Category: Reviews

The Man Who Lived in the Future, in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
The Edge Art Gallery, July / August 2019: The Man Who Lived in the Future

Currently open at The Edge Art Gallery operated and curated by Ladmilla, is an exhibition marking the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci. The exhibition, entitled The Man Who Lived in the Future, features a new look for The Edge Art Gallery and displays are by sadi8 and JurisJo, jessamine2108, Larisalyn, PatrickofIreland, Kapaan and Ladmilla herself.

The new look for the gallery space is very much Tuscan in nature – as befitting da Vinci, a son of Florence (Vinci being a città of Florence). Exhibition spaces take the form of individual Tuscan-style houses all space around three sides of open lawns and a garden area, with the main reception area and a further gallery space rounding-out the building on the three sides of the lawns.

The Edge Art Gallery, July / August 2019: The Man Who Lived in the Future – Larisayln

Within this garden is a model of da Vinci’s aerial screw by Sergio Delacruz, together with an airship and Bach’s Spine (the latter by Eupalinos Ugajin) to give reminders of both de Vinci’s own vision and the ideas of motion and flight, which both fascinated him. However, this is very much an exhibition of 2D art, and the manner in which the artist have chosen to interpret the life and times of da Vinci is what makes it attractive.

For example, Larisalyn takes as her muse, Cecilia Gallerani. A mistress of Ludovico Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan, she was da Vinci’s subject for his 1489 painting The Lady with an Ermine. She was also responsible for inviting da Vinci to her chamber discussions on philosophy and other subjects with members of the local intellectual set over which she presided. With the images presented here, Larisalyn notes she has tried to represent da Vinci’s style of painting.

The Edge Art Gallery, July / August 2019: The Man Who Lived in the Future – Kapaan

Kapaan, meanwhile focuses on both da Vinci’s inventiveness and his art. His gallery space includes representations of da Vinci’s parachute,  together with monochrome images of the parachute in use. These are displayed with imaginative takes on a couple of da Vinci’s most famous works, The Vitruvian Man and Mona Lisa.

Styles reminiscent of da Vinci’s studies of people and nature, as well as representations of his flying machine can also be found within the displays by PatrickofIreland, sadi8 and JurisJo, and Ladmilla – and I admit to finding PatrickofIreland’s The Study, featuring da Vinci himself, to be particularly evocative, as is the small model of da Vinci’s flying machine.

The Edge Art Gallery, July / August 2019: The Man Who lived in the Future – PatrickofIreland

I confess to being a little confused by jessamine2108’s images, which appear to be closer to more “traditional” avatar and SL nature studies, rather than being intrinsic to a celebration of da Vinci. Which is not to say they are not in themselves attractive.

Those who venture into the gallery space enclosing two sides of the landing point terrace will find a further selection of Ladmilla’s own art, including a series of images partnered with words by Eli Medier, which make for an evocative display in their own right.

The Edge Art Gallery, July / August 2019: The Man Who Lived in the Future – Ladmilla

Two musical events are planned alongside The Man Who Lived in the Future. On Saturday, July 27th, DJ Avalon Boa will be spinning music from 12:00 noon SLT through 14:00, with DJ le Ouf doing the same at the same time, on Saturday, August 3rd.

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A Lost Lagoon in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Lost Lagoon, July 2019. Click any image for full size

Lost Lagoon is a Homestead region designed by knight676 and Jana Guyot that offers an engaging – if curiously populated – setting that also has the ability to look and feel much bigger than the  65,536 sq metres offered by a region.

The region description states Lost Lagoon is a “lost place in the South Seas. Witnesses of bygone days and paradise for those who seek solitude and nature.” Certainly, it has all the elements one might associate with the South Seas (which usually encompasses the South Pacific): a tropical feel, palm trees, balmy beaches, and so on. But there is enough here to throw something of a spanner in the idea that Lost Lagoon is a South Pacific paradise and which serve to make it a unique setting deserving of exploration.

Lost Lagoon, July 2019

Surrounded by off-sim islands that perhaps in places look a little more temperate with there grass slopes, this is nevertheless a tropical setting, as evidenced by the presence of both palm trees and Moai, the latter of which certainly give the region a Polynesian twist. The island itself offers every sign of having once been the home of a lagoon: to the south is what appears to have once been a rock wall, long since breached by the sea, causing the former lagoon to become a bay cutting deeply into the island.

