Category: Reviews

Art and nature in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Club L.A. and Gallery – Sue Kass

Somewhat unusually for this blog, I’m covering three exhibitions of art split across two galleries – Club L.A. and Kiku Gallery  – that between them presents three very individual displays of art by Second Life artists, and which are each small enough to make a joint interesting and contrasting visit for those who enjoy art in Second Life.

Opening at L.A. Club and Gallery, curated by Wintergeist, on September 28th, 2019 and running for approximately two months are exhibitions by Maloe Vansant Sue Kass, two very different artists.

Club L.A. and Gallery – Maloe Vansant

Maloe is always a provocative in her work, and with A Glitch in Time, she again shows this to be the case, with a very mixed set of predominantly physical word photographs – and I have to be honest, I’m not entirely sure what to make of them. This is something I say without any intention to be dismissive towards the exhibition, but simply because the mix of images offered is so diverse, it really needs individual viewing and contemplation, rather than any attempt to understand them through the eyes of another.

Sue Kass, meanwhile, is an artist I’ve not previously encountered. She presents a selection of 16 avatar studies offered as a mix of photographs, paintings and drawings. I have to admit, they make an engaging collection; each one captivates the eye, offering a perfectly framed image complete with the strong suggestion of a surrounding story; so much so that again, they deserve an direct visit to view, rather than a second-hand interpretation here. However, I will say I found myself drawn to those pieces that suggest a drawing or watercolour – notably Fall, Hug and Flowers, seen below, and Ink.

Club L.A. and Gallery – Sue Kass

Running through until November 8th, 2019 at the Kiku Gallery curated by Suzanne Logan is an exhibition of photography by Ktahdn Vesuvino entitled A Closer Look, a series of marvellous close-up images from the physical world captured using a digital single-lens reflex camera with (for the most part) a 100mm macro lens. These are combined with a small series of photographs of the most astonishing series of sand sculptures.

When I go for walks, I see most people with heads down, looking at their telephones. The world presents beauty in great detail, everywhere one chooses to look. I know there is also ugliness. It’s part of our reality. I choose to focus on things I see as being beautiful, and attempt to make a photograph that will show some of the beauty to others… and be worth looking at again.

Ktahdn Vesuvino, describing A Closer Look

Kiku Gallery – Ktahdn Vesuvino

This is another captivating collection of images, Ktahdn’s macro pictures offering a fabulous series of portraits, while those taken on the beach marvellously underline his comment about people being so focused on their smartphones they can literally miss life passing them by.

Taken together, and as I said at the top of this review, all three exhibitions make for individually absorbing visits.

Kiku Gallery – Ktahdn Vesuvino

SLurl Details

A Hazardous return in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Hazardous, September 2019 – click any image for full size

We often lament the passing of an established Second Life region; when the news breaks, there are always questions of why and voices of regret. So when the reverse happens, and a long-time favourite returns to Second Life, it’s only right we should celebrate and give cheer – and that’s certainly the case with Hazardous, which re-opened its doors to the public on September 21st, 2019.

Designed and presented by Mandingo Quan, Hazardous was a unique region design when I first visited it far back in 2013, and it remains genuinely so with its re-opening in 2019.

Hazardous, September 2019

For those who remember the region of old, Hazardous still presents its familiar horseshoe plateau of an island rising on sheer cliffs and cut through to its heart by a deep gorge. It is a setting that intentionally sets itself aside from other regions in it looks, as travellers who perhaps have not had the opportunity to visit previously will quickly see.

I’ve been really blessed to have gotten so much positive feedback. Frankly I was one of those who would often talk about the older sims disappearing without realising that mine was one! What really surprised me is we opened up on around two hours notice and we had over 50 avatars arrive, it was really humbling; and the old faces I see now, it really is good to see people back.

– Mandingo Quan discussing the return of Hazardous

Hazardous, September 2019

Much within it remains true to the original: the minimalistic beauty of the U-shaped plateau; the novel means of reaching it from the landing point; the curving stone steps awaiting discovery as they curl down to the waters below. But there are subtle changes: while the landing point retains its novel “teleport” down to the island proper (left-click to stand on the flagstone and enjoy the animation!), the keen-eyed may notice the bathtub has vanished, whilst down on the ground, a new open-air event space sits a short walk from where incoming visitors land.

