Category: Reviews

Dathúil: an adult Private Sphere in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Private Sphere – Dathúil Gallery
Private Sphere – Dathúil Gallery

The latest exhibition at Dathúil Gallery, curated and operated by Max Butoh and Lυcy (LucyDiam0nd), opened on March 4th, 2017. Entitled Private Sphere, it features the work of Prairie Kawashima, and encompasses adult themes, and so should be considered NSFW.

“For almost a decade, Second Life has been my refuge – a place of boredom, excess, love and inspiration,” Prairie says, introducing her exhibition. “Some of this incredible mixture that I keep enjoying so much has turned into a river of self-shots (including occasional homages to my closest friends) that has  found its way to my Flickr account. Other things will forever remain private. Private Sphere is a selection of mostly unpublished pictures that have been between these two categories for some time.”

Private Sphere – Dathúil Gallery
Private Sphere – Dathúil Gallery

On display are 29 images laid out in a maze-like pattern in the lower floor of the gallery. The central theme is avatar studies with a focus on bondage and / or nudity – hence the adult nature.

Some of the bondage is explicitly shown, with several images featuring shibari / kinbaku, with the focus purely on hemp-style rope, others featuring more westernised approaches of restraint: manacles, stocks, cuffs, etc.  Where bondage is not the focus of an image, it is sometimes implied through the curls of rope on a bed or the flow of chains across a sheet, while several of the poses include suggestions or hints of submission.

Private Sphere – Dathúil Gallery
Private Sphere – Dathúil Gallery

The nudity within the images is also explicit, and most of the pieces appear to have undergone minimal post-processing. Combined, this gives them a direct feel which is – to use an English phrase – pretty “in your face”, in that their raw sexually is openly shown without the subtleties of soft focus, light airbrushing or similar, which might otherwise soften the impact as one wanders between the frames in which the images are set.

This approach – both in terms of the directness of the images and how they have been laid out  –  adds a voyeuristic frisson to the exhibit: we are being invited into a private sphere of activities and witness them with the added excitation over what might be revealed around the next corner.

Private Sphere – Dathúil Gallery
Private Sphere – Dathúil Gallery

Private Sphere isn’t going to be to everyone’s taste – but that doesn’t mean it is any the less artistic in form and presentation that more modest displays of avatar studies. It will remain on display at Dathúil through until the end of the month.

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A return to NorderNey in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

NorderNey, NorderNey; Inara Pey, February 2017, on FlickrNorderNey – click any image for full size

I was surprised to note that it’s been getting towards three years since I last visited NorderNey, Jacky Macpherson’s homestead design (see here for more). A lot has happened since then, not the least of which is Jacky has moved, so that the region now has a sim of its own bearing the same name, although visitors will need Payment Information On File in order to access it.

Back in 2014, NorderNey was decidedly a rural scene, rich in the feel and colours of late summer. Now, while still bathed in warmth and sunlight, NorderNey is now far more tropical in look and feel; a sandy island over which seagulls wheel soar while sailing boats lie anchored offshore.

NorderNey, NorderNey; Inara Pey, February 2017, on FlickrNorderNey

It can be a windy place – as some of the trees, their trunks bent and branches set like streamers, can attest – but you’ll likely find conditions calm during your visit.  And just as the waters of the sea surround it, so does the coral white sand lap around islands of grass and trees, where can be found three cabins.

Two of these, at opposite ends of the island, are flat-topped and as white as the sand. The third sits between them, far enough from each to be a comfortable walk. Its sloped roof is made of corrugated iron sheets while the brown of its unpainted walls contrasts with the white finish of the others. If you’re using Firestorm when you visit, you’ll find that all three have a local parcel windlight, which sets the sun on the horizon, casting an end-of-day glow across the sea.

NorderNey, NorderNey; Inara Pey, February 2017, on FlickrNorderNey

The cabin at the north end of the island has a homely feel to it. Chickens and geese are in the garden, a cat hungrily eyeing chicks from the back of a scooter while another washes itself, oblivious to the wandering morsels. Scooters, bikes and motorcycles are something of a theme here, with several leaning against fences or parked on their stands, a shed offering a place to service them and keep them dry when the weather turns.

The other cabins have the look of being retreats from the world; perhaps the boats anchored offshore belong to those using them. All three of the buildings are watched over – in a disinterested way – by horses and sheep which roam freeing across the island, free to wander across the island and graze on the grass.

NorderNey, NorderNey; Inara Pey, February 2017, on FlickrNorderNey

There is a wonderful sense of peace about NorderNey. The wind may keen occasionally, the gulls offer plaintive cries as it does, but the sense of peace cannot be easily shattered. If anything, it is increased by the presence of a kite caught in the breeze and a pelican sitting contentedly on a breakwater. It’s the kind of place you can easily imagine sailing to and spending a quiet week or so living in one of the cabins, strolling the beach barefoot, or going for leisurely trips on the water, or swimming in the cove formed by the island’s curve.