Within this bay are two much smaller islands,  little more than sandy humps. However, one of them is home to a small group of African elephants – the first hint, perhaps, that this really is a lost and unusual setting. They sit under the palm trees and even wade in the water, apparently unfazed that it is most likely salty seawater.

Lost Lagoon, July 2019

Of course, one might argue that the presence of African elephants might be excused by the fact that Asian elephants are in short supply in SL – but what then of the hippos with their slightly oversized tusks occupying the water by the second of the two little islands? They perhaps more directly throw a suggestion of Africa into the mix, contrasting strongly with the south seas idea, while the tigers roaming the island behind them further stirring the mix.

Thus, Lost Lagoon offers an intriguing mix, almost is if it is a kind of lost world in terms of the creatures to be found across it. And nor are the elephant, hippos and tiger the only curious mixing. Lions and meerkats also offer further hints of Africa – although the latter might be standing-in for mongoose. Also to be found across the island are snakes, waterfowl and birds of assorted kinds, all presenting  rich mix of wildlife.

Lost Lagoon, July 2019

There is also considerable evidence of human habitation to be found here, both ancient and modern. The latter perhaps most clearly comes in the form of the great, dome-topped finger of a lighthouse to the east of the island. Beneath it and almost within its lee, sits a nicely furnished cabin – perhaps that of those responsible for maintaining the lighthouse – built out of the cooling waters of a shallow bay.

Ruins to be found in the bay offer a more ancient setting, while the sometimes ramshackle cabins found around the coast help to give the impression that humans have been living here for some time. However, perhaps the most curious mad-made structure on the island is that of an aged submarine that appears to have grounded itself on part of the ancient lagoon wall. It had clearly been there so long that it has be claimed by the local foliage to the point where, from the landward side of the island, it looks like a metallic cavern sitting at the end of the trestle bridge that reaches out to it.

Lost Lagoon, July 2019

These low-lying man-made structures and ruins are overlooked by a old fortification and small chapel both of which stand on the island’s rocky spine. They are reached via a twisting path offering more chances for exploration, while on their far side, sitting on its own promontory and reach by passing under a rocky arch, sits the most wonderful ruin of a church or cathedral, beautifully repurposed.

With its rich mix of wildlife and range of influences – Moai, a Moroccan water pump house, a sitting Buddha, shrine to Shiva, and so on – Lost Lagoon really is an intriguing mix wrapped in an attractive tropical setting. There is a lot of take in, plenty to photograph (with a Flickr group for those who might was to share their images, rezzing rights available by joining the local group for L$150), and numerous places to simply sit and appreciate the location.

Lost lagoon, July 2019

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LEA: more on the closure, and a move to save it

Posted on by Inara Pey
Linden Endowment for the Arts: Another World, May 2017

Following my post on the forthcoming closure of the Linden Endowments for the Art (see: Linden Endowment for the Arts to officially close), committee member JMB (Jo) Balogh posted a personal statement on the closure to Facebook.

As I’m not active in any capacity on that platform, Jo subsequently sent me a copy of her comments via note card, and since I have received numerous questions both in IM and via Twitter, etc., on why the LEA might be closing, I sought Jo’s permission to reprint her thoughts below.

At the same time, and for interested parties, there is a new in-world group for those would would like to see the LEA’s work continue into the future in some manner.

Jo’s Comments on the LEA’s Closure

Again, please note, as Jo states, these are her views on the LEA closure, rather than any form of official statement on the matter; nor do they represent the views of other committee memebers. Nevertheless, they may help shed some light on things.

This is a personal statement, not on behalf of the committee, just my point of view.

For quite a while it was obvious to the Committee that the LEA program as such was slowly dying. Applications for grants were way down and there were complaints that LEA had become boring and predictable. The committee had shrunk in numbers and giving up the right to apply for a grant made becoming a member a non starter for many good people. We spend months discussing it amongst ourselves and in meetings with LL. We concluded that it was not fixable within the current framework and that the only way forward was to step down and let a new group of people with new innovative ideas take it forward. Basically for LEA version II to be started from scratch again, just as it was in 2010. So that’s what we did. We stepped down and left it with LL.

