Category: Reviews

Alo’s Black and Colours in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
DiXmiX Gallery: Black and Colours

Opening on Friday, October 12th, 2018 at 12:00 noon SLT is a new installation by Alo (Aloisio Congrejo). Black and Colours is being hosted in The Womb, the recently revamped exhibition space at DiXmiX Gallery. And I have to say, that it is a curious piece.

Lacking liner notes from the artist, the installation is a multi-faceted piece entirely open to interpretation. Within the darkened hall is a mix of 2D the 3D elements, some of which are presented more-or-less as “traditional” photos; others appear to be 3D images offered 2D images; some are strongly abstract in nature while others mimic a polarisation approach similar to that found used by 3D movies to present what appears to be 2D art in 3D. All of which adds up to a richly diverse installation.

DiXmiX Gallery: Black and Colours

As might be expected from reading the title of the installation, there is a deliberate play through between black and the use of colours – most notably red and yellow, together with that other neutral – white. This is itself highly effective in drawing the eye into the installation, while the linear aspect in much of the art adds a geometric dimension to the entire installation that allows the wall mounted elements (together with the figures that might be close to them) to both exist independently to one another, and yet also be bound together by the white-on-black pattern of lines on the floor.

This subtle linking may well not be initially apparent, the eye perhaps initially being drawn to a colourful, strongly abstract free-standing scene within the hall. At first looking like paper shapes patterned in swirls and lines of black-and-white or red-and-black, skewered by red, yellow and black pins forced into the floor, these shapes are transformed by camming around them into  what might be dancing couples caught in a complex set of tangos performed to unheard music.

DiXmiX Gallery: Black and Colours

This abstract element is bookended on either side along the length of the hall by Alo’s photo images, which I confess to finding the most eye-catching. Furthest from the floor sculpture is a series of enticing white-on-black images of a near-naked woman. Marvellously lit, this series of images looks almost 3D in its execution, each of the images emphasising a different element of her pose: full body, booted legs, gloves arms with turned-away head between… In their midst is a further version of the image set behind 3D elements, all of which combine to suggest – from a distance, 2D art projected as a 3D piece.

The other display is a subtle and complex set of images of a woman’s head which I strongly recommend camming across slowly to fully appreciate them. Each is a layered construct, designed to mimic a polarised 3D effect, something which comes into focus (quite literally) as the camera faces them and glides from one side to the other. Not only does this highlight the “polarising” element, it also brings forth the subtle shift in colour tones used within the images.

DiXmiX Gallery: Black and Colours

I confess I have absolutely no idea how to interpret or quantify Black And Colours – or even determine if it needs interpreting in any way; I also admit there are elements to the piece that escape my ability to quantify. But this does not diminish  Black and Colours in any way; it simply means this is a piece very open to personal interpretation throughout, and thus an installation that should be witnessed first-hand.

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Time on a Black Bayou Lake in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Black Bayou Lake; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrBlack Bayou Lake – click any image for full size

Update: Black Bayou Lake has closed. The SLurls have therefore been removed from this article.

Jade Koltai and Serene Footman have a reputation for designing stunning regions (see my reviews of Furillen, Khodovarikha, La Digue du Braek and Isle of May to give you an idea, if you’re unfamiliar with their past work). Their designs are  generally inspired by locations to be found in the physical world, and are always a stunning and photogenic mix of beauty, presentation and personal interpretation that are a must-see.

Such is the case with their latest offering, Black Bayou Lake, which recently opened in October. We were alerted to it by friend and photographer AJ (AnyaJurelle). “It’s beautiful!” AJ informed me via IM. “Really well put together!”  And she’s not at all wrong.

Black Bayou Lake; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrBlack Bayou Lake

As is always the way with Serene and Jade, they not only design a region – they provide extensive background information on their inspiration and thoughts on the design through the Furillen website. Doing so adds considerable depth to their designs, and makes visiting any of their regions both visually informative and stimulating in the way they can reveal far off places to us. This is once again the case with this region.

Black Bayou Lake  is located in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. The lake is part of an 800 acre nature reserve which seethes with wildlife: there are many species of bird, insect, reptile and fish, along with a variety of trees such as cherrybark oak, cedar elm, ash, hickories, willow oak, shortleaf pine, loblolly pine, mockernut hickory and post oak. It’s a stunning place, which attracted us because we had not yet tried designing a sim that consists mainly of water.

