Category: Reviews

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)