So this is where it stands. I’m sure that LL would be happy to provide the regions again if some of you can come up with a solid proposal for promoting the Arts in Second Life and be willing to run it because it is takes work, a lot of work, trust me on that. It’s a labour of love because it is not paid work. In those years since 2010 Art in SL has changed dramatically and will continue to do so. Go for it! Make it happen.

JMB Balogh (Jo Balogh)

Linden Endowment for the Arts: Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor, April 2016

The New In-World Group Seeking a Continuance of the LEA’s Work

Potentially (but not necessarily) as a result of Jo’s comments, a new in-world group has started, called LEA 2.0 The New Future~ SAVE LEA! Which can be joined by visiting the group join boxes at LEA 5 (up until the end of August 2019, at least).

Founded by artists Tansee Resident and Riannah Avora, the function of the group is described as:

Join Group to SAVE The LEA Sandbox, AIR grants, Core grants and the future of SL Virtual Art and Creativity. Be Proactive. This is an opportunity for “Positive” voices to be heard and be a part of the continuing growth and innovation of virtual art and creativity at LEA with dignified and equal respect to all concerned artists.

Please Be specific with your suggestions. Offer reasonable solutions.

Suggestions can be sent to either Tansee or Riannah in-world or dropped into the green boxes placed on LEA 5 (again, at least until the end of August 2019). In an introductory note card, Tansee adds:

Be Proactive & Positive. Avoid Negativity. Write your suggestions and observations on a note card. Be specific. Be respectful. Offer realistic solutions and explanations why you think something will work and how you envision it working. We have 2 weeks to compile input & present to LL. The plan then is to have a meeting at LEA Theatre.

So, if you wish to contribute ideas of a realistic and positive nature for the future of the LEA – or some next generation LEA – now is the chance to do so.

Linden Endowment for the Arts – Love, Henry, July 2015

For my part, I would simply suggest the following regarding an future organisation akin to the LEA:

  • Keep things simple, keep them open. One of the long-running critiques concerning the LEA was its star-chamber like nature. Meetings were largely closed-door affairs, the by-laws tended to discourage guests  rather than welcome them (with some understandable reasons for doing so); the grant selection process came to be seen (and not entirely fairly) as biased in favouritism; the blog / website never really reported on committee activities, furthering perceptions that it was all somehow secretive, etc.
  • Revisit the AIR grants: these were set-up at a time when arts installations had to be largely built and scripted by hand, making them intensive builds. Times have changed, and as more recent years have shown, installations can be developed using prefabricated mesh elements that can be used in a transformational manner, rather than being built from scratch. So, are 6-month grants actually still required? Could they be reduced somewhat to allow a greater range of expression through a year? Need they all aligned, starting and finishing on the same dates twice a year, or could they be set to operate on a more rolling-style basis with smaller groups of them overlapping with start / end dates? Is 20 AIR regions actually too much to be properly managed, and would a smaller number be preferable?
  • Utilise outreach and engagement. This loops back to the first bullet point in some respects. For assorted reasons, it is not unfair to say the LEA often tended to be regarded as being “apart from”, rather than “a part of” the broader diversity of arts and expressionism in Second Life. Better engagement with the broader arts information groups (e.g. SL Art, Cercle Fafner, to name two of the more prominent groups) would therefore perhaps be beneficial.

There is a lot more on specifics that will likely need to be looked into – up to, and including, I would suggest – the Lab’s own involvement in any LEA-like organisation (and their willingness to be perhaps be more involved than has in the past been the case; but then, this is the Linden Endowment for the Arts – at least for the time being). However, I offer these points as more generic points for possible discussion, if deemed relevant.

Should you have ideas of your own, then please – as noted – contact Tansee and Riannah, or drop your feedback into the green boxes on LEA 5 while they are available; and if you’re interested in keeping track of what might come of this move, join the in-world group.

Cica’s Dogwood in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Cica Ghost: Dogwood – July 2019

An arid land surrounded by the sea, conical hills sprouting from its back to rise above both the nude ground and denuded briar-like trees – this is the strange landscape that greets visitors to Dogwood, Cica Ghost’s latest installation in Second Life.