– Serene Footman describing the inspiration behind Black Bayou Lake in Second Life

Black Bayou Lake; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrBlack Bayou Lake

Serene notes that not only is the lake alive with wildlife and flora, it can also – thanks to the may denuded trees found in its waters – be a somewhat creepy place. All of this is perfectly captured in the region design, which casts the lake under a darkening, cloud-laden sky, just as the mist is rising through the tall grass and reeds. It’s a perfect look and feel for the time of year, but such is the design of the region it is perfect for photographing under a broad range of environment settings, and I opted to go with a little more daylight with the images here.

To try to describe this raw beauty of this location would be pointless; it has to be seen to be appreciated, such is the love and care with which it has been designed and everything within it has been curated to present a genuinely immersive setting that carries the visitor into the heart of the Louisiana swamplands, revealing both their natural and man-made beauty whilst incorporating many touches we all tend to associate with bayou life, courtesy of natural history programmes and fictional films.

Black Bayou Lake; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrBlack Bayou Lake

The natural beauty is fully evident in the mix of and water in this wetland. Trees and mangroves rise from the water and cling to the more solid grassland areas, the tall grass mixing with reeds along the water’s edge to make is difficult in places to discern where dry ends and wet begins. Birds and water fowl can be seen and heard throughout (it’s absolutely essential a visit has local sounds enabled!), while alligators patrol the waters as a warning to would-be waders.

The man-made beauty comes in the ramshackle nature of the buildings to be found scattered across the land. Run-down, some with once-bright paint now dried and fading with the passage of time, they are both a reminder of the poverty that can be found within the bayou and the pride those living there can take in their lifestyle and ways: airboats, also looking a little aged, sit with engines in pristine working order and fish dry outdoors  in a sign of independent living.

Black Bayou Lake; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrBlack Bayou Lake

One of the cabins also encompasses the mystique of the bayou so beloved of fiction. Within its walls are the paraphernalia of the occult: a pentagram marked on the floor, voodoo dolls suspended from the sealed, tarot cards on (or dancing over) a table where  crystal ball sits… It’s a place hidden behind shrubs among the gnarled fingers of tress pointing to the sky, hiding but nevertheless waiting to be found.

A major feature within the physical Black Bayou Lake, as Serene notes in his blog post, is a raised walkway that allows people to venture out over the lake. This has a distinctive inverted V section rising above the surroundings, and Jade and Serene have included their own version of the board walk, complete with its unusual V section as a part of this design.

Black Bayou Lake; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrBlack Bayou Lake

Wonderfully atmospheric, with careful attention to detail and plenty to discover and photograph, Black Bayou Lake is another visual feast from Serene and Jade. It will, however only be around for a short time – so if you are planning an excursion, do not leave it too long before going.

 

When you’re Nowhere Else in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Nowhere Else; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrNowhere Else – click any image for full size

Nowhere Else caught my attention through its apparently contradictory labelling: the region name refers to it being “under construction”, while the About Land description define it as a “fully landscaped sim to explore, take photos or just hang out.”

“So, it’s not finished,” Suzy Lekira (Suzy Brandi) says in reference to this apparent contradiction, before continuing, “It never will be. A special place. Drop in, if you like. Having visited the region with Caitlyn, I can confirm that “dropping in” is highly recommended.

Nowhere Else; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrNowhere Else

Currently sporting a rural setting that – to me at least – suggests somewhere in the north of England, Nowhere Else suggests a place on the edge of a lake surrounded by the peaks of the Pennines (albeit slightly tall peaks!), this is a place for hiking boots and a camera.  No set landing point is offered – or at least, one wasn’t being enforced at the time of our visit – so the SLurl given here is entirely arbitrary.

Located on the flat top of one of the higher points of the region, set well to the east, the location I selected has the advantage of offering views across the landscape whilst also presenting an ideal start to exploration: a small hamlet. It’s the kind of place hikers might start out from for a day on the moors. A broad cobbled road winds down from the chapel, running by the local shops and along which assorted vehicles are parked; vehicles which cast the setting perhaps in a more European direction, as do some of the buildings.

