Category: Reviews

An Inner Bloom of art in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Art Korner: Ms Sqeeeze – Inner Bloom
Update, June 27th, 2022: Art Korner has Closed.

Say it with flowers is a banner line perhaps most recognisable from adverts for Interflora, the global flower delivery service. It is said to be a slogan crafted by ad man Patrick O’Keefe in 1917 on behalf of the Society of American Florists. It was a recognition of the fact that floriography – the  means of cryptological communication through the use or arrangement of flowers that has been a common practice across many cultures in Asia, Africa and Europe – had soared to new heights of popularity throughout Victorian Britain and the United States.

Most usually we associate the use of flowers as a means of shared communication of feelings. We give flowers as an expression of love / desire or as a means of communicating shared sympathy / commiseration / commemoration, or of a united joy / shared happiness, and so on.

However, such is the versatility of flowers that they can be used as a means of personal expression and narrative – and this is beautifully demonstrated in Inner Bloom, a remarkable exhibition of photography by Ms. Squeeeze (Squeeeze), which opened at Frank Atisso’s Art Korner on May 27th, 2022.

Art Korner: Ms Sqeeeze – Inner Bloom

Comprising 17 images spread through a single exhibition hall carefully crafted into three individual areas, Inner Bloom uses flowers to communicate moods, stories and feelings that may be highly individual to the artist, but are richly recognisable to the observer.

Separated by phantom translucent walls, the three spaces making up the exhibition are marvellously graduated in their presentation, the first section offering pieces largely slanted toward monochrome with just soft hints of colour, progressing to images where the colour is more prominent, to those with a depth of colour that contrasts strongly with those in the first section.

At the same time, the style of the images grades through the three sections, from a heavy, but controlled use of shadow and silhouette through to backdrops that provide clarity of image and lighting that more readily reveals expressions, whilst shadow and tone are used to draw specific attention and focus.

Art Korner: Ms Sqeeeze – Inner Bloom

By presenting the images in this manner, together with the changing colours of the flowers that form the “carpets” of the display areas, we are imbued with a sense of shifting moods and thoughts, and our imaginations are drawn to different narrative themes in progressing through the exhibition.

Evocative, rich in interpretation and artistic expression, Inner Bloom should be viewed using the supplied environment setting (World → Environment → Use Shared Environment), and with Advanced Lighting Model enabled.

SLurl Details

Pausing at the Lost Gardens of Pompeii in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
The Lost Gardens of Pompeii, June 2022 – click any image for full size

Update: The Lost Gardens has closed and the region has changed hands. SLurls have therefore been removed from this piece.

It’s been a while since I last wrote about one of Vita Camino’s region designs, so when Shawn Shakespeare sent me a landmark to The Lost Gardens of Pompeii, I immediately added it to my list of places to visit, and finally got the opportunity to do so at the start of June.

Occupying a Full private region leveraging the additional Land Capacity bonus, the setting – as you might guess from the name – is Romanesque is nature. According to its About Land description, it is also a work in progress; so there may be a chance things might change between my writing this and you getting to visit for yourself. There are also some rental villas tucked away on the south and east side of the region, but these are well to one side (and below!) the public areas, minimising the risk of trespass.

The Lost Gardens of Pompeii, June 2022

No landing point was enforced at the time of my visit, so I’ve arbitrarily set a SLurl in this post which will land you on the west side of the region, amidst a busy little waterfront setting. This is not a place of commerce per se, but where local fishermen bring their catch to shore each day and dry and smoke them to provide the village behind with food and, possibly, to trade with the odd passing merchant – at least going by the barrels of wine (or oil)!

The village itself appears to be rather prosperous; the houses solidly built, with room for trading on the lower level and living space above complete with balconies. Their general condition and the well-kept roads might be down to the largesse of the local patrician, whose expansive dwelling occupies the backbone of the region, a rocky table of a hill that steps its way up from the surrounding coast in a series of terraces.

The Lost Gardens of Pompeii, June 2022

It is this part of the estate in which visitors will likely spend most of their time, offering as it does multiple places to sit and appreciate the setting – and to do so in typical Romanesque comfort, complete with fruits and wine set out under tile-roofed pavilions or trellis-topped gazebos. Broad, carefully laid steps offer routes upwards through the terraces – some of which have been created or given shape by the skill of stonemasons rather than by nature – with paths also enticing willing feet onwards.

Water abounds throughout the gardens, with falls tumbling from a rock face to a crystalline pool below, and multiple ponds and fountains to be found throughout. In addition, there are two large bathing pools, each occupying its own terrace but joined by a single stairway which also provides access to the villa’s bath house.