The latter, Mandingo informed me, is being looked after by Rara Destiny and Grace McDunnough, two talented live performers in their own right, and who will doubtless be holding sets at Hazardous (indeed, Rara sang at the opening on September 21st). For the coming weekend they have a very special performance taking place: ColorfulQuiet (aka CQ or CQ Bravin) is returning to Second Life after a 6-year hiatus and will be appearing at Hazardous on Saturday, September 28th, starting at 14:00 SLT, kicking-off his Love Tour.

Hazardous, September 2019

While the landscaping up on the plateau might be – as I’ve said – beautifully minimalistic, there is actually a lot to see in Hazardous; some of which might be easily missed if not looked for. The most obvious to be seen is the gorge and the board walk winding through it from open mouth to circular well and the river house that sits therein. A cross between café and artist’s studio, the house offers a quiet retreat from the world above – but it is not all that resides in the gorge.

Others, however, are a little harder to find. Take the steps down to the water I mentioned above. These might require a little more vigilance in order to be found. However, the care is worth it as what lies just beyond the gates at the foot of the stairs is worth the visit.

Hazardous, September 2019

In fact, camming over the sides of the cliffs is recommended during a visit, as there are a number of touches around the periphery of the island that might well otherwise be missed. Careful mousing over things is also advised. Doing so might well reveal a hidden spot within the island that awaits discovery – although getting back might also require a little careful camming.

With its subtle sound scape and ability to suit almost any windlight environment, Hazardous has always been a delight to visit and photograph, and it is an absolutely pleasure to see it back in Second Life once more and available for people to enjoy.

Hazardous, September 2019

SLurl Details

The Museum of Fine Arts in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Museum of Fine Arts

If you’re into fine and classical art, then you are going to want to drop in to the Museum of Fine Arts in Second Life. I confess, I knew little of the museum prior to recently receiving an invitation from Tonem, the museum’s curator to pay them a visit, so I was delighted to be able to accept the offer and learn about the gallery.

Originally founded in Twinity in 2013, the museum moved to Second Life in 2015, where it is located on the Mainland continent of Jeogeot, occupying a palatial and very fitting château (the work of Kaya Angel) that provides 20 rooms of exhibition space, with a further annex to the rear.

Museum of Fine Arts

The goal of the museum is to provide a non-profit educational facility displaying art from the physical world. Each piece presented in the exhibition spaces is a faithful photographic representation of the originating art, with care taken to ensure only pieces that reside in the public domain in their country of origin are reproduced, and that they free from known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighbouring rights.

When the group was founded [2013] there was a debate on the kind of art to include. And the conclusion to not exhibit user created art was for three reasons: the difficulty of establishing provenance; the lack of expertise [at the time] regarding modern art in our group; and the fact that there are many, many art galleries in Second life presents in-world artists and photographers with the ability to display their work, but only a handful available for exhibiting fine and classical art from the physical world.

– Tonem, describing the background to the Museum

As an advocate for the presentation of suitable physical-world art through Second Life, the museum’s focus is something I approve. SL provides the means to create exhibitions that can bring together a wealth of established art from around the globe and present it to an audience in a manner impossible win the physical world without the need for what could amount to a lot of globe-trotting; while for the modern artist in the physical world, it offers the means to reach a global audience in a more immersive and personal manner than images on a web page.

Museum of Fine Arts: German Art in the 19th Century – Caspar David Friedrich

This first point above is particularly true of the current exhibitions at the museum; there is no way on Earth the rich diversity of pieces offered could have been brought together by a single gallery in the physical world. Nor does it end there. Great lengths have been taken to ensure a visit to the Museum of Fine Art is as “real” as possible.

The two exhibitions currently in progress are German Art in the 19th Century, which represents the gallery’s main autumn / winter 2019 exhibit, and Marie Bracquemond One of the Grand Dames of Impressionism, running through until October 22nd, 2019. Each demonstrate the care taken in presenting the art in the museum: the images are correctly scaled one to the next, whilst each has its own information card, a-la a physical world museum. For those who prefer, images can also be left-clicked to have the information text displayed in local chat.

Museum of Fine Arts: German Art in the 19th Century – Adolph Menzel

German Art in the 19th Century includes a wealth of introductory information in the museum’s foyer, and I recommend viewing it before progressing through the gallery’s halls. In all, some 34 German painters are represented, with over 200 individual pieces of art faithfully reproduced. The exhibit follows the evolution of German art from the romantic period (late 18th and early 19th centuries) through to the period of German Expressionism in the early 20th century. There is no set path through the exhibit, But given the volume of art, I would recommend setting aside time to genuinely appreciate it, as it has taken a lot of time and effort to pull things together, as Tonem notes:

Of course, because we can use almost anything in the public domain also makes it more of a challenge! The museum did a lot of small exhibits focusing on particular parts of movements or periods, but the didactic value seemed minimal. Something sweeping like this should be much more valuable to people learning about art – but it was a tremendous amount of work to bring it all together!