Nowhere Else; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrNowhere Else

From here, it is possible to strike out across the rough grassland to a thatched cottage, the garden overlooking the northern waters surrounding the region. The cottage, with its terraces, moorings for a rowing boat and outlook is the kind of place it is easy to imagine retiring to; a quite place, close enough to little shops for comfort whilst also offering numerous opportunities for walks without the bother of a lot of traffic.

It’s also, quite frankly, exceptionally picturesque in its setting.

Nowhere Else; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrNowhere Else

The cottage is just one of a number of houses scattered across the region outside of the village, although the other like across the body of water that cuts an “L” through the region. One of these is a country farm, sitting to the south-west. Again offering plenty of scope for photographs, the farm is linked to a camp site to the north with tents and opportunities for swimming.

One of the attractions of the region is the minimal use of trees, something that gives portions of it the feel of a moorland or high fell. This is further enhanced by the use of Cube Republic’s very excellent sedimentary layered rock forms across parts of the landscape, some of which rise tor-like from the grasslands.  These touches add an air of familiarity as well as realism to the setting that enhances its photogenic appeal, while the considered use of static figures in the village help to bring a greater depth of life to the setting.

Nowhere Else; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrNowhere Else

While travelling, keep an eye out for the little places where hikers might take a rest: the little deck built out over the river, complete with a barbecue; the Land Rover and its camp site, the rowing boat (and its suitcases!). Throughout the region, the attention to detail is a joy to see.

Simple in design, elegant in execution, Nowhere Else is a visual delight, a place well worth visiting and spending time within. So if you don’t go anywhere else, be sure to visit Nowhere Else.

Nowhere Else; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrNowhere Else

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The artefacts of love and lust in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Artefatos, the G.B.T.H. Project

The hotel sits alongside a canal, the one building lit within the gathering gloom of night. Limned in teal, the entranceway beneath the heavy awning looks cold even in the gloom, but inside is the warm yellow glow of ceiling lights offering a more friendly invitation to come inside, while more of the warm illumination pours out of the entrance leading up to the hotel’s rooms.

This is clearly a discrete establishment: the fact that the rooms can be accessed without the need to pass through the lobby area once a room is booked means patrons – and their guests – can come and go without too much notice. Thus, it is the perfect setting for a lover’s tryst – and for Artefatos (Artefacts), a provocative story-as-art installation by Ash (Ashratum), the latest exhibition presented at the G.B.T.H. (Grab By The Horns) Project, curated by Megan Prumier and Marina Münter.

Artefatos: The G.B.T.H. Project

The hotel lobby offers an introductory guide to the installation. In short, ensure you have Advanced Lighting Model (ALM) enabled in your viewer (absolutely essential, as the installation uses projected lighting and effects) – just go to Preferences > Graphics and ensure the ALM option is checked. Then climb the stairs to each floor in the hotel and visit each room in turn – there are two rooms to a floor for a total of 6 visits (although the 6th room offers more of a farewell, suggestive that the individuals in the stories might all be one in the same), each with a teleport door that should be touched to “enter” the room (touching the door also returns visitors to the landing “outside”) so they might proceed to the next door.

Each room forms a chapter of a story – the meeting of people brought together in love and – particularly – lust; erotic and sexual encounters. Written from a personal perspective (that of the / a woman in each story), they cast those visiting the rooms into multiple roles.

Artefatos, the G.B.T.H. Project

The most obvious of these roles as that of the storyteller’s male lover; written as recollections of recent encounters. In this, some might be stories designed to titillate and arouse as a kind of foreplay between lovers; in others they might be seen as expressions of regret for what has passed, while other hint at an unburdening of hurt. At the same time, there is an air of revealing secrets through the stories, casting the visitor almost into the role of confidante – although this is overshadowed by the sense that we are in fact voyeurs, having stumbled across the intimate letters from lover to former lover.

Thus, Artefatos presents a layering of interpretation through the stories, which are themselves made further tangible through the objects found within each of the room. These both reflect the story specific to each room whilst also casting visitors into two roles: that of the male lover – the props making us very much part of the story; and (again) that of voyeur, witnessing individual moments from each story from the outside, through the study of the artefacts that have been left behind.

