Category: Reviews

Athazagoraphobia, Evolution and a touch of colour at Vibes Gallery

Posted on by Inara Pey
Vibes Gallery: Store’s Helendale – Athazagoraphobia

I confess that Vibes Gallery, curated (I believe) by Eviana Robbiani, is a place that I’d not come across until I received an invite from Storie’s Helendale (GlitterPrincess Destiny) to attend her latest exhibition there – one of three that can be experienced within the somewhat grunge-like gallery setting that offers an appeal of its own.

Storie’s often tends to take the more unusual / thought provoking as the theme for her exhibitions, and this – although brief in some respects – is no different. Entitled Athazagoraphobia, it takes its title from what is perhaps one of the least talked about human phobias: fear of being forgotten or of forgetting others.  It is often associated with the families / loved ones of Alzheimer’s/dementia patients, who fear their loved ones will forget them eventually, but can be encountered elsewhere, and in the form of a fear of being forgotten by those we love after we have passed.

Vibes Gallery: Store’s Helendale – Athazagoraphobia

In this, athazagoraphobia has a role to play in our digital lives. What happens if we leave SL, will those we have known be remembered? How long will our work / activities here help hold us in the minds of others? Even if our work remains, will it help people to recall us, as the people responsible for that work? What happens if someone we know decides to leave Second Life? will they continue to think of us, to recall our friendship, our company? Will we live on in their thoughts?

Through words and images, this appears to be the element of athazagoraphobia Storie’s explores in this small, but evocative exhibition. In it, she uses images to offer the suggestion of fading memories and words to question how we might be recalled, to bring in the focus the desire to be remembered, to be more than a fading memory or the name assigned to an image or object. It’s a dark subject – emphasised by Storie’s request that a dark windlight setting is used when visiting – but it is also one hauntingly brought to life through her images.

Vibes Gallery: Lexia Kohime – Evolution

I retained the same windlight setting – Phototools No Light, although Midnight will also work – to view Evolution, an exhibition by Lexia Kohime. In difference to many avatar study exhibitions, the focus of this exhibition is the male portrait: close-in head studies present in a range of finishes: colour, monochrome and sepia finishes, these are fascinating pieces, each rich with its own life, a capturing and framing of the nature of the subjects.

The exceptions to the pieces sit to one end of the gallery space, where a smaller selection of female avatar head studies can be found. I confess that, as engaging as the male studies are, I found several of these to be more coptivating. Not because they are of female avatars (I have no bias either way when it comes to avatar studies), but because I found four of them to be rich in the kind of narrative I love to discover within images.

Vibes Gallery: Lexia Kohime – Evolution

The final exhibition – which commenced in mid-May 2019, and so might not have much longer to run – is an ensemble selection featuring Aurora Donner, Zoota Manota, Petra Messioptra, Meilo Minotaur, Marina Munter, Armand Parks, Erika Xaron, Patrick of Ireland and Rodnoc.

Again entirely focused on avatars, perhaps the best way to describe the theme of this selection is “colour”; each piece contains a colour palette and / or tone that immediately draws the visitor into it.

Vibes Gallery: ensemble exhibition

With three engaging exhibitions offering a richness of art and avatar studies for May / June, I look forward to returning to Vibes Gallery to witness future exhibitions.

SLurl Details

Return to Cherishville in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Cherishville; Inara Pey, June 2019, on FlickrCherishville, June 2019 – click any image for full size

When reader Miro Collas asked if we’d ever visited Cherishville, I was a little surprised to look back through my SL travelogue and see that the last time I wrote about Lam Erin’s region design had been back in November 2017, when things had been deep in the grip of winter. Snow lay deep on the ground and roof-tops while trees lay frosted in white, and visitors needed to he wrapped up against the cold.

A lot has changed since then. Our return to Cherishville in June 2019 not only took us to a new region design, but a new simulator location as well, that of Villa Baldeney. Sitting beneath a somewhat glowering sky when seen in the default windlight, the setting is as far removed from the winter of my last Cherishville write-up as it is possible to get, the design we visited positively tropical in its presentation.

Cherishville; Inara Pey, June 2019, on FlickrCherishville, June 2019

There is no defined  / enforced landing point, so I’m arbitrarily using one to deliver those following it to a stretch of old road lying on the region’s east side. This offers a route from nowhere to nowhere, bordered on one side by a row of commercial properties almost shanty in their shabby looks, and on the other by a bay that cuts deeply into the region via a narrow neck of water. The road ends at this neck, dipping gracefully down to the blue waters to offer a convenient ramp boats might be drawn up to keep them out of the tide that must pass back and forth.

