the leaves (and in three cases the flowers) of various trees and flora.

While the title of the exhibition might remind some of the opening line of Johnny Mercer’s English lyrics for Autumn Leaves, the pieces selected in the exhibition are offered not in memory of a lost love, but as a dedication to the plants and flowers lost during the July / August 2021 wildfires that burnt through 1,600 square kilometres of Turkey’s Mediterranean forest (although given the soulful nature of the tune by Joseph Kosma to which Mercer set his words, it can actually frame the exhibition quite well).

In presenting The Falling Leaves, Fly describes herself as a “beginner” in the subject of painting flora; I’d actually dispute that statement. There is a maturity and grace within these paintings that easily puts them on a level approaching the works by some of the great botanical artists and illustrators; being English, I was almost immediately put in mind of some of Elizabeth Blackwell’s illustrations found in her A Curious Herbal, (without the associated medical connotations, obviously), such is the detail to be found in Fly’s pieces.

The maturity of technique these painting is made all the more attractive when one considers Fly only started experimenting with watercolours in June 2021. In fact, The Falling Leaves is her first exhibition of her watercolour paintings; a fact that makes the exhibition a bittersweet experience, given it is unclear when (or even possibly if) she will be exhibiting in-world again.

Given that there may not be another opportunity to view exhibitions by Fly after The Falling Leaves closes on September 22nd, 2021, I urge all lovers of art in SL to hop along to Sinful Retreat and visit the Janus Gallery III between now and then and share in these pieces.

SLurl Details

• Janus Gallery III (Sinful Retreat, rated Adult)

I recently received invitations to visit two exhibitions within Second Life which although unrelated in concept or core themes, are nevertheless linked by genre and technique, both utilising aspects of abstractism in their presentation. Given this, I’ve opted to offer thoughts on both exhibitions through a single article and hope that it will tweak curiosities sufficiently for readers to visit both exhibitions.

Matt Thompson (MTH63) in some ways needs no introduction here; I’ve covered his art on a number of occasions and have appreciated seeing the focus of his work in-world shift. Having built a strong reputation as a Second Life landscape photographer, Matt has, over his last several exhibitions, taken the opportunity to show his physical world art through the platform.

So far as I’m aware (and thus subject to correction on this), the majority of these latter exhibitions have been ensemble in nature, Matt sharing the space with a number number of other artists. However, with Abstractia Hugs the Countryside, which opened on on August 15th at Raging Graphix Gallery, owned and operated by Liv (Raging Bellls), his work takes centre-stage in a vibrant pieces that are largely abstract in nature, each of which has its own story to tell.

Rich in colour, largely vibrant in tone, Abstratica presents pieces that range of pure abstract expressionism (Zoom Boom, The One and Only the Brain Knows  through Yea Blah Blah), mixed with a degree of abstract impressionism (The Dangerous Solo Thought and Gateway to Oblivion) to even touch on Fauvism (Get a Tan You Said). The one exception to this is Faith Hope and Charity, a piece that carries a marvellous sense of etched realism even (conversely) though it appears to have its origins from within Second Life.

Each piece, combined with its title, gently marshals thought and perception to bring forth narratives that are as wide-ranging as the colours and tones used within each piece. As well as the inkling of a tale, these are pieces which can contain other elements – touches of Matt’s humour for example, which reveal him as an artist who is confident in his work but not in any way conceited about it; others perhaps have a subtle message within them, rather than narrative per se. Again, take Get a Tan You Said again, is there not a comment on global warming sitting within it? Thus, Abstractia stands as an engaging and layered exhibition.

Hailing from India, Neil (lo01ner01) has been active in Second Life since mid-2017, and at Les Halles de Paris Gallery, owned by Darcy Mokeev he offers a collection of images under the title TATHASTH: a monologue, a collection of 28 abstract images in which one might discern multiple narratives that stand both within single pictures and which may also appear to link some of them in theme.

Neil informs us that tathasth is a Hindu word “which speaks of standing back and calmly observing everything with love and detachment” – which very much speaks to Neil’s general approach to his art, and which here offers a frame in which the 28 images are set. All of them are numbered, and to get the fullest sense of flow between them, I strongly recommend taking the note card from the exhibition’s title easels and then viewing the images in their numbered order around the lower floor and then the upper.

On the lower floor are pieces that might be seen as a mix of abstract expressionism and abstract impressionism, their tones and colouring strongly suggestive of mood and emotion. Several of these perhaps most clearly have the sense of narrative running through them, one to the next. The upper level offers pieces that are more abstracted in nature, but which share that sense of mood / emotion through the use of colour.

Tonally, these are “darker” pieces that those offered by Matt in his exhibition – but that doesn’t necessarily translate to dark or brooding moods throughout TATHASTH: a monologue. Rather, what is presented might be be summed up as perceptions of the the physical world (good and bad), as rendered through the filter of the subconscious, something which suggests that whilst abstract in form, these pieces are the product of automatism, rather than directed thought, further adding to their depth.

Abtractia and TAHASTH are, as noted, two very different exhibitions, but between them they demonstrate the richness of expression that artists can use through a chosen genre, particularly one as richly branched as abstractionism. Both are well worth the time taken to visit them, whether you chose to do so individually, or take the time to visit them one after the other.