Museum of Fine Arts: Marie Bracquemond

The exhibit celebrating the art of Marie Bracquemond can be found in the annex to the rear of the museum, on the Lindal Kidd terrace (Lindal is someone who over the years has leant support and assistance to the gallery).

Alongside Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt, Madame Bracquemond is regarded as one of les trois grandes dames of the French impressionist movement. This is a much smaller exhibit, as one might expect given the focus on a single artist, but the works offered within it are again presented with the same care to detail and scale. At the time of my visit, some finishing touches had yet to be made (including the introduction to the exhibition), but this shouldn’t put people off – should you want to find out about Marie Bracquemond, Google is your friend.

Museum of Fine Arts: Marie Bracquemond

The Museum of Fine Arts is a gem of a gallery museum in Second Life, and I thoroughly recommend it to all who have an interest in physical world fine and classical art. I’d also like to thank Tonem for her time with me during my visit, and I look forward to returning in the future and writing about further exhibitions at the gallery.

SLurl Details

Whimsies and Dreamscapes in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Whimsies and Dreamscapes, September 2019 – click any image for full size

We were drawn to Whimsies and Dreamscapes, a Full region using the additional 10K land capacity designed by TwinkleStarLight, on the recommendation of Shawn Shakespeare. And I have to admit, the region certainly lives up to its name and description: this is a setting that is intentionally an eclectic mix of offerings on land, on water and – if you’re prepared to take a dip – under the water. So much so that actually trying to formulate a description isn’t that easy – discovery is perhaps the best way to learn about the various elements. However, I’ll try to offer a little teaser.

First, up the land – which is split into a number of boxy, rocky islands, water channels and low-lying areas of grasslands – has no enforced landing point. The one I’m using here is the one provided (at the time of writing) in the About Land floater, but you can pretty much hope around quite freely. The landing point I’ve used sits on the lowlands of the region, toward the north-west corner. Backed by Whimsies Candy Shop – which might be regarded as a “gateway” to the underwater elements of the region – it offers a good starting point for explorations of the region’s lower grasslands.

Whimsies and Dreamscapes, September 2019

Bounded by water on all four sides, the shop and the lawn before it are connected to the rest of the lowlands be means of a simple wooden bridge passing under a high rocky arch. Beyond this sits a more curious landscape, a place filled with old ruins, a tumbledown retreat on the top of a small hill (looking for all the world like a wizard’s hideaway although it is a fact a cosy little snug), a stone henge, paths and trails and wild gardens stalked by flamingos and a unicorn, and both human and elven houses that again offer places to sit and relax and share time with others.

Scattered through these areas are a number of teleport mirrors. According to the about land description, these are apparently designed to assist in getting around. Unfortunately during our three visits, the mirrors were non-responsive; even joining the local group (there are approximately two inviters you may encounter whilst exploring) failed to wake them up for us. Fortunately, insofar as getting up to the highlands in the region is concerned, there are ways other than teleporting available (although I’ve no idea whether or not the teleports also provide access to places in the sky over the region).

Whimsies and Dreamscapes, September 2019

One of these routes can be found on the south side of the large inland island to the west of the region. Decorated in the form of a graveyard (for Halloween, perhaps?), it can be reached via a set of stepping stones located close to the elven house. Creepy though it might be, the upper part of the cemetery with to one of the region’s more whimsical elements: a mist-covered “sea” that tumbles down the sides of the island on which it sits to the waters below; it is home to the partially sunken and broken hulk of a galleon. That his ship might well be wrecked doesn’t appear to bother the chap floating on a modern life buoy within the wreck; perhaps that’s down to the rum his appears to be enjoying!

A further bridge, this one on southern coast of the cemetery island and a short walk from the stepping stones, gives access to the western extremes of the island. High and low, the land here offers a mix of more garden spaces, a floating house set out as both an artist’s retreat and a place for people to again enjoy time together, and beaches. Steps again lead up to the the tops of the cliffs where the further one travels northwards, the more eclectic and whimsical things get.