Artefatos, the G.B.T.H.. Project

There is more to these objects than passive illustration, however. For those who speak Portuguese, approaching the items in each room allows the story to unfold through the spoken word via local sounds. For those who don’t speak Portuguese, a note card giver in the wall of the entrance hall to each room will supply the story in English, while extracts are projected onto each bedroom wall – hence the need to have ALM enabled.

The audio project can sometimes be disconcerting, as it is possible to stand within the room and hear multiple voices; but it can also deepen the sense of immersion within the installation, regardless of whether or not you understand what is being said. The passages layered one over the other can become fragments of memory; words said in the past, echoing in our ears. Thus we become not only the man to whom each story is projected, but the male half of the story as he perhaps revisits the scene of an encounter, hearing once again the words said to him in its wake or aftermath.

Artefatos, The G.B.T.H.. Project

A fascinating installation offering a different perspective on artistic expression in Second Life, Artefatos further establishes the G.T.B.H. Project as a forward-thinking gallery space in-world, and will remain open through until November 8th, 2018.

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The ghostly echoes of Pendle Hill in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Pendle Hill; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrPendle Hill – click any image for full size

Pendle Hill, the latest Homestead region design by Lauren Bentham, takes its name – as the introductory note card offered to visitors on arrival states – the hill of the same name located in east Lancashire, England.

England’s Pendle Hill is steeped in history. Standing just 557m (1,827 ft) above sea-level, it is somewhat isolated when compared to the Pennines as a whole. In the 17th century George Fox climbed it and had a vision that resulted in him founding the Religious Society of Friends – and to this day, the name “Pendle” has strong connotations for Quakers. The hill is also the site of a Bronze Age burial ground; while again in the 17th century (and perhaps most famously), it was the location for the  trials of the Pendle witches. Because of this event, it is still regarded as one of the “most haunted places in Britain” in some circles.

Pendle Hill; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrPendle Hill

It is in reference to Pendle Hill’s notoriety as a haunted place that Lauren – who is also responsible for the another haunting region in the shape of Arranmore (which you can read about here) – has created Pendle Hill in Second Life. She’s actually done so quite cleverly as well, touching as it does her love of the north of England (as seen through her marvellous Netherwood – which you can also read about here, whilst also offering echoes of the physical world Pendle Hill.

As a ghostly / haunted region, Pendle Hill has opened in time for Halloween, but isn’t intended to be purely for the Halloween season; like Arranmore, it will hopefully remain available the year round for people to visit and enjoy. And I have to say that like Arranmore, it is exquisitely atmospheric in its haunted presentation and feel – do make sure you have local sounds enabled when visiting.

Pendle Hill; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrPendle Hill

The echoes of the physical Pendle Hill can be seen in the way the region is surrounded on three sides by high peaks while remaining apart from them – just as Pendle Hill stands apart from the Pennines. Within the region, black figures hover among the wizened, weathered trees, a possible allusion to the spirits of the Pendle Hill  witches of Pendle Hill, while to the north-west of the region a stone henge can be found, possibly echoing the bronze age history of the hill.

But this is not a place designed to emulate its namesake; nor is it intended to stand in a single moment of time. It has its own unique character, one that spans centuries, from the ancient stones of the henge, through to the wreck of the man-o’-war lying in the shallows off the coast, then forward to more recent times, as evidenced by the sunken and abandoned trawler sitting on the water close by and the tower of a lighthouse with its single, almost baleful eye surveying by turns land and sea. On the land is further evidence of this mixing of times as bent  Victorian gaslights looking like crooked old men are accompanied by the poles of electrical power lines.

Pendle Hill; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrPendle Hill

There are several routes from the landing point, offering by turns routes to the ancient henge, the lighthouse, an apothecary / magic shop and a hunted house. There is the inevitable cemetery, while skulls hang from branches of trees or even make up their trunks, malevolent green eyes that glow through the mists and darkness staring outwards in menace whilst also drawing visitors to travel beyond the haunted house and the lighthouse and out to a headland. Nor are these green eyes the only ones watching: owls and vultures are in the air or perched where they can, the latter looking as if they might be hoping one or two visitors receive a shock severe enough to keel over … and provide a meal.