With little places to sit, chat, share or just ponder, NorderNey is a wonderful escape from everything, and remains a recommended visit. Should you enjoy your time there, please consider leaving a donation as a show of appreciation.

NorderNey, NorderNey; Inara Pey, February 2017, on FlickrNorderNey

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Artful Expressions in Second Life: Maxie and Cyoko

Posted on by Inara Pey
Artful Expressions: Cyoko Xoon
Artful Expressions: Cyoko Xoon

Sorcha Tyles opened the next exhibit at Artful Expressions, her boutique gallery, on Saturday, March 4th, featuring the work of Maxie Daviau and Cyoko Xoon (AkomoXoon). Once again it’s a fascinating pairing of styles.

To give full disclosure, I’m familiar with Maxie’s work; she’s both a friend, and recently exhibited her work at Holly Kai Park; as such, I might be said to be a tad biased. But only a tad: Maxie’s work carries enough depth of its own to stand without prompting from me, and I’m delighted to see her exhibiting at Artful Expressions.

Artful Expressions: Maxie Daviau
Artful Expressions: Maxie Daviau

Nine pieces of her work are on display, the majority of them landscapes, and all fully demonstrate Maxie’s eye for an image and her ability to take a picture of a location and create an evocative story through considered use of cropping and post-processing. These really are pieces which each tell a story, whether it is one of a journey along old railway tracks, as the shadowy form of a steam train emerges from a tunnel with all the mystery of where it might be going, and who might be occupying the carriages it pulls; or whether it is musing about all the stories the aged and bent trees featured in a number of her shots might be able to tell us, if only they could speak.

Rounded-off by an equally evocative self-portrait, this is an excellent selection of Maxie’s work, and one I have no hesitation in recommending.

Artful Expressions: Maxie Daviau
Artful Expressions: Maxie Daviau

Cyoko Xoon, I have to admit, is a name I’ve not previously encountered – and am possibly the poorer for not having done so. Like Maxie, she has an eye and talent for taking a snapshot and turning it into an extraordinary work of art.

As with Maxie, nine pieces of Cyoko’s work are on display, these with a strong emphasis on wildlife  – and the angles Cyoko has chosen to capture them adds a depth of life to each one which is fabulous to see. Careful Contact, Aggressive and Care in particular are utterly captivating, with Care (seen at the top of this review) in particular the kind of piece I would have no hesitation in hanging in my physical world home, were it possible. Landscapes  also feature in Cyoko’s select, and these are as equally captivating as her wildlife pictures, expressing the same depth and life in each and utilising a similar approach to camera positioning and angle.

Artful Expressions: Cyoko Xoon
Artful Expressions: Cyoko Xoon

Maxie and Cyoko are two more artists with exceptional ability to bring a new perspective to the world around them, and they will be on display at Artful Expressions through until the end of March 2017. Not to be missed – and don’t forget Sorcha’s own art on display on the ground floor.

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The Calas Skate-o-Rama in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Calas Skate-O-Rama
Calas Skate-O-Rama

“We got bored!” Ty Tenk of Calas Galadhon fame laughed, passing me an invite for Caitlyn and I to visit the Calas Skate-o-Rama. “Rolling skating in the middle of the desert. But be careful crossing the highway!”

It actually took us a couple of days to get the opportunity to visit, but with Friday night sitting with us, we hopped over to find out more – and in Typical Ty and Truck style, the venue is fetchingly presented and a lot of fun.

Calas Skate-O-Rama: line dancing - on roller skates!
Calas Skate-O-Rama: line dancing – on roller skates!

Visitors arrive at a roadside stop on Route 66. The moon hovers low in the sky, and sandstone mesas break-up the horizon. Across the road, resplendent in neon and  art deco styling, sits the Calas Skate–O-Rama, searchlights sweeping the darkening skies. This is a poplar place: the asphalt car park is almost full. Once across the road, the deco style doors to the arena beckon – and hide a secret. Step through them, and far from leaving the desert skies behind and you going indoors, you enter an open-air rink, a 50’s style diner to one side, and a live performance stage on the other.

Between them sits the skating floor, and it is built to take a fair few! Roller skates can be obtained from the giver just inside the arena entrance – you just need to join the Calas Announcements Group if you’re not already a member. Swap your shoes for the skates, turn off your AO and you are all set.  You can then free skate or – using the pose and dance system (instructions supplied in the air over them) – you can skate and dance.

Calas Skate-O-Rama: the burger bar fuels engery - and help keep you warm under that clear desert sky!
Calas Skate-O-Rama: the burger bar help keep your energy up – and keep you warm under that clear desert sky!