Whimsies and Dreamscapes, September 2019

The nature of the region means that I really don’t want to give too much more away in terms of outright description; as noted, this is a place that deserves exploration and discovery. However, when visiting I would suggest that you experiment with local windlight settings; the default offered by the region doesn’t entirely do it justice.

Also, don’t forget the underwater elements! These are perhaps best explored starting with a leap off the pier at the back of Whimsies Candy Shop, and offer a number on little garden spaces connected by narrow pathways between steep sandy slopes that could perhaps benefit from rocky cladding – but land Capacity is Land Capacity! The quirkiness in the scale of some of the items here makes these spaces a further curio of exploration, and I particularly liked the octopus’s garden – and what lies above it. For those who prefer time on the water rather than under it, the pier behind the shop is also one of the places where swan-headed boats can generally be obtained for cruising the region’s channels and bays.

Whimsies and Dreamscapes, September 2019

Unconventional in presentation, rich in detail and with plenty to see and plenty of places to pass the time, Whimsies and Dreamscapes can made for an engaging visit where there camera may well see a fair degree of use.

SLurl Details

Maloe, Del, Key and a third anniversary in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
DiXmiX Gallery, September 2019 – part of the revamped The Atom section of the gallery

DiXmiX Gallery, curated by Dixmix Source, is celebrating its third anniversary in September 2019, with a triple exhibition by Maloe Vansant, Del May and Key Monk, and with something of a revamp of the gallery’s spaces.

Since its inception, DiXmiX has been a consistent venue for art from the avant-garde to the traditional landscape, although the emphasis has perhaps leant towards avatar studies and portraiture. I’ve covered the gallery in these pages since its inception – (admittedly missing a few exhibitions over the last 36 months), and it has been a fascinating journey from then until now, witnessing the richness of art on display, both 2D and 3D, and also the gallery’s evolution with the guiding support of Megan Prumier.

DiXmiX Gallery, September 2019 – Del May

For its first exhibition in September 2016, DiXmiX offered colour and monochrome images by Grazia Horwitz, Ariel Brearly (via Dixmix Source’s personal collection of her work), Ziki Questi, and also from the portfolios of Megan and Dixmix.  This mix of monochrome and colour art is again on offer in the three exhibitions marking this third anniversary – although the content of the art is very different from that first exhibition, and the three sets offer rich contrast between one another.

Occupying the Grey Gallery, adjacent to the main entrance, Del May presents a set of thirteen avatar studies that are startling in their content, encompassing a form of surrealism that is exceptionally captivating. These are pieces that demand the attention of the heart and emotions rather than the intellect, each piece singularly unique and with its own sense of potential and narrative.

DiXmiX Gallery, September 2019 – Maloe Vansant

One the upper level’s White Gallery, Maloe Vansant presents a dozen studies in her familiar evocative and provocative style. One of the aspects of Maloe’s work I find appealing is her ability to offer pieces that might be regarded as voyeuristic or NSFW or edging on the taboo/ fetishistic, but which are ultimately introspective / reflective, or which convey an ideal, a provocation to thought, rather than seeking a more basic (hormonal?) reaction. This is very much the case here, with each piece presented intoxicating in its composition, tone and message.

For me, Key Monk’s work, displayed in the lower level Black Gallery, offers a new volume in the school of photography brought to my attention by Melusina Parkin. Rather than provide a broad canvas for his pieces, Key focuses on a single element in scene, using it, something with soft focus or considered depth of field, to present a window into what might be a much more extensive story that only requires our own imaginations to bring to life. And even when the image itself is more expansive – as with #3, there is still the feeling that we are witnessing one small part of a bigger story, and thus we are drawn into each piece to weave our own narrative around it.

DiXmiX Gallery, September 2019 – Key Monk

Congrats to Dixmix and Megan on the occasion of the gallery’s third anniversary – looking forward to the next three years!

SLurl Details

Art and inspiration in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
The Edge, Afflatus, September 2019 – Impossibleisnotfrench

Opening on Saturday, September 21st at THE EDGE Art Gallery, curated by Ladmilla, is a new ensemble exhibition entitle Afflatus (“inspiration”). Running through until Monday, October 21st, 2019, the exhibit features the work of Impossibleisnotfrench, Jessamine2108, Davenwolf Dagger, Loegan Magic, together with gallery “regulars” (residents?) Kapaan, Larisalyn, PartrickofIreland and Trisharose, all rounded-out by a display of art and words by Ladmilla and her SL partner, Eli Medier.