Within this landscape is an equally curious mix. Two slightly porcine dogs, the kind you might expect to see romping through an animated film, appear to stand guard either side of a ramshackle pair of fences that  themselves appear to be protecting a group of strange structures.

Looking like a mix of gourds, pearl drops and long-necked vases, these structures sprout valve-like arms from  necks rising up to open mouths. Combined with their sometimes bent shapes, these “arms” and open mouths give these forms a comically anthropomorphic look about them, little little odd women and men waving little arms at one another or to visitors, and exchanging conversation.

Cica Ghost: Dogwood – July 2019

Two more dogs stand among these structures, again appearing to have dropped in from an animated film. One is a toothy and slightly worried-looking bulldog, the other an almost Chihuahua-like companion. Together they have an air of a Laurel and Hardy pairing about them.

Also scattered across the island are black birds, standing some in groups some on their own. With their colouring, long legs and beaks, they resemble a cross between a stork and a crow; but like the dogs and the strange structures, they have a strong sense of individual personalities.

Both dogs and birds are nicely animated – the eyes of the dogs dart around, while the birds move their eyes, turn their heads and raise the occasional leg as if about to take a step, then lowering it again in an change of mind.  These animations, together with the multiple avatar sit points with their share of dances waiting to be found throughout the region, add a subtle dynamic to this setting.

Cica Ghost: Dogwood – July 2019

But sitting under a hazy sky, even with its oddly comical-cum-fairytale look, it’s hard to completely understand Dogwood – until that is, you reach the south-west corner of the region. It is here, with a narrow channel of water acting like a moat to separate it from the rest of the land, that a another hill rises. It is topped by a tall tower, reached by precarious-looking flights of steps stacked together without support. The tower is itself enfolded by the scaly tail of a great, wingless wyvern, who rests his bulk on the crown of the tower, eyes roving over the landscape before him.

Tower and wyvern add a further fairytale feel to Dogwood – but it is what lies within the tower, at the end of that precarious stairway that offers a key to Dogwood. A lone flower stands here, the brightness of its colours and the redness of its pot standing in strong contrast to the rest of the landscape. Put them with the quote Cica has selected to frame the installation, and the poetry of Dogwood falls into place:

Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.

– Hans Christian Andersen

Cica Ghost: Dogwood – July 2019

Perhaps initially hard to grasp but equally quirky and cheekily humorous, Dogwood is genuinely poetic in its presentation, carrying a rich vein of fairytale under the banner of the Andersen quote.

SLurl Details

  • Dogwood (Dueville, rated Moderate)

The beaches of Carolina in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Carolina, July 2019 – click any image full size

Warm sandy shores and tropical environs welcome you in this land filled with wildlife, relaxing beaches, and grassy areas. I hope you enjoy your stay and please remember to pick up after yourselves when you go.

– Arol Lightfoot, describing Carolina

Carolina, July 2019

Region designs by Arol Lightfoot are always guaranteed to generate a lot of interest, and so it is with her latest Homestead design, Carolina.

As Arol’s description of the region indicates, this is a very rural, open island setting. Three houses sit within its sandy banks and beaches, two on the coast and the third a little more inland. They sit amidst circling birds while Flamingos strut over the more grassy aspects of the island and horses stroll under the haze-heavy sky.

Carolina, July 2019

The surrounding waters cut into the island to form bays and channels, giving the low-lying land a richly natural look, grass and sandy mingling easily, waterfowl sitting among the piers and rocks that help define the landscape. A curious mix of trees – oaks, palms and Lebanon cedar – rise above smaller trees with bent trunks as if bowed under the weight of their boughs and leaves, but together they help further define the island’s look.

This is a genteel landscape where cats mix easily with dogs, donkeys and goats, all of whom add their own personalities to the region – some quite cheekily so. The only oddity within the setting is the battered and ageing humps of an old roller coaster. It’s not the kind of ride you’d want to take, given the state of the rail-less tracks, despite the cars being present – but it does made an interesting focal-point for photography.

Carolina, July 2019

Photography is very much a raison d’etre for Carolina, again as the About Land description notes. Rezzing in the region is open, but as auto-return is turned off, those who take advantage of it are asked to remember to pick their items when they are finished.

