Raging Bellls opened the August exhibition at her Raging Graphix Gallery on August 13th, with a selection of art by Seiko Blessing (softandred), that will run through until Sunday, September 20th, 2020.
Seiko is a physical world artist and photographer, starting in the latter at the age of 14 and graduating to the role of her high School public relations photographer whilst still a student. In adult life, she has self-published two books of photography and has seen her work exhibited in museums, galleries and coffee houses.
Raging Graphix Gallery: Seiko Blessing
For this exhibition she offers a selection of her Second Life landscape photographs, many of which are linked by heavy, evocative skies, laden with cloud through which sunlight filters. This evens may of the pieces presented what at first glance might appear to be a dour look, but which actually emphasises the settings present within each piece, delineating houses, trees, animals, boats and so on with a clarity that is captivating.
Others within the selection make rich use of depth of field to offer richly evocative images, each offering a story that easily captures the eye – so much so that I found it a little sad they were relegated to the stairwell area of the exhibit space, and they might easily be overlooked.
Raging Graphix Gallery: Seiko Blessing
Considered in their composition, tone and finish, sometimes framed with in-world props for a little extra depth, Seiko’s exhibit at Raging Graphix serves as an excellent portfolio of, and introduction to (for those unfamiliar with her photography) her work.
Eterea is a homestead region designed by Coqueta Georgia that again offers visitors a sense of tranquillity and release, coupled with a certain sense of magic and a gorgeous sprinkling of artistic expression.
A Homestead region, Eterea may initially present itself to new arrivals as just another island garden; but looks can be deceiving, particularly first looks. The landing point sits on a north facing cliff, looking out over a shallow bay, the shoulder of the island rising behind it, steps offering a way up through arched trees to where a dodecagon greenhouse awaits.
Eterea, August 2020
Glass-sided and domed, and with a grand columned entrance, this greenhouse is delightfully furnished. Tall bookcases stand sentinel on two sides, wheeled steps placed for the convenience of those wishing to browse, two cosy arrangements of easy chairs, sofas and low tables at their feet. A gramophone and an old bakeite telephone give a sense of age to the setting, while a harp, grand piano and harpsichord vie for the attention of the musically inclined.
Bric-a-brac throughout gives this setting a decidedly cosy feeling, and its not hard to imagine it as a centre of conversation and companionship with a slight Bohemian edge, the drapes slung from the high dome helping to cool it during the day, and the light of the high chandeliers and other lamps spilling out through the wall walls in invitation to others to come join with the music and conversation by night.
Eterea, August, 2020
The greenhouse offers the first clues to the artistic nature of the region as well as it sense of magic. A finely-crafted boat floats over the grand piano, suspended beneath a pair of translucent balloons, whilst paintings lie stacked in corners or behind bookcases and some of the chandeliers also float serenely beneath the glass dome without any physical connection. It is here that some of the motifs found throughout the rest of the region may first be evidenced: the religious in the form of a swing with angel’s wings, together with a reproduction of the Netherlandish (Antwerp Mannerist) triptych The Last Supper (circa 1515-1520); the fantastical (the aforementioned floating boat), and the artistic.
Outside, this grand pavilion is surrounded by a garden of wild flowers and shrubs, whilst shaded patios offer more places to sit (including playable table-top games), while the island drops away from this high vantage point to curve west and north to its far headland. A long dogleg of stone steps runs down to the rest of the island, and from the top of the steps, it is possible to spot another of the island’s mystical elements as a great blue whale (somewhat popular among region designers) swims through the air, slowly circling an upland area just shy of that far headland, a smaller garden on its back.
Eterea, August 2020
The path running along the spine of the island leads the way past several areas where explorers can sit and appreciate the setting, together with multiple opportunities for photography within the little vignettes that have been carefully, but naturally set out along and just off the route. One of these, an octagonal greenhouse, sits as both a cosy retreat – cats allowing! – and a place from which to observe the local owls. Onward, the path passes under the circling Whale (mouse over it and sit if you wish to join the ride), passing above a small beach cupped in the island’s arms as it does so. before descending to where an old and damaged wooden pier extends out into the shallow waters that cover the bulk of the region.
It is on and over this water that the magical and artistic elements of Coqueta’s design flow together, fusing into a captivating scene. Small islands are spotted over the water, three little more that rocky plinths for statues, one as ribbon-like sandbank, and the largest the home to a fresh-water pool. Further out, aged board walks raise and fall above the waves, suggesting a path to be followed, a twin line of telegraph poles pointing the way to them.
Eterea, August 2020
Here, caught in rising sea mist is a fabulous mix of floating boats under balloons – larger versions of the one in the greenhouse -, chairs backed by angel wings floating flower lanterns and coloured umbrellas. Three spiral stairways of stone rise to coloured doors. ladders and strings of chairs alongside them offering opportunities for poses. Beyond the green door a wooden board walk spirals stairway-like up to the heavens, crowned by a chair that again sprouts angelic wings and has a halo floating above it.