It’s surprisingly a lot of fun, particularly if there are a number of you; and as is always the case at the Calas regions (the arena is on the Calas special events region of Erebor), the music is superbly selected. There are regular live music events planned throughout March as well, so check the Calas Galadhon blog for details.

Should you need a break from the dancing, you can enjoy a burger at the bar (or have it delivered to you by one of the roller skating staff 🙂 ), or take a seat on the couches to the side of the skating floor. And if you fancy a wander, the desert is worth seeing, and has one or two surprises!

Calas Skate-O-Rama: take care when crossing the road - there are big rigs passing!
Calas Skate-O-Rama: take care when crossing the road – there are big rigs passing!

As we skated, I asked Ty what would be happening at the end of March. “Oh, we have a few things planned for over the summer!” he said with a smile and a wink, but without saying more. We look forward to finding out – and to hopping back to the Skate-O-Rama well before then!

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Cica’s Under the Sea in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Under the Sea
Cica Ghost: Under the Sea

Under the Sea, Cica Ghost’s latest region-wide installation in Second Life opened on Friday, March 3rd. It is in some ways a follow-on from her previous Frogs, in that it has a decidedly aquatic lean.

“There is a strange world under the sea,” Cica informs visitors, who arrive on a wooden platform, open on three sides and lacking a roof. A brief set of instructions are provided on how best to enjoy a visit (in short, enable Advanced Lighting Model and make sure Shadows: Sun/Moon + Projectors is active – Cica has taken care to minimise the performance hit with the latter as much as possible). Once done, follow the steps down beneath the waves, and discover that strange world.

Cica Ghost: Under the Sea
Cica Ghost: Under the Sea

Here can be found all manner of creatures, familiar and exotic. fronds of seaweed and forests of kelp undulate under the pressure of passing water; schools of fish hover at the edges of some of these copse-like knots of green, staring nervously outward. A great sea snail expands and contract, as if making its way across the sandy floor without moving. Other fish hover nervously at the empty eye sockets or under bleached ribs of even bigger creatures which have long since died, while splashes of vivid colour are offered by anemones, starfish and strange plants standing tall on cage-like roots.

Two great tanks sit on the sea floor, one with a glass panel through which you can walk. Inside are two denizens of the deep, each equipped with some rather vicious looking teeth, although both remain oblivious to visitors, content to share the tiled space with little sea horses – and you, if you opt to swim with them (touch the bed). In the tank next door, which has one end open and partially buried in the sea bed, an audience of fish floats, seemingly enraptured by the creature at the far end of the tank. Again, a bed is offered for visitors.

Cica Ghost: Under the Sea
Cica Ghost: Under the Sea

The scale here has to be seen to be appreciated. Everything is huge, with some of it a little threatening. The sabre-toothed fish, for example, may not seem interested in you, bit walk or swim close to one, and you start to wonder if it will suddenly dart forward and try to gobble you. Nor is this feeling of perhaps being a morsel in the food chain restricted to the fish; approach the great sea snail from the right direction, and you’ll feel like it is stretching its toothed maw up towards you in hope of a bite.

The entire region is fascinating to explore – swimming is by far the best way to enjoy it – and there are, as always, various points where visitors can become a part of the scene. The beds mentioned earlier offer swimming animations as well as sitting and sleeping poses, while mouse-over some of the shells and things scattered around, and hidden perches are revealed.

Cica Ghost: Under the Sea - Cica teases the giant sea snail
Cica Ghost: Under the Sea – Cica teases the giant sea snail

Under the Sea makes for a delightful visit, and will remain open through March 2017. Should you visit, do please consider a donation towards Cica’s work and don’t forget to visit her little store (LM at the landing point) should the mood take you.

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Holly Kai Park: website makeover

Posted on by Inara Pey

Blogging here has been a little slow this past week as I’ve been working on a few projects, some of which will be appearing in these pages real soon™, while one is now available to see.

The Holly Kai Park website has been given a makeover with what we hope is a new, clean design with a splash page, tidier menu system and a lot of updated information following the recent changes to the park itself.

The new Holly Kai Park splash screen - click to visit the site
The new Holly Kai Park splash screen – click to visit the site

There’s still some tweaks to be done with the website, but with all that is going on, we wanted to get the new design rolled out – just don’t be surprised if there are some further small changes.

Because there is so much going on, our regular Art at the Park events had been put on hold for a time. However, these will be resuming in the near future, as will the Stories at the Park series which accompany them.

In the meantime, and as a reminder, the main SLurls for the park are listed below, and Caitinara Bar is open to all for our DJ sessions every Wednesday and Friday from 16:00 SLT through 18:00 SLT.

Holly Kai Park SLurls

Holly Kai Estate is rated Moderate.