Peaceful, with multiple places to sit and relax and with its wildlife rounded-out by the presence of otters, sea lions – and pandas, Carolina makes for a quiet visit for those so minded, a cosy island with opportunities to explore, to sit and to contemplate – just mind the sharks if you go for a swim!

Carolina, July 2019

SLurl Details

  • Carolina (Margarita Isel, rated Moderate)

Pixtoria: the art of Davenwolf Dagger in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Davenwolf Dagger – Pixtoria Galleries

I recently gained an introduction to the photography of artist, photographer, and Second Life resident, Davenwolf Dagger as a result of his participation in the July exhibition at Kultivate’s The Edge gallery (see: Kultivate: The Edge Gallery – July 2019), where his presented an eye-catching collection of black-and-white photos entitled The Blacksmith Series, that particularly caught my eye, both for the richness of their narrative and for the fact they indirectly reminded me to recall the time I was lucky enough to spend in Tasmania.

Coincident to my review of that exhibition, Davenwolf also sent me an invitation to visit his in-world gallery, Pixtoria Galleries – an invitation I was happy to accept.

Davenwolf Dagger – Pixtoria Galleries

Split between two levels, one on the ground and the other in a skybox, Pixtoria is a veritable tour de force of Davenwolf’s art  – and quite engagingly so. The ground floor provides an introduction to his digital images, running from the abstract through to fractal-like pieces to those suggestive of exotic, alien landscapes to a – for me – fascinating piece entitled DNA, with is marvellous suggestion of constructs and building-blocks and hint of architectural constructs.

The ground level gallery space is small, offering a social area on its upper floor rather than more images, but it is enough the whet the appetite and encourage the visitor to click the teleport disk to reach the sky gallery.

I’m a bit of a creator and perfectionist so I’m always making something. Whether it be in SL or the real world I like to keep myself entertained by creating artworks, photography, drums, videos, sculptures etc., you name it and I’ve done it over the years. Some projects I’ve had with better success than others but I eventually get there in the end.

– Davenwolf, describing his life and art

Davenwolf Dagger – Pixtoria Galleries

The sky gallery is a much larger affair, split into two levels of two halls apiece, the upper levels connected to the lower by elevators. The lower level is home to more of Davenwolf’s digital art, one hall devoted to pieces that continue the themes evident in some of the ground level pcitures, with experiments in line, colour, form and tone. Some of these offer a clear fractal influence (Trident, the triptych like Connections and Spiral), while others present more “organic” forms.

Across the floor, in the other lower level hall are some utterly wonderful images expressing the beauty of geometry as a model for art. Spheres, rings, cones and more sit on chequerboard patterns and under expressive skies, their colours and reflective surfaces offers wonderful depth, so much so you feel like the reflections should move in response to your own camera / avatar movements. Tucked into one corner of this hall are two pieces – Urban Decay and Stranded – that each contain an especially powerful narrative.

Davenwolf Dagger – Pixtoria Galleries: The Blacksmith Series

The upper levels of the gallery featured, at the time of my visit, two exhibitions of Davenwolf’s photography. The first focuses on The Blacksmith Series, his marvellous black-and-white series noted above, captured in an old working environment in Launceston, Tasmania, and, across the intervening atrium, Ward 21 Morisset Asylum.

The latter is an utterly evocative series, taken (I assume) in a disused wing of the psychiatric hospital that opened in 1908 either within, or very close to, the town of Morisset, New South Wales, Australia. Reaching its peak in the 1960, when it houses up to 1600 patients, today it still tends to dominate the town’s reputation, despite now having a patient population roughly one-tenth the number from the 1960s.

Davenwolf Dagger – Pixtoria Galleries: Ward 21 Morriset Asylum

Davenwolf’s pictures capture halls and rooms now broken and decaying, but which are now the home of graffiti. Utilising light and shadow, camera angle and choice of lens, and the occasional image of a man, Davenwolf uses the condition of the ward and the presence of the graffiti to give  – and pardon the term, no pun intended whatsoever – graphic interpretation of a mind in turmoil.

When viewed as complete sets, The Blacksmith Series and the Ward 21 Series are striking in their storytelling. However, the individual pieces within each also stand as collectable images in their own right.  Similarly, the digital images offered through the gallery will natural grace any art collection, making any visit to Pixtoria Galleries doubly worthwhile.

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