Words don’t do justice to this northern element of Eterea, offering as it does such an expressive mix, it needs to be seen to be appreciated, whilst the region as a whole is marvellously presented and rich in detail, with multiple opportunities for photography.
Etamae opened her first 3D art installation on August 15th, 2020, with Little Boxes at the Hannington Endowment for the Arts (HEA).
Little Boxes. A simple little song or a political satire about the creation of suburbia and associated conformist middle class attitudes and a reminder to us all how easy it is to lose one’s individuality to ‘fit in’.
– Etamae’s introduction to Little Boxes
Little Boxes was written in 1962 by Malvina Reynolds, an American folk/blues singer-songwriter and political activist and initially became a hit for Pete Seeger in 1963. It was written in response to Reynolds witnessing the birth of suburbia in California through the development of tract housing like that seen in Daly City, San Francisco.
It’s a song that can easily be listened to as a little bit of fun or as a genuine satirical warning against the loss of genuine individuality in the face of the marching drive of middle-class idealism, where everyone attends the same schools and universities, seeks the same class of careers, lives among peers with the same backgrounds and careers and wanting the same precisely the same education / career path for their children.
Hannington Endowment for the Arts: Little Boxes
All of this is perfectly reflected in Eta’s installation, presenting as it does five gaily-coloured little house boxes visitors are invited to enter, each one reflecting within it as specific element of the song’s lyrics (with more on the walls outside) that can be read or – with a click on them – listened to. This makes it something of a simple, light-hearted visit, or a piece to give us pause to reflect on the whole question of individually vs. conformity, which has become perhaps even more prevalent in the decades since the song was first recorded – and in far more than just middle-class suburbia.
Whether you opt to look at Eta’s little Boxes as a tongue-in-cheek installation, or an underscoring of Reyonold’s song, it’s worth hopping over to HEA and taking a look at it and the other installations on offer there. In the meantime here’s the song.
New gallery spaces for PAC artists at Cherished Melody
Friends on Twitter know that my blogging has slowed of late as I’ve been working on a number of projects. One of these is that of some major updates on behalf of the Phoenix Artists Collaboration (PAC).
Cutting a long story short, after PAC lost the ability to use a dedicated full region, Audie Whimsy and I volunteered space for the group, Audie offering a part of her own Full region, whilst I – as the former curator of Holly Kai Park – was able to secure space for some of the group there (see Providing a home for PAC in Second Life and Phoenix Artists Collaboration: April update).
Nine of the new gallery spaces with gardens at Cherished Melody
More recently, it has become apparent this arrangement is not beneficial to the group. The whys and wherefores aren’t important; suffice it to say that thanks to Audie, we’re now able to take the step of consolidating all artists in the group into a single location once again, and we hope that this will allow us to finally kick-start art and other events more centrally, and in the knowledge we have full autonomy in managing our location.
So right now, I’m in the middle of working with Audie to expand the Cherished Melody sky platform to accommodate the 30 artists presently at Holly Kai Park. It’s work that is taking time, as Audie has worked hard to create a unique environment at Cherished Melody, and it’s important that what we do in increasing the platform’s capacity both blends in with Audie’s work without dramatically changing things – and without inconveniencing the artists already there.
We’ve still got a fair amount of work to do!
As it is, the first eight studio galleries are now in place, complete with the core landscaping and garden space (with room for 3D art displays within the garden). A second group of eight units is nearing completion, and we’re working on developing new exhibition spaces for use by members for their own exhibitions as well as group art displays.
All things being equal, the initial work should be completed before the end of August at which time we’ll start to transition the artists at Holly Kai Park over to Cherished Melody. Once that has been done, we’ll be looking to finally gets started on an active programme of activities and events, including:
The long-awaited start to group exhibitions.
Featured Artist exhibitions.
New teaching / learning opportunities via a new Workshop area that will include lessons being streaming into Second Life by artists and photographers.
Opening-out the PAC website to allow members to blog about their work, exhibitions they are a part of, etc.
Five more studios and garden under construction
Cherished Melody remains open for visits during the work, and artists already based there do not have to do anything. However, we would ask that if you do drop in,be aware that things are unsettled around the outer edges of the platform, and do please note the Under Construction signs – we don’t want to have people finding a building or garden suddenly dropping on their heads or whooshing off from under them without warning in the construction areas!
ARNICAR India has opened another region design for people to enjoy in the form of Chapel Imagination. It’s a stunning design that brings together art, architecture, water and one or two fantastical touches to present a region rich in detail, yet subtle on the eye; a place where one can wander and dream, ponder and relax – and simply be.
Simplicity of design appears to have been the watchword here, with the region sitting as a trio of islands tucked within a bay surrounded by high peaks. All three of the islands are relatively minimal in size, with the largest running east-to-west, a low finger of land marked by a shingle path looping around it to enclose the ruins of what was once a substantial structure – the chapel of the region’s title, perhaps.