The Lost Gardens of Pompeii, June 2022

Similarly, great care has been taken to both preserve and to plant trees to provide shade and further ornamentation, while statues of deities and (doubtless) ancestors or great leaders keep watch over all that is happening in and around the gardens. And to further ensure blessings be upon the estate and the village below, two temples await worhsippers and offerings (one of which is admittedly just a façade).

The crowning glory for the setting, however, is on the broad flat top of the hill. Here sits a square terrace centred upon an ornamental pond. With pavilions, gazebos, loungers and chairs, fruit and wine, all shaded by the broad growth of mature trees and with columns standing to attention around the periphery, it at first looks “typically” Romanesque. But look again, and certain things might become apparent, initially appearing anachronistic given the overall theme for the setting.

The Lost Gardens of Pompeii, June 2022

Take, for example the fountained pond; it is home to both koi and to red-crowned crane from Asia, whilst paper lanterns of Chinese styling and stone lamps that carry a hint of Japan might also be spotted. Of course, indirect trade between Rome and China (via India) was known to have taken place; so it is possible crane and fish came via that route; however, when taken within the setting as a whole, lamps, lanterns, fish and crane present a unique west-east fusion within the terrace that just works.

Elsewhere in the setting are other unusual elements that give The Lost Gardens of Pompeii a little twists – such as the opportunity to sit and partake of fruit and wine within a portion of the lost city of Atlantis (and no, it’s not under the waters surrounding the setting – it is more unique than that, but you can find it for yourself!). Meanwhile, those looking for textures for their landscaping can also visit Vita’s store, located beyond the northern end of the waterfront village and tucked neatly into a building matching the rest of the décor.

The Lost Gardens of Pompeii, June 2022

Light period role-play is apparently allowed – presumably free style and down to those who visit, rather than anything formalised – and period costume is encouraged but not required. Finished with a natural soundscape and, needless to say, highly photogenic, The Lost Gardens of Pompeii is well worth visiting and exploring.

SLurl Details

  • The Lost Gardens of Pompeii (Islas Ballestas, rated Adult)

Gem Preiz: Exoplanet II: On The Way Back in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Gem Preiz Exoplanet 2: On The Way Back

In February 2022, Gem Preiz opened Exoplanet: Once Step Further; the first chapter in a two-part series that combines a science-fiction story with his fractal art to offer a vision of humanity’s innate desire to explore, discover, learn about and understand the cosmos around us (see: Gem Preiz: Exoplanet – One Step Further in Second Life). Now, with its formal opening on Wednesday, June 1st, 2022 comes the second chapter of the series, once again hosted by Akiko Kinoshi (Akiko Kiyori) within her “Akipelago” art hub of regions.

In the first chapter (which remains open to visitors) we are invited to a crew of astronaut-scientists engaged on the deep-space exploration of planets beyond our own solar system – referred to as exoplanets in the science community – and to consider the remains of civilisations the crew have discovered, as represented by Gem’s fractal images displayed within the base the crew have established. Now, with Exolpanet 2: On The Way Back, we find the crew aboard a space station (or perhaps, for reasons I’ll come to, a ship-come-station) about to make the return to Earth.

Gem Preiz Exoplanet 2: On The Way Back
Astronomy is a science that makes you dream. The observation of distant objects transports us in space and time, and leads us to ponder the origin of the universe and the possibilities of hosting extra-terrestrial life there. The discovery of exoplanets in 1995 opened up a new field of exploration which could undergo even more spectacular development thanks to the new James Webb telescope. The enthusiasm for their discovery was nourished by science fiction stories, now legitimized by the proof of the existence of these worlds.

– Gem Preiz

As with the first chapter, Exoplanet 2 is both art installation and immersive environment intended to nudge visitors into thinking about life and and interstellar exploration. The station (/ ship) itself is built on a vast scale, with multiple levels to explore, both within the vertical central core (housing the essential systems and services – control, power, life support (including a hibernaculum), medical and essential crew facilities), surrounded by two concentric rings of additional facilities, including labs, crew sleeping quarters, access to docking facilities and small ship hangers, escape pods, etc. Through all of this are points of interaction (look for the hand icons), whilst floor-and-wall mounted teleport disks and buttons provide fast transit between different points of the station.

The art comes in three primary forms to be found throughout the station. The first is a series of eight framed fractal images depicting the worlds the crew has visited; the second, eight sketch-like images of locations within Second Life, serving to remind the crew of their beauty of their home world – and us of the fact they we are all bound to a single, beautiful but wholly fragile planet.

