Category: Reviews

Men in Motion 2020 at Men in Focus in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Men in Focus November exhibition: Pavel Stransky

Officially opening on Saturday November 7th, is the annual Movember art exhibition at the Men in Focus Gallery, curated by JMB Balogh. Sponsored by the Men in Motion dance troupe, the exhibition is in support of the Movember Foundation, and furthers the gallery’s aim to both promote and feature photography by male artists.

Once again, I was graciously granted the opportunity to preview the exhibition – thank you, Jo! – which sees 2D artists Darkyn Dover, Winter Jefferson, Pavel Stransky and Arnno Planer join several of the Men in Motion dance troupe in displaying their work, together with 3D artists Mistero Hifeng, Luc Lameth and Reycharles.

Men in Focus Movember exhibition: Darkyn Dover

Of the 2D artists, I’ve long been familiar with the work of both Darkyn Dover’s Pavel Stransky, and admire both for their ability to frame images as stories.  This is very much displayed with the selections they present in this exhibition, where Darkyn’s work can be found on the ground floor and Pavel on the third, with some more “traditional” posed avatar studies (lying on the beach and looking out to sea) and portraits (notably Pavel’s striking studio-like piece simply entitled Portrait) added to the mix.

For those images offering a narrative, within these two selections, I found myself particularly drawn to: Darkyn’s No Ideas, which offers both a story in its own right whilst offering a strong feeling of familiarity and understanding for those of us who have ever suffered from a bout of extended writer’s block. Meanwhile, Pavel’s Singing in the Rain, which not only brings to mind Gene Kelly’s entire magical dance routine from that film, but also tells a story of Kelly’s entire genius as a dancer and the heyday of the Hollywood musical; it’s a genuinely evocative piece, beautifully framed.

Men in Focus Movember exhibition: Arnno Planer

Sandwiching Pavel’s work are the selections are those by Winter Jefferson (2nd floor) and Arnno Planer (4th floor). Both offer more “traditional” avatar studies, mostly tightly focused on the avatar such that while costumes are used, the narrative that might be offered is a lot narrower in presentation. This is not a critique of either artist in any way at all; every artist in SL has a specific style and approach to their work, and both Arnno and Winter’s work is engaging and very much broaden the mix of art here.

Of the 3D artists, all are making a return to the gallery, and their pieces  – as enticing as ever – can be found on each of the guest artists levels, and the two levels devoted to the art of members of the Men in Motion dance troupe.

The Movember exhibit officially opens with a 2-hour event featuring the music of Ame Starostin Cheveyo, starting at 17:00 SLT on Saturday, November 7th.

Men in Focus Movember exhibition: Luc Lameth

About the Movember Foundation

The Movember Foundation is a multinational charity raising awareness of, and money for, men’s health and welfare, with a focus on cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. Its titular and widely known campaign is Movember, which encourages men to grow moustaches during the month of November. The foundation partners annually with the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride to also raise money for men’s health.

Founded in 2003, in Melbourne, Australia by Adam Garone, Travis Garone, Luke Slattery, and Justin Coghlan, the organisation attained registered charity status in 2006, and has raised approximately US $700m in charitable donations. These funds have been used to fund more than 800 programmes focusing on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, poor mental health, men’s health awareness and healthy lifestyles. It is active in 21 countries and has a global workforce of 130 people. In addition, Movember coincides with International Men’s Day (November 19th), which among its aims, shares the goal of promoting the health and well-being of men and boys.

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Cica’s Bridge in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Cica Ghost: Bridge

Cica Ghost dropped me an invite to visit her latest build, which opened to the public on Thursday, November 5th. Given I’m a long-standing fan of her work, I had to hop over and see it right away.

Bridge is another whimsical build – but also one that has a potential message for the world at large; a message encompassed in the quote Cica has selected to go with the installation:

It takes both sides to build a bridge.

Fredrik Nael

Cica Ghost: Bridge

For those who may not be familiar with him, Fredrik Nael, is an Indonesian writer of science fiction / fantasy short stories as well as a reviewer of books. In the west, he is perhaps noted for a series of inspirational quotes, of which the one Cica has selected might be his most famous.

