Category: Art in Second Life

Bamboo’s Blue Snow in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Kondor Art Centre: Bamboo Barnes – Blue Snow

Blue Snow is the title Bamboo Barnes has given to her most recent exhibition, which opened at the Kondor Centre Art Gallery (curated by Hermes Kondor) on February 27th. I’m not sure of the origins for the title, but that hardly matters given the theme of the exhibition and the nature of Bamboo’s art.

Bamboo is a self-taught digital artist who started producing her work using Second Life in the form of avatar studies and images of other people’s art installations. In 2013 she started producing original pieces, and in the eight years since, she has developed a unique and striking style that has not only been exhibited in virtual spaces but also in the physical world.

Kondor Art Centre: Bamboo Barnes – Blue Snow

For this exhibition, Bamboo plumbs personal depths, exploring her growing understanding of art as a means of expression and her development as an artist.

In her introduction to the exhibit she notes that “Art is never finished, just abandoned”, a statement that might at first seem a little confusing, as clearly, many pieces of art do stand as finished items – hence why we can see them in galleries and museums, reproduced, sold, hanging on our walls at home, and so on.

Kondor Art Centre: Bamboo Barnes – Blue Snow

However the capitalisation of “Art” is important: signifying that rather than referencing any singular piece of art, Bamboo is referring to the medium in all its forms, be it painting, photography, sculpture, models, the written and / or spoken word and so on; recognising that it is always evolving, and that artists can change genre, format and style, taking on some and abandoning others as they find new or different ways to express themselves.

As is usual with Bamboo, all of the pieces offered within Blue Snow are endlessly vibrant, both in terms of the colours used and the degree of life they each exude. There is a strength about each one that captivates the eye and challenges the imagination, offering stories that might – when considering the central theme of the exhibition – enfold thoughts of the artist and her relationship with her work as well as revolving around our own perceptions of who we are and where we might be going.

Kondor Art Centre: Bamboo Barnes – Blue Snow

Richly engaging, Blue Snow is another superb exhibition from one of SL’s leading digital artists.

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Vanessa’s Vignettes of Calas Galadhon in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Camel Art Gallery: VanessaJane – Vignettes of Calas Galadhon

Currently open at the Carmel Art Gallery, curated by Martha McFarren (Martha Damballar), is a cosy exhibition by Vanessa Jane (Vanessajane66), entitled Vignettes of Calas Galadhon – A Journey to the Spirit of Place.

As one might gather from the title, the subject of the exhibition is the Calas Galadhon estate, thirteen regions of fabulous open landscape that form a public park operated for all Second Life residents by Tymus Tenk and Truck Meredith and their dedicated team.

Camel Art Gallery: VanessaJane – Vignettes of Calas Galadhon

Now in operation for more than a decade (December 2021 actually marks the estate’s 12th anniversary), Calas Galadhon is one of the genuine gems in Second Life’s crown, and a place one can never tire of seeing. While its form may have changed over the years as it has grown (and occasionally shrunk), it has remained a place of endearing beauty; its regions both demonstrate the power of creativity in Second Life and the true magic of the platform’s ability to offer living, breathing spaces we can escape to and enjoy.

Rich in open landscapes and waters that can be explored on foot or horseback or boat, or flown over in a hot air balloon, the park contains many places large and small to discover, and is home to regular and seasonal events. While through its contiguous vistas, it offers a breathtaking sense of space and natural depth that is genuinely stunning to the eye. In this, it stands equal to any national park we might choose to visit – but with the added benefit that the freedom and magic are just keystrokes, not hours, away, and can be instantly enjoyed whenever we choose.

Camel Art Gallery: VanessaJane – Vignettes of Calas Galadhon

It is this sense of place that Vanessa has sought to capture in the pieces offered through her exhibition. Within the fourteen images presented in the gallery space, she reveals both the estate’s essential natural beauty and the hints of otherworldliness that is very much a part of its magic (and which is reflected in their names, drawn as they are from Tolkien’s mythology).

Offered with an artful touch of post-processing Vanessa presents these pieces as if seen through the eyes of a painter. Each one individually and uniquely captures an aspect of the park’s landscape, offering a hint of story for the observer to unfold. They are also collectively part of a whole, their individual stories coming together to offer an anthology of images that reveal the living spirit contained with the Calas regions.

Camel Art Gallery: VanessaJane – Vignettes of Calas Galadhon

Set within a space that Vanessa has also dressed in a manner that reflects the park’s glades and grasslands, Vignettes of Calas Galadhon – A Journey to the Spirit of Place richly illustrates the enduring beauty of Calas Galadhon and the manner in which it can capture the hearts and eyes of those who visit. As such, it is the perfect way by which those familiar with the park might recapture specific memories of their times within it, while for those who have yet to wander the park’s regions, the exhibition presents the ideal means to whet appetites and prepare the eye for all that might be revealed when exploring the regions themselves.

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Cica’s Stars in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Cica Ghost; Stars

Thursday March 4th saw the opening of Stars by Cica Ghost. Occupying a Homestead region, Stars is once again an interactive setting that makes for fun exploration.