The commercial properties along the road vary between bars and places to buy spirits – that latter a popular draw for vacationers, it would seem – and the odd place to eat. All of them have the look and feel of having once seen better days, albeit perhaps a long time ago; now they look out over the old road, itself little more than a pedestrian thoroughfare, despite the motor vehicles at its southern end, and out over the bay.

Cherishville; Inara Pey, June 2019, on FlickrCherishville, June 2019

This southern end of the road offers access to  a broad swath of sand that curves gently west and north to hold the bay within its arm, facing the wash of tide from the south whilst home to undisciplined ranks of palm trees that offer moments of shade cast across the fine sands. A path is staked out along part of this beach, running at right-angles to the old road, but such a formal marking of route is hardly necessary; perhaps some local resident here was trying to offer a little sense of order.

Dropped onto the beach, and facing the open seas to the south are a couple of building which are again perhaps a little way past their prime. One presents a swimming pool beneath its raised wooden roof, the other appears to be a holiday home complete with a pool of its own. Balancing these on the inward curve of the bay is a fishing shack which, together with the small trawler sitting in the shallow waters, suggests some see this island as a place of work and not a vacation destination.

Cherishville; Inara Pey, June 2019, on FlickrCherishville, June 2019

Walking the route from street along the sands tends to offer the suggestion that this is a place that, while clearly within the tropics, is perhaps located somewhere in the Caribbean. The western elements just seem to push it in that direction. But then, follow the sand as it turns northwards and passing a strange little A-frame structure sitting out on a small sandy headland along the way, and perceptions are challenged.

To the north, the sand abruptly ends, and rocky slopes rise upwards, cliffs forming around three sides. This is topped by a single-roomed building with an infinity pool alongside looking to the west. With an aged statue of Buddha out on the grass, this aspect of the island presents a strongly Asian feel to it, with thoughts turning away from the Caribbean and perhaps more towards Thailand.

Cherishville; Inara Pey, June 2019, on FlickrCherishville, June 2019

There are some rough elements within the build – the odd floating palm tree or boat floating over the water than on it and the lighthouse for the region is oddly canted – but overall, there is plenty here that the visitor can enjoy and photograph within the setting, making time spent their worthwhile. For those so-minded, there are also some poses to be found for photography – a couple leaning against the sea wall above the bay, a walking hand-in-hand pose for those leasing the local bar, while bicycles can be obtained from a couple of rezzer racks for those who fancy taking a ride around the island. As always, photographs are welcome at the Cherishville Flickr group.

SLurl Details

Livio’s retrospective at Nitroglobus in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Livio Korobase

Livio Korobase is rightly known and admired for his 3D art installations in Second Life. Sometimes irreverent or with a rich vein of humour and sense of fun, other times thought provoking and challenging – but always fascinating and engaging, Livio’s work never fails to capture the eye and mind.

Given he frequently works on the scale of an entire region, any attempt at offering a look back on his work is going to be something of a challenge; just how do you bring together some much in the way of large-scale work in a space that could often be confined by the limitations of a gallery.

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Livio Korobase

Yet that is what he has done – and quite appealingly so – thanks to an invitation from Dido Haas, owner and curator of Nitroglobus Roof Gallery. With Post Factum (“after the fact” – or to put it another way, retrospectively) Livio presents a marvellous review of his work that  – in Dido’s own words (borrowed from Monty Python which, given Livio’s aforementioned sense of fun, is not entirely inappropriate) – present and exhibition that is quite “completely different” for Nitroglobus Roof Gallery.

Nitroglobus has always made a clever use of space: the gallery’s halls are high walled, allowing extremely large format images to be exhibited. More than this, however, its walls extend below the transparent floor  level, allowing mirrored copies of images exhibited to be placed “below” them, giving the impression the pictures are being reflected in the polished floors themselves.

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Livio Korobase

For Post Factum, Livio both continues this approach, placing 2D images of his art both above and below the floors to give the illusions of reflections. But at the same time, he presents different 3D pieces on the main and sub-floors of the gallery.

Not only does this allow for the display of more of Livio’s work than might otherwise be the case without making things crowded, thus making excellent use of the available space. More than this however, the use of the available space cleverly reflects Livio’s ability to challenge our perceptions: paintings and photos “reflected” in the floors – yet those same floors reveal completely different 3D figures below them than those sitting above them.