Chapel Imagination, August 2020
This structure comprises the Looking Glass Chapel Ruins, created by Marcus Inkpen, and The Looking Glass Enchanted Ballroom Walls by Sharnee Azalee, facing each other along the island’s length, with a Gothic archway walk by Abel Dreamscape stretching part-way between them. This mix of designs works exceptionally well to present a place of ancient splendour and mystical calling, shaded by the broadly spread arms of three monkeypod trees, while the older boughs of Alex Bader’s Skye Twisted Tree intertwine with the archways of the Gothic walk.
The two smaller islands sit to the south and north of this main island – which also forms the landing point – and are reached via short causeways. One of these again uses wall sections from The Looking Glass Chapel Ruins to form largely enclosed space marked by more of Alex Bader’s Twisted Tree, while the other again uses Abel Dreamscape’s Gothic archway, this time interspersed with Sourwood trees before giving way to more elements of TLG’s Chapel Ruins, together with some Lost Garden Columns.
Chapel Imagination, August 2020
It is this minimalist approach to choice of elements – The Looking Glass and Dreamscape – that gives Chapel Imagination part of its charm and appeal, offering as it does the sense of being within what was once an extensive building, which in turn gives the setting a wonderful sense of continuity as you explore.
But it is the details waiting to be found throughout that gives Chapel Imagination its unmistakable depth. Red-crowned cranes are waiting to greet arrivals at the landing point, the chapel behind them offering a fantasy garden / dressing room, a wedding dress waiting to be worn. Down through the Gothic arches are more suggestions of a wedding-in-waiting, whilst the circle at the end offers an entirely different surprise. Beyond it, a little pier extends over water rich with whimsy and fantasy as Bryn Oh’s Social Distancing canoe sits on the gentle waves.
Chapel Imagination, August 2020
To the north, the second chapel stands as a kind of music room, a grand piano sitting within it, together with pieces of art and more. All of this is watched over by a photographer who has found a most unusual perch – so much so, that he might easily be missed, thus adding a little twist of humour.
Despite the use of chapel parts throughout, it’s only the the south island that carries any real hints of religion within it, where pews, and a votive stand can be found, together with a curious gathering of nuns watched from a distance by a lone monk.
Chapel Imagination, August 2020
I’m being deliberately vague about all of this because Chapel Imagination deserves to be seen, not described – and seen directly rather than through the lens of a camera. A considerable amount of work has gone into presenting it as a place of retreat and peace, complete with a considered sound scape and a delightful sense of whimsy.
One of the most engaging region designs I’ve visited in a while, and a tour de force lesson that you don’t need to stuff a region full of bits in order to make it photogenic or worthy of people’s interest.
Monsters are real, ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes they win.
– Stephen King
This is the quote Cica Ghost uses to introduce her August 2020 build, Monsters. Occupying a Homestead region, this is another build that encompasses whimsy whilst also – perhaps – carrying a more pointed message.
Scattered across a strangely undulating landscape stand four large structures, each with two walls apiece. Were they all to be brought together, they might form a house of sorts. But as it is, they each offer a scene in a room of a dwelling: a lounge, two bedrooms and spare room devoid of furnishings on the same scale as found in the others.
Cica Ghost: Monsters
The two bedrooms are occupied by dwellers of the would-be house; one appears to be fast asleep, and other perched on the edge of her bed, feet tucked carefully up as she reads one of a number of books piled in her room. However, these people are not the focus of the build; that is reserved for the plethora of creatures to be found within and without the different rooms, and who lend their name to the installation’s title.
Bipeds, quadrupeds, tall, short, with arms (some times more than the accepted pair!) without arms, some with tails, others sans ears and one with an interesting collection of mouths, Cica’s monsters are waiting to greet and amuse those who visit.
Cica Ghost: Monsters
And yes, I do mean amuse. Such are their looks and expressions, these monsters are hardly the stuff of nightmare – a fact some of them appear to be only too aware, given their glum faces. Rather, they all like like the type of monster unlikely to bring home the screams for a certain famous corporation of Disney lore, but that would all too quickly become a play friend to any youngster they happen upon.
Those in the “living room” of the “house” seem particularly cognizant of their lack of scare factor as they form a group and drink coffee, one idly fishing off the side of the platform, all of them ignoring the entreaties of a four-footed fiend on the grass below to come play. It’s in these glum looks that it is possible to perceive that deeper element embodied in the use of the Stephen King quote: given that often the worse monsters are the ones inside of the humans they are meant to scare, is there any need for the ones we might fear as being under out beds to ever come out?
Cica Ghost: Monsters
Some, however are trying to make the best of things, playing outside and waiting to offer a smile and wave to visitors. For this reason, as much as any other, whether you choose to follow the interpretation given above or not, you should hop along to Monsters and see it for yourself. And if you take a liking to one of Cica’s little chaps, be sure to find your way to the Monster Shop in the region’s south-east corner, where you can pick one up at take it home! And when exploring, be sure to mouse-over things: as always, Cica has included assorted perches and animations for people to enjoy!