Caught under a blanket of starfish-like stars (make sure you have your viewer set to use the Shared Environment), the setting has something of a Steampunk feel to it in general appearance, incorporating many echoes of Cica’s past installations waiting for those who are familiar with her work.

Cica Ghost, Stars

The town is laid out in something of a grid, with the landing point pretty much at its centre. laid out around it are squares and road and assorted buildings, some of which stand as a frame for the setting, other of which can be entered into and explored, or offer places to sit and chat.

Some of these houses resemble the tall slender houses found in the likes of Burlap and Sunny Day, or echo the look of those seen within Bridge and Donkeys or seen painted in Rocks and Drawn Town. Among these are fish and seas creatures, some hanging from pipes or forming strange wheeled sculptures and vehicles or sitting at rooftop decoration;  whilst very different in tone, these nevertheless tickle fond memories of Under the Sea, while echoes of places like Little Town and more also await discovery.

Cica Ghost, Stars

Which is not to say Stars is not a unique environment – it very much is; but these little touches, which include Cica’s stick man on his bicycle still fighting the wind and the rabbits from from Burlap forming a part of the town’s puppet theatre and the keys on the wall of the house interior, add depth to the setting that can be very personal to those who have followed Cica’s work.

This is a place that introduces new characters as well, notably in the form of the wheeled, tin hatted robots rolling back and forth on their single wheel, or offering music to dance to under the stars. And throughout the entire setting are places for visitors to dance or sit or ride (from swings to vehicles) and simply have fun together. And when exploring, do be sure to check the terrain covering – it offers some  art of its own.

Cica Ghost, Stars

Rounded with a quote by Charles A. Beard (or Ralph Waldo Emerson, depending on your choice of attribution, together with Martin Luther King Jr., and others in a slightly altered form), Stars is another richly engaging place to explore – do be sure to have the local stream enabled when exploring! And should you find them as engaging as I did, Cica’s robots at their friends can be purchased from the store in one corner of the region.

SLurl Details

  • Stars (Meropis, rated Moderate)

Daantje Bons: Art and statement in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Nitroglobus Gallery: I Have to Show You Something

Note: The art exhibition described in this article contains images that might be considered as sexually suggestive, with some also including female nudity.

I Want to Show You Something is the title of the latest exhibition mounted by Dido Haas at her Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, and once again it presents something that is unique to Second Life, whilst also marking the second time in the gallery’s history that art from the physical world has been place on exhibition.

A collaborative installation, I Want to Show You Something features the images of Dutch photographer Daantje Bons, presented through the use of projected images created by Venus Adored to give the illusion of 3D pieces embedded in the walls of the gallery.

Nitroglobus Gallery: I Have to Show You Something

For this reason, it is essential that visitors have their viewer’s Advanced Lighting Model (ALM) option enabled (Preferences → Graphics → ensure Advanced Lighting Model is checked), otherwise the art will not be rendered (note that, in difference to the instructions provided at the landing point, you do not need to have Shadows enabled to view the installation; however, I would suggest setting your time of day to Midnight).

Based in Utrecht, The Netherlands, Daantje Bons is a highly regarded photographer whose work is prominently featured in Dutch newspapers and magazines such as De Volkskrant, NRC Handelsblad and LINDA, and internationally in the likes of VOGUE Italia, FRAME, Kurier and Huffington Post, as well as being displayed in galleries across Europe.

The playful subversiveness and pleasing aesthetics of Daantje Bons’ fine art photography draw the eye, but the inherent contradictions make these images resonate and linger in the mind.

– Meredith Greer, writer

Nitroglobus Gallery: I Have to Show You Something

Her style is perhaps best described as Contemporary Feminist, her approach that of presenting her own femininity or re-imagining femininity with a sense of provocative humour and a sexuality; their presentation and apparent contradictions intentional as a means of both capturing attention and encouraging the observer to think more deeply about the subject presented within each piece.

This is all plentifully evident with I Want to Show You Something, a selection of 14 primary images around the walls of the hall, with three “collage” style of image projections to be found in a floating ball and cube, and via a “well” projected onto the gallery’s floor. These are all pieces that may well cause some discomfiture with the more conservative mind and raise smile in the more salacious, simply because of their overt sexuality.

Bons’ images are surprising, funny and often risqué — like a guide to puberty mixed with an untrustworthy recipe book with a surrealist twist

– Priscilla Frank, Huffington Post

Nitroglobus Gallery: I Have to Show You Something

The latter takes multiple forms, some obvious (flowers over the female genitalia), a raspberry covering a nipple, a string of pearls held between lips and tongue; other are possibly more subtle: petals held between lips; a chilli sliced partially open … all resonate with the observer, even if one may feel that sense of discomfiture. But these are not just pieces to provoke; they are in many respects self-exploration – what does it mean to be a woman? How doe masculinity and femininity affect how we see / express our sense of self?

Rich in content, sometimes swaying towards double entendre I Want to show You Something is an exhibition that operates on two levels, and you can learn more about Daantje’s work through her website.