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Livio Korobase

To move between the two levels, visitors are invited to use the teleporter “hole”. Doing so is recommended, given that many of Livio pieces can be interactive so you’re going to want to get close enough to be able to mouse-over / touch them to find out what might happen.

As a retrospective, the exhibition offers pieces from many of Livio’s installations and exhibitions – Black Elk, Eidola, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Musiclandia, and more. For those of us familiar with Livio’s work, Post Factum therefore offers a fascinating trip down memory lane. For those who might not be so familiar with his work, the exhibition still offers an inviting and immersive introduction.

SLurl Details

A Sweet Paradise in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Sweet Paradise; Inara Pey, June 2019, on FlickrSweet Paradise, June 2019 – click any image for full size

Update: This parcel is no longer open to public access, and SLurls have therefore been removed from this article.

Sweet Paradise to the Darks sounds a rather unusual name to for a location in Second Life; at least until you realise it references a private home that has been opened to public visits – the Darks in this case being Anita Dark (Anita Khaos) and Kiara Dark (kiaraslet).

Occupying a 8192 sq m parcel, Sweet Paradise is one of those settings I like finding / exploring (although in this case, it’s the latter, as I was pointed to the parcel by reader Morgana Carter); the kind of place that demonstrates you don’t need an entire region in which to create a space that can be both home and somewhere for others to visit.

Sweet Paradise; Inara Pey, June 2019, on FlickrSweet Paradise, June 2019

Embracing a tropical island feel, this is a location that’s easy to explore, and even easier to while away the time within. A large, two-storey houseboat dominates the setting, the little patio to one side of it forming the landing point. The lower deck of the houseboat is filled with bric-a-brac, much of it focused on art, the clutter giving the place something of a bohemian feel.

A short walk along sandy grass, the path marked by large rocks and the fenced-in form of a VW Beetle that’s clearly not going anywhere soon, will bring visitors to a large, cement-sides beach house that continues the arty / bohemian feel, presenting a study-like environment again filled with the kind of cosy clutter that marks a space – be it a single room or an entire building  –  as a home.

Sweet Paradise; Inara Pey, June 2019, on FlickrSweet Paradise, June 2019

Oriented north-to south, the parcel has a westward beach looking out over the open sea, the view it provides shared by both the veranda of the beach house and the little patio fronting the houseboat. Nor are these the only places from which to enjoy the view. An old rowing boat vies for the attention of visitors (with singles and couples / friends poses) together with a couple of rattan loungers under the shade of parasols, while to the north end of the parcel sits an old camper trailer. This sits within a curve of beach and might possibly be the home of a surfer, but is currently the abode of a Siamese cat who is enjoying the sunshine and a nap.

A mix of trees are scattered across the landscape help to both break it up and screen the various buildings and locations one from the next, helping to present a sense a privacy along the parcel’s sandy ribbon. Together with the rocks breaking up the shoreline they also help give the parcel more of an island-like feel, on the east side of which lays another beach house, this one shaded by palm trees that also cast their cooling influence over another waterside nook visitors can enjoy as a box kite flies overhead.

Sweet Paradise; Inara Pey, June 2019, on FlickrSweet Paradise, June 2019

Small but beautifully landscaped and with a eye for detail, Sweet Paradise makes for an pleasing, homely visit. There are numerous places for people to simply relax, and  / or take photos. It’s the kind of place that can easily fulfil the greeting given in the About Land description: where people can make a lot of happy moments.

Simply perfect!

JolieElle’s artistry in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Vision Of Beauty Art Complex: JolieElle Parfort

Currently on display at the Vision of Beauty Art Complex is an exhibition of art by -Jolie- (JolieElle Parfort). Spread across two levels of the gallery space, each connected to the other via a teleport system, this is a fabulous introduction to Jolie’s landscape paintings for those who may not have previously encountered her work.

Jolie describing her art as post-impressionism. This school of painting tends to be denoted through the use of heavy brush-strokes and an eschewing of impressionism’s accurate depiction of light, opting instead for the use of vivid and sometimes unnatural colours and tones, whilst often including a degree of geometric form and / or a distortion of form for visual effect.

Vision Of Beauty Art Complex: JolieElle Parfort

Much of this is very much present in Jolie’s work, as demonstrated in the selection she offers in this exhibition. Her flamingos strikingly bold in colour, which also saturates the vegetation behind them, for example (see above right), while geometry and the passage of strong, firm brush strokes are also clearly in evidence through several of the pieces.