With this build, Cica offers a pair of rocky tables sitting above the rest of the landscape, and on which sit two little towns – or perhaps the two halves of the same town, depending on your perspective. They are linked by a single bridge which – given both are walled on their own summits – appears the only way of moving from one to the other (although steps do descend from one to the valley below).

Cica Ghost: Bridge

Watching over all of this is a gigantic dragon. He doesn’t appear to be any threat to either part of the town (or the towns, depending on how you prefer to see them), but whether he is just visiting or a guardian is up to you to decide. He does, however, offer a nice link to Nael’s fantasy writing.

Walking around the tall, slender houses and the neatly set lawns and flower beds will reveal places to sit, places to dance and – across the bridge – pram-like cars (which can be purchased with a rezzing system) for those who want to try motoring around. Exploring will also reveal many of Cica’s cats, who very much have the run of the place – although they are likely not responsible for the little drawings from Cica that are on a number of the walls, and which bring further life to the setting.

Cica Ghost: Bridge

And the message? While Cica keeps her art largely apolitical, it’s hard to miss: at a time when we we tend to be defined by what divides us more than what can unite us, building bridges can do much to bring us back together.

Bridge will remain open through November 2020.

Cica Ghost: Bridge

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  • Bridge (Elle Island, rated Moderate)

Inside mR J’s HoUsE in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
mR J’s HoUsE, November 2020 – click any image for full size
You know….we’re never going to survive unless we get a little crazy … Imagine if every JoKeR character had a home they lived in during their reign…

About Land, mR J’s HoUsE

So reads the description for mR J’s HoUsE, the latest region design by Archetype11 Nova (aka Schmexysbuddy Resident), the genius behind Isolation’s Passengers (see: Isolation’s Passengers in Second Life) and before that, the distinctively captivating builds created under the Hotel California banner.

As with his previous designs, this is a visually impressive setting, one that – like Isolation’s Passengers in particular – carries something of a message for the times we are currently living through.

mR J’s HoUsE, November 2020

At first glance, the setting appears to be a purely fantasy / fantastical setting that carries echoes of the just past Halloween. This, however, is in part washed away with a reading of the About Land description dispels this simple explanation. The situation around the world today and the way in which politics, economies, working lives and even the collective health of nations are under assault, we are all perhaps a step from needing to give vent to a little craziness in order to stay sane – so what if that craziness were to become the norm?

Through mR J’s HoUsE, we can get to lose ourselves in a world where the craziness has been let loose; but not any craziness; instead, Archetype11 has given it at least a couple of twists.

mR J’s HoUsE, November 2020

The setting is almost perfectly described by the About Land description: we are within the grounds of the home of the archetypical crazy, The Joker (right down to a portrait of Heath Ledger’s iconic embodiment of that character in 2008’s The Dark Knight). It is a place that stands, perhaps in direct opposition to the staid grandeur of a place like Wayne Manor, but it is a manor house nonetheless.

But where the home of the Batman might offer order and respectability, this is a place that speaks to disorder and the rite of craziness: giant clown sculptures and grasping hands rise from the chaotic, untended grounds whilst leering jack-in-the-boxes stand guard at the entrance to the mouldering hall and a decaying carnival watches any and all comings and goings.

mR J’s HoUsE, November 2020

This is a place rich in narrative and commentary. Clowns are oft seen as malevolent as much as fun, this the craziness released her has an edge to it – a reminder, perhaps, that in this world, much of what gives rise to out need to scream and shout and go a little crazy is perhaps self-inflicted; and that under the veneer of politeness and civility, that craziness (and individual meanness ) are waiting to be exposed.

Mixed with these strands of narrative is also a strong vein of artistry. The contrasts of scale, for example, – from giant clowns to “life-sized” trees, or the gently-falling snow (or fairy dust – or perhaps something else; you decided).  Within the halls of the manor house more of this artistic sentiment to be found. Yes, the occupants of the house might all be a little unsettling, be thy mannequins or jack-in-the-boxes or puppets, but the manner in which they have been set out speaks to an artistic purpose that in turn breathes life into the old adage, there’s method in his madness.

mR J’s HoUsE, November 2020

Offering a description of where to go following your arrival within the region is pointless: the design is open enough such that visitors should simply go where their feet take them – and everything is visible to a point where the major landmarks are easy to see as one explores. Narrative and metaphor also abound – although not in a way that demands you take all of it in; if you prefer to witness the region as a work of artistic statement, nothing in lost through ignoring that narrative and metaphor.