For this exhibition, part of the lawn between the gallery’s indoor exhibition spaces has been turned into a garden display, with paths meandering around work by the quite delightfully name Impossibleisnotfrench (using the Display Name Harry Cover – the name I’m going to go with here, simply for brevity of typing!), and Trisharose. I’m starting here in part because it is the most obvious element in the exhibition, sittig as it does in the midst of the gallery space, but also because Harry’s 3D work is utterly captivating, and it’s the first time I can recall witnessing it in Second Life.

The Edge, Afflatus, September 2019 – Impossibleisnotfrench

For My Third Life Harry present 25 eggs, the majority of which are each slightly larger than an avatar’s neck and head, all of them mindful of Fabergé eggs, but eschewing the gold and bejewelled exteriors in favour of external painting and design in keeping with their contents. Within each (just click the lid on those that might be closed and hiding their interiors) is the most remarkable diorama or model, all of them spanning a broad range of subjects from little World War I Sopwith Camels patrolling the air over their base, to miniature paintings to tiny goldfish swimming in their bowl, with landscapes, figurines and even a couple of cheeky and humorous pieces (think the girl is taking a shower? look more closely!). All are actually drawn from elements of Harry’s life and family, thus offering a “3rd life”, so to speak, reflection of his first life. They are, individually and collectively, an absolutely must-see display that is mesmerizing in its beauty, inspiration and skill of execution.

Alongside Harry’s installation, Trisharose presents Be Kind, Laugh and Smile Today, a selection of ten avatar studies and two – for me – quite eye-catching studies of that staple of Second Life landscape, the lighthouse.

The Edge, Afflatus, September 2019 -Trisharose

Within the gallery buildings can be found the installations by the remaining participants in the exhibition, each of whom presents pictures on a theme of their choosing.

Following the order of buildings anti-clockwise from behind the outdoor display, these are Jessamine2108, who offers us a series of Musings, images ranging from studies of avatars in motion (Passion) through to composite pieces (Transcendence) by way of landscape studies to present a set of pieces that do indeed encourage the mind to muse on them. With All Creatures Great and Small, a wonderful selection of landscape and animal images captured around SL, Larisalyn channels the spirit of James Herriot (actually veterinary surgeon Alf Wright), and I challenge anyone not to find a smile at the title piece alongside the entrance to her gallery space.

For Vintage Virtual and The Promise Loegan Magic and Kapaan respectively focus on black and white images, albeit it in very different ways. With his images, Loegan presents  scenes from Second Life that suggest we are looking back over many decades, to a time before the advent of colour photography; only the appearance of the shells of road vehicles in a couple breaks this illusion.  More than that, however, is that in their monochrome rendering, these are images suggestive of a mind in sleep recalling the places it has seen through the medium of dreaming.

The Edge, Afflatus, September 2019 – Loegan Magic

Kapaan’s work, meanwhile is of a darker tone and presents itself as a narrative, each image potential a scene from an unfolding story – a journey undertaken by a lone hero. But to what end? That, perhaps, is for us as the witnesses to decide. Or perhaps the clue lies in the small annex to the main display space.

Davenwolf Dagger is a photographer in the physical world whose work first came to my attention earlier in 2019, and towards which I admits to having something of a fascination. With Industrial Fusion he offers more of his images from the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston, Tasmania, and which make up his Blacksmith series. Here they are combined with industrial pieces from SL to provide a unique blending of ideas.

The Edge, Afflatus, September 2019 – Ladmilla and Eli

Puppets presents more of Ladmilla’s always superb and evocative images – here with a slightly surreal slant – coupled with Eli’s masterful use of prose and poem to present a series of pieces encompassing reflections on life, identity, relationships and human nature, all of which meld the physical and the virtual to stir the mind and the eye.

Surrealism is also very much a part of PatrickofIreland’s Four Elements – Essentials of Life. This is something of an immersive installation, commencing within the courtyard of the gallery space. As the name suggests, it offers a celebration of the four essential elements of life  – water, air, earth and fire, with each represented through fabulously surreal pieces.

The Edge, Afflatus, September 2019 – PatrickofIreland

Inspired and inspirational, Afflatus and its ensemble exhibitions of at officially opens at 11:00 SLT on Saturday, September 21st, with music by DJ Avalon Boa between 12:00 noon and 14:00 SLT.

SLurl Details