So too are pieces that feel much closer to the work of the great impressionists. For example, Gulf Afternoon and Morning Rushes, which can both be seen in the banner image for this review each off a sense of light, motion and the passage of time which leans them towards impressionism, the heavy brushwork evidenced in the former notwithstanding. Similarly, other pieces such as Hurricane Frolic have about them a wonderfully subtle tone of abstract.

Vision Of Beauty Art Complex: JolieElle Parfort

Thus, to offer a single encompassing descriptive style to this exhibition is – to me – doing the pieces offered within it something of as disservice. While Jolie’s art may well have a focus on post-impressionism, it encompasses so much more, and quite marvellously so, with a depth and richness that is completely captivating to the eye.

This beauty is enhanced particularly by the rooftop setting for part of the exhibition. With its wooden deck and piers, and wind-rippled water, this part of the exhibition draws the visitor into the rooftop display – and I would suggest perhaps flicking you viewer over to a midnight setting as well as viewing them in the ambient daylight; this again brings forth their depth and richness quite marvellously.

SLurl Details

Exploring Iona Shores in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Iona Shore; Inara Pey, June 2019, on FlickrIona Shores, June 2019 – click any image for full size

I’m always a little wary of blogging residential regions for a number of reasons. While many are open to the public to visit, for example, I’m uncomfortable in recommending them where there is a risk that visitor trundling in and out could be off-putting / annoying to those trying to live on them.

To this end, I use a (and admittedly very rough-and-ready) rule of thumb, which encompasses looking at the overall ratio of public and private space(s) in the region, the ease with which a region can be navigated without necessarily encroaching on people’s private residences, general public attractions, whether or not parcel ban lines are in force (often – although by no means always – a sign that people are somewhat narked by the idea of passers-by wandering through the gardens / yards), etc.

Iona Shore; Inara Pey, June 2019, on FlickrIona Shores, June 2019

Iona Shores is a region that sits almost exactly within in the middle ground between “to blog” and “not to blog”.  A homestead region, the landmass is pretty evenly split between public spaces, in which visitors are invited to space time and explore and take photos, and three large rental parcels with, it would seem, room for a potential fourth.

However, there is no doubting the region has been beautifully designed – the work of Adalynne Romano (AdalynneReed), who along with her SL partner, Doc Battitude, is responsible for the delightful Candlewood (see Touring CandleWood in Second Life) and the designs used for Bay of Dream (see The seasons at Bay of Dreams in Second Life and Destiny Gardens (see Destiny Gardens in Second Life). This alone would be enough to bring me to Iona Shores, being an admirer of Adalynne’s work, but the fact it came recommended by Shawn and Max increased my interest; and the rental spaces are clearly enough differentiated from the public spaces to allow for exploration by those not living there.

Iona Shore; Inara Pey, June 2019, on FlickrIona Shores, June 2019

The landing point sits towards the middle of the region, on a long south-pointing finger that extended itself from the eastern side of the largest of the region’s three islands. A low, cinder-beached promontory rising from calm seas, the headland is dressed as something of an aged garden, completed with greenhouse (the landing point) and paved terrace before it. To the north sits an dry stone wall with tired iron gates marking the way to where the land rises up to a flat crown of fir trees in the midst of which sits one of the three rental properties.

Two bridges sit on the headland, the first forms a double strand of wood and rope reaching across the inlet cutting inland by way of a little nub of rock, to reach a western promontory. Another cinder uprising, it sits a little higher than the landing points and offers the open space that could potentially be used by another house. For now, however, it is topped by trees and a small wooden deck, stone steps leading down to a rough, dark beach on the seaward side.

Iona Shore; Inara Pey, June 2019, on FlickrIona Shores, June 2019

The second bridge reaches across a sliver of water to where rocks step their way up to a broad plateau where sits the second of the rental homes. The base of this island offers a public path around the south-west of the rocks, passing stepping stones that breach another tongue of water to reach the three of the larger islands, the home to the remaining rental house.

Throughout all of this, there are places to discover: a little studio space, a rowing boat offering singles and couples seating, horses grazing on the scrub grass, while wolves and deer wander parts of the landscape. All of this is watched over by the revolving eye of a lighthouse as trawlers chug by on the waters below it.

Iona Shore; Inara Pey, June 2019, on FlickrIona Shores, June 2019

Finished with a gentle sound scape, Iona Shores makes for a photogenic and visually pleasing visit. For those seeking a place to living that offers space and a feel for the wilderness, it come offer the ideal home. For the rest of us, it presents a delightful sense of escape.

SLurl Details