And within the madness of the setting are also moments of beauty: the glimmering of light strings hanging from threes, the burst of colour from a hidden bed of flowers and the promise of a coming season of joy in the baubles strung from another tree. Although these also have there twists of madness – as a walk through the aforementioned flowers will reveal (yes, there are interactive elements to be found here).

mR J’s HoUsE, November 2020

Rich in detail, edged with menace (for those who don’t like clowns), whilst attention-holding and highly photogenic, mR J’s HoUsE is yet another captivating region build from a true master of design.

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Echoes, whispers and reflections in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Konect Art Gallery: CybeleMoon – Echoes and Whispers

Now open at Konect Art Gallery curated by Gonzalo Osuna (Jon Rain) are two new exhibitions from two unique artists, each of whom has a gift of telling entire stories in a single frame.

On the lower floor of the gallery is Echoes and Whispers by CybeleMoon (Hana Hoobinboo), a collection of 21 images, captivatingly composed and framed, all of them built around expressions of longing and nostalgia framed within an autumnal theme.

Konect Art Gallery: CybeleMoon – Echoes and Whispers

Cybele has a marvellous gift for creative images that capture not only a moment in time, but also the perfect expression of an emotion or feeling, presenting it as a story that draws our eyes and imaginations into its very heart. And this is more than the case here; among this collection are some of the most poignant images it has been my privilege to view; marvellously evocative of the emotions defined by the title, whilst in places being reflective of today’s world.

Konect Air Gallery: CybeleMoon – Echoes and Whispers

The latter is powerfully set within the monochrome We’ll Get Together Soon, Dad, a piece rich in love and longing, and The Photographers, which reminds us that whilst we must for now remain separated from family and loved ones, there will be times when we again freely mix and have fun together.

Meanwhile, the Lost Airmen of the Empire, whilst capturing a modern light aircraft in soft focus, also invokes bot thoughts of the pioneering days of flight and – given the month with are in – those who took to the air are a part of the fight against world-threatening tyranny.

Konect Art Gallery: Rachel Magic – Reflections

On the upper floor of the gallery, Rachel Magic (larisalyn) presents a selection of 12 images captured from within second Life, and which are offered under the title Reflections. These are again images that often carry a suggestion of the autumnal months through the use of colour and processing whilst simultaneously framing a thought-grabbing narrative.

There is also a wonderful sense of escape and freedom captured within many of these pieces – time on the beach, watching baby pandas playing on stone steps, the promise of sailing away on open waters, and the chance to simply fly away. This adds a further dimension to this collection that calls to the imagination and the emotions.

Konect Art: Rachel Magic – Reflections

I’m barely scratching the surface of wither exhibition here – but as both will be open through until November 14th, why not  hop over the Konect Art Gallery and immerse yourself in the work of two marvellous artists.

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Midnight in Paris in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Midnight in Paris, November 2020 – click any image for full size

A  year ago, we visited Somewhere Else BKLYN, a region designed by Littlesquaw and ToXxicShadow and intended primarily for Second Life photography (see Somewhere Else in Second Life).  Now Littlesquaw is back with a another take of a city setting with Midnight in Paris. Once again, it is a region offered as a photogenic setting that presents numerous opportunities for avatar photography – and for those who were in the BKLYN group, that same group is used for rezzing rights in this build.

As the name suggests, the region presents a view of Paris at night – a length of the Seine, in fact, with its familiar bankside roads on either side and steps descending to public walks just above the river’s waters.  A barge is chugging its way along the river, passing under one of the arched bridges, while town houses and business places stand to attention along the roads on either side.

Midnight in Paris, November 2020

The majority of the buildings at little more than façades, although a small bistro towards the middle of the north bank of the river offers an interior setting alongside a cobbled courtyard, beyond which lies a small park.