My thanks to Fen (Fenrue) for pointing out Neil’s exhibition at Les Halles de Paris to me. 

SLurl Details

• Abstractia Hugs the Countryside – Raging Graphix Gallery (Heatherwood, rated Moderate)
• TATHASTH: a monologue – Les Halles de Paris Gallery (Paris 2000, rated Moderate)

Recently opened in Second Life is Gallery Demy Ansar, an exhibition space created by Demy Ansar to primarily display her Second Life photography and art, and to which I received a personal invitation. I say “primarily” here, because while the focus is very much on Demy’s work, space is also given over to the work of her Second Life partner, Liliana Darwinian, and to a small display of 3D art by noted 3D artists and sculptors, as collected by Liliana.

Occupying a clean, modern building, the gallery can be divided into four principal areas: the two levels given over to Demy’s art, a further hall on the lower of these levels currently devoted to Liliana’s art, and a rooftop sculpture area which is joined to the rest of the exhibition spaces by a staircase to one side of the building.

Demy describes herself as someone who took up photography in the physical world at a very early age – including developing her own images. This latter point allowed her opportunities to experiment with light and dark and exposure, and generally develop an eye for what works within any given image she has captured. As with many of us, the demands of life eventually came between her and her passion for photography, but with Second Life and the availability of digital tools for image manipulation and processing, she found a new outlet for her talent.

Within the gallery, Demy’s work is displayed over two levels, as noted. The lower, reached via steps running down from the landing point, features her landscape studies, with the floor above it devoted to her avatar studies, some of which might be be described as not suitable for work, involving as they do various degrees of nudity. But whether landscape of avatar focused, each an every image contains within it a balance and use of colour and tone that adds an engaging depth of life to it.

As is common among landscape artists in Second Life, many of the images on the lower level are processed such that they have the feel of having been painted rather than imaged. However, the deftness of touch within them gives each a level of “realness” that, were one not aware of their origins, easily lead the mind to conclude they are representations of scenes encountered in the physical world.

On the upper level, the avatar studies similarly have about them that sense of realism. While this is not uncommon within avatar photography as a who as many artists strive to bring as much realism to their portraits as possible, Demy’s work is more subtle, her use of light and tone pose and camera angle working to offer a human naturalness to the images to present a sense of intimacy and realism that suggests they are personal pictures, taken within the bounds of a relationship between subject and camera holder, rather than artificially framed pieces involving a model and studio photographer.

Occupying their own hall, Liliana’s pieces are altogether different in presentation, but no less engaging. Taken from around Second Life, they are presented mostly in warm and / or vibrant colours that evoke a sense of life and vitality. And while I may be incorrect for saying so, they would also appear to encompass an evolving style: several of he pieces seem to exude a deftness of touch that hints of a growing confidence in post-processing and a mastering of the subtle intricacies of layering and blending.

I’ve not idea how frequently the works on offer will change: the hall in which Liliana’s work is displayed is referred to as the “exhibition room”, suggesting displays here may change on a regular or semi-regular basis. Within her areas of the gallery, Demy notes she’ll change things whenever she feels she had something worth showing –  which given the richness of her work, could be fairly frequently!

But, however frequently (or infrequently!) things change, I’m grateful to have had the invitation to familiarise myself with two artistic talents I’ve previously managed to overlook, and I will be making return visits to Gallery Demy Ansar to see what else may be offered for our enjoyment in the future.

 Surl Details

• Gallery Demy Ansar (Firepaw, rated Adult)

Summer Vibes is the title of an exhibition of art by Mareea Farrasco that is open through until the start of October 2021 at the Eulennest Gallery, and which I dropped into over the weekend.

Mareea is both the owner / curator of IMAGO Land and the IMAGO Land Gallery, and she is also an accomplished art in Second Life, producing both landscape images and avatar studies with a deft hand and eye for detail. As the name might suggest, Summer Vibes is a selection of Mareea’s art focused on summer scenes.

Created in Second Life, the 14 images presented at Eulennest present summertime scenes, many with a coastal theme, and all of which have a strong focus on nature and flowers. Most of the pieces are finished as watercolours, their tone light and airy, reflective of the scenes they present, with some also finished in colour choices that give them a captivating, dream-like quality  – take Lavender Sky and Oblivion… as examples of the latter.

One of the things I love about Mareea’s is the manner in which she brings the sky to life. Whilst summer days can have clear blue skies, and remain bright under white rivers of clouds, so too can the summer sky carry with it the omens of weather to come. These are aspects that Mareea perfectly captures  – again, take On the Beach, Enjoying the Moment and Beach Grass; each offers a summer scene, time on the beach, the opportunity to relax on a wooden pier – but the sky of each has a brooding presence, the hint or promise that as the day draws to a close, so might the weather be on the change.

It is this breath of life, of familiarity in her scenes that makes Mareea’s art instantly attractive, and this is added to by the décor Mareea has added to the gallery space, the flowers inviting us further into summertime as this blend with her images to present a sense of presence as you explore the art.

An engaging and delightful exhibition, well worth visiting.

SLURL DETAILS

• Mareea Farrasco at Eulennest Art Gallery (Novatron, rated General)