Gem Preiz Exoplanet 2: On The Way Back

The third art element sits within the Entertainment section of the station. Here can be found two large media screens which can display videos of some of Gem’s past installations. These include a video of Wrecks, itself part of a  two-element exhibition of Gem’s art from 2016 (called Heritage) and which also formed an evocative foray into the realm explored through Exoplanet (see: Of Heritage and Wrecks in Second Life).

A fourth artistic element might be said to exist outside of the station, where Gem has used a series of EEP settings to provide a changing backdrop of astronomical images. These include distant galaxies, stars, imagined worlds and moons a lot closer to home, and can be viewed either by camming out or by one of the little personal flyers found in one of the station’s hangers and taking a trip outside. Just be sure you are using the installation’s EEP settings (make sure World → Environment → Use Shared Environment is checked).

Not only do these EEP settings offer an additional layer of art, they also suggest the station is “jumping” its way through the cosmos to bring the crew back to Earth.

Gem Preiz Exoplanet 2: On The Way Back

Exoplanet 2 is also linked directly with Exoplanet: One Step Further via the teleport HUD, which can be obtained at the main landing point (and which provides direct access to the major points of interest in both installations), or by finding your way to the shuttle about to launch from the station, and which contains a teleport to Exoplanet.

A detailed introductory card is available to visitors on arrival, which both provides an overview of the installation and explains some of Gem’s thinking behind it. The card makes for a recommended read, and Exoplanet 2: On The Way Back makes for a rich, engaging visit.

SLurl Details

A Samurai’s Tale in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
A Samurai’s Tale, May 2022 – click any image for full size

Justice Vought opened the next instalment of his journey through region designs over the last weekend in May 2022, and was kind enough to pass me a personal invitation to visit – my apologies to him for taking several days to get to drop in; life is being a little hectic at the moment, and my daily SL activities have been largely confined to logging-in and parking myself for IM’s etc.

This latest design, however, was guaranteed to pull me across to it sooner rather than later because not only is it Justice’s latest build – and I have never failed to appreciate and enjoy his work – it also carries visitors to the Far East, which as regulars to the pages will know is a part of the world I love.

A Samurai’s Tale, May 2022

In particular, A Samurai’s Tale presents something of a tribute to Japan’s feudal history and the time of the samurai military nobility, but perhaps not in the manner one might expect.

The samurai came to prominence during 12th century, with their power and responsibilities growing in the wake of their defence of northern Japan against the attempted invasion by the  Yuan dynasty in the 13th century. During the Edo period, (1603 to 1868) the role of the samurai  became a mix of soldier and administrator, steward and chamberlain within the daimyo estates.

A Samurai’s Tale, May 2022

However, in the latter half of the 19th century, with Japan formalising / consolidated its military and ruling structure under the emperor during the Meiji Restoration, the samurai’s feudal roles came to an abrupt end. However, they did not entirely from Japanese life as they adjusted to new, professional and entrepreneurial roles, whilst their traditions, memory, culture and weapons remain popular through until today.

So popular, in fact, that when considering the era of the samurai, we tend to often just think of the warrior, his armour, and the palaces and great daimyo estates of the shoguns, together with Edo period walls palaces, towns and so on. And this is why, for me, A Samurai’s Tale is refreshing. Rather than offering a single scene from feudal Japan, it instead presents vignettes that can be said to reflect the core virtues expected of the samurai: justice, courage, benevolence, respect, honesty, honour, and loyalty.

A Samurai’s Tale, May 2022

For example, from the landing point, visitors can walk through a small graveyard with shrines to remember the dead, thus witnessing honour.  Over a bridge sits a house representative of loyalty to family and master. Within the house are have period images on the walls, together with a stand holding a pair of katana blades (courage). Travel down the hill from the landing point, and a small fishing village awaits, the kind of little settlement a local samurai would consider as being under his protection (justice / benevolence), and so on.

By not confining itself to a particular period, the setting it allows the music and dance spaces located both close to the house and towards the middle of the region to blend with the rest of the design without looking out-of-place. Meanwhile, there are other numerous elements to be found within the region that fits with the theme – and one which even offers an subtle link to another chivalrous legend, even if it is the purely fictional Arthurian legend.

A Samurai’s Tale, May 2022

One of these touches I particularly like comes in the form of stone-carved versions of Kikazaru, Mizaru and Iwazaru, the three Sambiki-Saru (“mystic apes”), whom we better know in the west as Hear No Evil, See No Evil and Speak No Evil. Perhaps most famously represented by a 17th century carving over the entrance to the Tōshō-gū shrine in Nikkō, they represent the maxim of seeing or hearing no evil in others and speaking no evil of them; a maxim said to be the triple dogma of Tendai-Buddhist philosophy which should symbolise a person’s life. As such, their presence within the region underscores the elements of honour and respect within the samurai virtues.