This may all sound simple – and in a sense, it is – but there is beauty (and care) in this apparent simplicity. The beauty is in the night-time setting, the use of lighting (you really should have the viewer’s Advanced lighting Model active  – Preferences → Graphics → Advanced Lighting Model).

Midnight in Paris, November 2020

The care comes from things like the inclusion of static NPCs that add a sense of human presence along the streets, the use of weather to offer a sense of change: rain is falling still on the south bank of the river, whilst on the north, some the the streets still have puddles from the recently-passed shower, whilst here and there cobblestone glisten in  the wake of its passage.

Further life is added by the presence of one or two little side streets of the kind that can so often be found when exploring a city like Paris; streets that carry you away from the familiar cosmopolitan bustle and into places where family businesses can still be found.

Midnight in Paris, November 2020

Quite where this scene might be in Paris isn’t important. While the Eiffel Tower forms a backdrop to the setting, whether or not Midnight in Paris is actually based on a part of the city simply isn’t important: the atmosphere created within the region is more than enough to carry you there – and have given those who have visited the inspiration to offer their own interpretations of Parisian life via the region’s Flickr group.

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Emotions in art in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Michel Bechir Gallery: Emotions – Lynx Luga

Currently on display at the Michel Bechir Gallery is a ensemble exhibition featuring five Second Life photographer-artists, offering images under the common theme of Emotions. The participating artists are AngeloDiabolico, Mya Audebarn, Max Seagate, Robyn35, and Lynx Luga, with four of the artists on display within the gallery building, and one – AngeloDiabolico – on the courtyard outside.

Given the title of the exhibition, the majority of the images presented focus on avatar studies – but within them, there are also some unexpected pieces that add a twist to the theme, whilst others offer a more narrative slant to the theme.

The Michel Bechir Gallery: Emotions – AngeloDiabolico

Take Angelo’s pieces for example; several have a powerful fantasy theme running through them that provide a rich narrative that frames their focus, bringing life and depth to the characters through the suggestion of emotion rather than a direct focusing on the subject. Just look at An Angel Without Wings as singular example: there is a story here just waiting for the imagination to open; one of beauty, fallen angels, regret, loss, loneliness and more, transmitted from the title of the piece through the setting and use of colour to focus down on the central character in such a way the the depth of emotion she is feeling is unmistakable, despite the fact we cannot see her face.

By her own admission, Robyn35 is new to the world of Second life photography and still finding her way; however, her work already has a balance and focus that makes it worthy of exhibition. Located on the upper floor of the gallery, she presents a set of images that might be seen as “traditional” avatar studies: minimal or no background, close-in, often soft focus on the subject, etc. However, in doing so, Robyn demonstrates the ability to transmit emotions through her work in a single frame without the need for us to necessarily click any of them to read the title.

Michel Bechir Gallery: Emotions – Robyn35

On the lower floor, Mya (for the most part) follows this technique, but with a focus on the facial expression to convey emotion, whilst also using a sense of motion in some of her pieces to give an alternative expression of emotion – freedom, happiness, reflection. The balance of portrait and broader study giving her selection a richness of expression.

Max Seagate also offers a combination of solo images and those using a sense of motion to convey their emotions. He also joins Angelo in presenting several pieces that appear to be moments of broader narrative, in which the captured moment is but a single frame in which the emotional power of that broader picture is focused.

Michel Bechir Gallery: Emotions – Mya Audebarn

However,and without wishing to appear biased – all of the art in this exhibition is rich in content and its ability to hold the eye – I admit to finding the pieces presented by Lyna Luga within the entrance hall of the gallery particularly compelling.

Among these are the more “traditional” avatar studies, presented here as paintings or in soft focus; there is also the use of motion to transmit emotion. But this is a selection that also includes inanimate objects to generate an emotional response.  Some of these use poetry to aid their framing – but there is one, Silent Courtyard, that appears sans avatars and words or anything one might reasonably expect to generate a sense of emotion; yet it is for me the most emotionally charged of all the images within this exhibit.

Michel Bechir Gallery: Emotions – Max Seagate

With five artists drawn together by theme, Emotions will (I gather) remain in place for around another week or so – so be sure to catch it.

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