As with all of Lauren’s builds there is wonderful attention to detail throughout. Catch the monkey from Stephen King’s The Monkey for example. Other hints / reminders of horror flicks can be found as well; even Hogwarts (which can be a spooky place after all) gets some visual references.

Pendle Hill; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrPendle Hill

Lauren’s region designs always make for an engaging visit, and Pendle Hill is no exception – although I strongly recommend that for best results you have Advanced Lighting Model (ALM) enabled in your viewer (Preferences > Graphics > enable ALM), particularly if you’re going to use the supplied torch, as it uses projected light. If you can also manage the region with shadows enabled, so much the better – but this is not an essential requirement for enjoyment of the region.

Photographers can join to local group for a single payment of L$175 and gain rezzing rights to rez props (do please remove them after use!), and a Flickr group is available to those wishing to share their pictures with other visitors to the region. Should you appreciate Pendle Hill, please consider making a donation at the landing point towards its continued presence in Second Life.

Pendle Hill; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrPendle Hill

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Moni’s Changing Moods in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Changing Moods

Monique Beebe makes a further return to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, curated by Dido Haas, with a new exhibition entitled Changing Moods, a must-see exhibition, although part of it should be considered NSFW.

This is Moni’s third appearance at the gallery, and having covered her first two – Hidden Faces (see here for more) and Sensuality (see here for more), I confess to having been excited by the news of her return, as I’ve found her to be one of the most sensuous, evocative artist and – given she is generally the subject of her own work – models in Second Life.

The traits of sensuality, strength, vulnerability and expressive beauty seen in both Hidden Faces and Sensuality are clearly present in the 14 images presented within Changing Moods, which takes a different direction to the two prior exhibitions by presenting all of the photographs in monochrome. This is a particularly striking decision as it richly casts Moni’s work in a new light: black-and-white photography can often lead to bold images bereft of the greater softening afforded by the blending of multiples hues and tones common in colour photography; it also tends to draw the eyes into the central figure(s) within a tableau.

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Changing Moods

This is very much the case with many of the images Moni present here. But while perhaps appearing more hard-edged than might have been the case had they been produced in colour, the monochrome presentation also serves to heighten the beauty within each piece and – to my eye – induces more of a feeling that we are witnessing Moni’s inner perspective of herself, as shaped by her moods and desires – some of which might be considered leaning towards the erotic.

Narrative is another powerful factor within Moni’s photography, and this is also brought to the fore within the pieces offered in this exhibition. Take for example Robotoca, Almost Real, and The Mask We All Wear. All offer up ideas of identity, place and self-image in an increasingly technological world where the demands to reveal all perhaps causes us to react with a greater desire to hide, while the pressure to conform evokes the need to be strikingly  different.

Moods and desire as also powerfully incorporated into these works in a variety of ways, from the direct – as with Captured, with its strong portrayal of erotic desire -, through the almost wistful subtext contained within Innocent, The Look and (to a degree) Wet.

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Changing Moods

There is also something else within these images which is salient for the times in which we live. It is an over-arching narrative that collectively runs through all of them and which, in so doing, completely alters the perspective they present. This is entirely intentional on Moni’s part, as Dido explains in the liner notes accompanying the exhibition:

Moni presents work that shows how her ‘Doll’ is created. She uses artificial arms, legs and face to illustrate this process. Moni gets the impression in SL women are often treated like Dolls; pampered, loved and dumped after usage.

When viewed with this in mind, the context of the images presented in Changing Moods is dramatically altered. We are no longer in the mindspace of personal thoughts, moods, and desires, but have stepped into that questionable space of how – as Dido notes – women can so often  be regarded and treated as objects. Thus is the subtext present within the images dramatically shifted. Take the way in which Captured, for  example, moves from being a sensually secretive desire within the mind of the subject to become a darker voyeuristic (and subjegative) desire to see a woman so helpless on the part of an observer.

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Changing Moods

Evocative, provocative, challenging and captivating is another stunning exhibition of photography by an exceptionally talented artist, Changing Moods is open through until the end of October 2018, and one not to be missed.

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