This is also a place where you’ll want to have local sounds enabled whilst exploring, as Justice has created a local soundscape that blends with the various vignettes, giving them added depth.

A Samurai’s Tale, May 2022

SLurl Details

Regi’s “Limitations” in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Regi Yifu: Limitations are Self-Imposed

Currently open in the skies above GlastonBelli on the mainland continent of Corsica sits Limitations are Self-Imposed a 3D installation by Regi Yifu.

The essential idea appears simple enough: a rainbow-hued series of walls interspersed with the shadowy forms of trees around and between which shade-like birds fly, forms a maze visitors are invited to walk. However, appearances are deceptive. Finding your way around the maze to its heart isn’t simply a matter of trying to pick the correct route between the high walls.

Regi Yifu: Limitations are Self-Imposed

This becomes apparent as soon as one enters the maze: the walls are actually phantom, allowing people to pass through them. So why the maze? The clue is in the title of the piece: all too often the limitations we place in life are self-imposed, either personally or by the strictures of our environment.

We make ourselves follow lines of thinking / belief / the demands of society when trying to grow or learn or achieve, and as a result, we frustratingly come across walls that seem to block our way, causing us to stop, turn back and try again using a different approach – one that may succeed or may lead to further frustration. But what if we didn’t? Rather than turning aside, what if we just kept pushing forward and pushing through the apparent barriers we face?

Regi Yifu: Limitations are Self-Imposed

Many of the world’s ideas and innovations have been achieved in this manner: by pushing against limits, by turning aside and moving outside of “traditional thinking / approaches.

True, doing so may not always yield the immediate result we hope for – there might be further barriers to work through / around; by pushing through one barrier might lead to initial confusion as much as trying to follow traditional thinking, and so on.  This, too, is reflected by Regi’s maze: pushing through a wall here and another there can lead you to a point where progress has been made, but you’re not at the heart of the maze – and it’s no longer clear where that centre is; you need to pause, reorient – and then push onwards.

A simple but layered installation that is also fun to visit.

SLurl Details

Hera’s touch of India in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Hera’s India, May 2022 – click any image for full size

Hera (Zee9) recently opened her latest region design to visitors, this one taking up the ground level at Island of Jahesa, held by Valéria Celestino (Kara Pendleton), and where Hera’s designs sometimes guest.

Entitled India, the setting is easiest described by using Hera’s own words:

I have been wanting to do something evocative of India for a long while. Recently I was looking at pictures of the red fort in Delhi and thought that the unique colour of the pinkish red stone might make for a very unique looking place.
All the textures are derived from photos of the red fort and there are a load of new meshes. I have used the basic layout of the jungle island I have done a few times before because the layout has some nice varying levels. It has turned out far better than I thought it was going to. I keep painting.

Hera (Zee9)

Hera’s India, May 2022

The “jungle island” in question is the one Hera has used in the likes of her Shangri-La build (see: Losing myself in Hera’s Shangri-La in Second Life), and in truth, there are other elements within this build that offer echoes of that 2021 build. These include the beachside seating places and the bar / club area to one side of the build. However, rather than detracting from India, these elements – to me, at least, offer a sense of, if not continuance, then perhaps sisterhood between the two designs.

The Red Fort Hera refers to is Lal Qila, Delhi, the former residence of the Mughal Emperors, as established by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1638, when he decided to make Delhi his new capital.

Hera’s India, May 2022

The important thing to note here is that Hera is not seeking to represent Lal Qila, but rather utilises architecture seen within it as parts of her India design – and she has done so in an effective, subtle manner, such as the capstones along the walls. In addition, Hera has included new meshes of murals along the walls that are mindful of Hindu designs, as well as including reliefs of Ganesh courtesy of RiderX Spitteler.

The bar area – which appeared with Shangri-La (as noted) and also, with a redress, in Giger City (see: Hera’s Drune Giger City in Second Life) – offers a particular attraction for those looking for a place to hide away, but looking up at the towers of the builds and among the tress around it, and you’ll likely find more.

Hera’s India, May 2022

To the front of the build, elephants (admittedly African, but as I’ve noted in the past, the Asian variety is in short supply in SL) and tigers wait to greet visitors as they pass from the landing zone and climb the stairs into the build, while Shiva keeps an eye on all that goes on. Further inside are open-air passages and walks winding around the main structures, offering a route out to where the bar sits on its own island, and to where a temple-like building points an individual tower into the sky on the opposite side of the main building group to the landing zone.

Compact, easy to explore and with plenty of places to relax, India is again a photogenic build from Hera.

Hera’s India, May 2022

SLurl Detail

  • India (Island of Jahesa, rated Adult)