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A touch of Orange at Feint and Bone in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Feint and Bone: Livio Korobase – Orange

Feint and Bone is the name of a new centre for artistic expression within Second Life that opened on Monday, March 1st, 2021. Operated by Flower Rainforest and Tarhai Breen, the facility covers a homestead region, and is curated by Bryn Oh, with Installations within it intended to run for three months at a time. For the opening – which was deliberately without fanfare – Feint and Bone presents Livio Korobase.

Orange is another of Livio’s region-wide installations that is both visually engaging and mentally stimulating, one in which the broader environment settings and the audio stream play as important a role as what is to be found within the setting.

Orange is the sacral chakra colour … composed of red and yellow in equal parts, and it is a colour of vitality and strength. Just as the sacral chakra is located in the pelvic area, orange is the area of our gut feelings and wisdom. Buddhists call this “hara”, the centre of being through which we connect with the deepest voice of the self, the deepest stillness and wisdom; this is where we find bliss.
Orange energy is very sensual. Living a life guided by orange colour transforms even the most mundane daily experiences into pleasurable experiences … [It] stands for creativity, growth, learning, pleasure; a sense of vitality and aliveness.

– Livio describing his installation at Feint and Bone

Feint and Bone: Livio Korobase – Orange

Thus, visitors are asked to ensure they use the region’s environment setting (World → Environment → Use Shared Environment) and enable the local audio stream in order to be fully immersed in the installation.

As with many of Livio’s installations, Orange makes full use of the available space both on the ground and over it, presenting a series of vignettes and individual pieces that await discovery as you explore the region, the orange colour helping to ensure individual details only become apparent as you do so, rather than being immediately revealed through a high Draw Distance setting.

Feint and Bone: Livio Korobase – Orange

What awaits explorers is is highly individualistic, delightfully interactive and quintessentially Livio.

Each vignette has something to offer, visually and through simple touch – be it climbing a gigantic giraffe’s neck, riding a levitating acrobatic rocking horse or wandering toy train, or rocking on a a dance floor. Throughout the entire installation there is vitality and life entirely in keeping with the artist’s statement on the colour orange, encouraging us to abandon ourselves to the energy of the colour and the installation.

There is something else here as well that reflects the theme of orange. As Livio notes, the colour represents creativity, and this is very much reflected throughout the installation, be it the representation of music and dance, references to the silver screen (look for Buck Rogers’ rocket ship), children’s tales (find the teleports to the cube trees), or human ingenuity (the Wright Brothers biplane, a rocket) and more besides. And if you visit with friends, you can all even hop into bumper cars and have fun that way.

Feint and Bone: Livio Korobase – Orange

The low-key opening for both the region and Orange has been deliberate because Livio tends to let his installations evolve, making changes here and there, presenting a living experience. So why not hop over to Feint and Bone and let your inner child out for some run around fun whilst taking in Livio’s unique art? And make a note of the SLurl for future visits.

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Sketches and Moods in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Sketches and Moods: Ladmilla and Eli Medier

Sketches and Moods is the title of the latest selection of images and poems by the artist couple, Ladmilla Medier (Ladmilla) and her SL partner Eli Medier,  which is offered to patrons and visitors at THE EDGE Art Gallery, which is also owned and operated by the couple.

The pieces on display are once again a mix of images and accompanying words – fifteen of the images by Ladmilla, and the remaining four by Eli. All feature poems by Eli,  who has a gift for expression through the written word as well as being a talented photographer-artist. Each piece is presented as a single frame of image and words, although the two can be separated as used individually, if required – as all of the pieces are offered for sale.

Sketches and Moods: Ladmilla and Eli Medier

Ladmilla’s images are presented in her distinctive style. Rich in colour, often presented in darker tones that further contribute to their depth, they have a dream-like quality to them that is evocative and perfectly suited to the framing of words through poetry.

The dream-like element to her work is the result of Ladmilla’s crafted post-processing of her images. This involves layering-in both colours and textures to give each piece a special emphasis that natural directs the eye on a specific aspect, from which we naturally focus out to appreciated the picture as a whole.

Sketches and Moods: Eli Medier

Eli is a gifted poet who writes mainly in unstressed blank verse. His words cast a story that both naturally shares the space it shares with its accompanying image and also stands as work of art in its own right – hence the provided ability  to separate poem and image. This adds a further dimension to the exhibition: through the combination of words and art, we are effectively given two exhibitions for the price of one.

A further “complimentary / contrast” (so to speak) lies within Eli’s pieces. Three of these are presented in monochrome or soft tones at both sets them part from Ladmilla’s work, yet joins with them through this contrast, as well as through the presentation of The Message, which shares the deeper tone seen within Ladmilla’s work.

THE EDGE Art Gallery

The exhibition is framed within what is, for me at least, a new and more open gallery building than seen in my last visit to the gallery (May 2020). It shares the parcel with an external display of Second Life art from Ladmilla’s personal collection, and a small garden of 3D art featuring work by Cherry Manga, Mistero Hifeng, Eupalinos Ugajin and Bryn Oh – which (please allow my own ego to do a small tap dance) is backed by a 2019 image by yours truly. And be sure to say hello to Brillo when visiting

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