Category: Reviews

UWA to scale back in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
UWA: Winthrop Clocktower and the Reflection Pond, with the SLeducate area on the right, which you can read about here
UWA: Winthrop Clocktower and the Reflection Pond, with the SLeducate area on the right, which you can read about here

Update, October 10th: JayJay Zifanwe has announced that the four core UWA regions will remain open through until July 2017. You can read more here.

I received a nudge about the University of Western Australia, which has enjoyed a long presence here in Second Life, operating multiple regions and becoming a stalwart supporter of virtual arts through its grand challenges and other competitions and opportunities offered to artists to present their work, as well a through support of machinima in physical world film challenges, such as those run by Screen My Shorts.

The news was actually broken over the weekend by Jayjay Zifanwe, who has spearheaded the UWA’s presence in Second Life since it started, and who has worked exceptionally hard with FreeWee Ling to promote and support artistic creativity within the broad cross-section of second life users and talent. In the post, Jayay states:

It is with a heavy heart, that I must inform you all, that 4 of the 5 UWA sims, will vanish into the binary night on the 9th of October 2016. The SIM that will remain for at least another year is the Uni of WA sim, which is our flagship sim housing Winthrop Clocktower and the Reflection Pond, The Sunken Gardens and The Somerville Theatre.

Everything on all [the] sims will remain as is for the next 2 weeks… do come back for a visit as many of the artworks going back 7 years are still at various locations. Once those 2 weeks are up, our curator, Freewee Ling will start to rationalise what is on the UWA sims, so that some items from all sims are brought onto the one remaining sim.

UWA: UWA Winthrop and the gallery displaying some of the smaller art pieces on display within the UWA regions
UWA: UWA Winthrop and the gallery displaying some of the smaller art pieces on display within the UWA regions

FreeWee adds to the blog post with a note to those artists who have works on display in the UWA regions. So if you are one of those artists, do please make sure you read the post in full. Of the four regions which the UWA is closing, three will be shutting down completely, and one will be changing hands.

The reasons for the region closures appear to be internal to the UWA, and not anything specifically directed towards virtual worlds and Second Life. At the end of 2015, the UWA did cut back on its direct support of artistic endeavours in SL through its patronage of the Grand 2D and 3D art challenges, again spearheaded by Jayjay and FreeWee. Since that time, arts have continued to be supported at the UWA through smaller, but no less attractive activities, such as a the current Immaterial contest, which I’ve been covering in this pages, and the entries for which can be seen at the UWA gallery.

Nish Mip's Last Ocean, a poignant opening to Jayjay's blog post
UWA: Nish Mip’s Last Ocean, a poignant opening to Jayjay’s blog post

If you have not visited the UWA regions, I urge you to do so before the four scheduled to be removed vanish. There is a stunning amount of art to see, much of it standing as a historic look back over artistic expression in Second Life, including the Grand Final winners from the various challenges, including Nish Mip’s Last Ocean, which forms a poignant opening to Jayjay’s post, As well as the art, there are campus facilities to explore.


Tutsy Navarathna’s “The Residents“, overall winner in the machinima category of the 2013 Project Sci-Fi challenge, sponsored by the UWA

For my part, I’d like to thank Jayjay and FreeWee for all of their hard work over the years in building the UWA environment in-world, and to those at the UWA itself, for their support of virtual spaces and digital arts.

Additional links

Revisiting Roche in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Roche
Roche

I first visited Roche in 2012 (see here). Then held by ddsm2 Mathy, the region offered a rural setting which was instantly attractive, making it a popular destination for SL travellers. In 2015, it was announced Roche would by closing. However,  Ricco Saenz pointed out to me, it later re-opened as Up to U, a collaborative effort between Fio and ありえす (ArieS Magic), offering a new look and beauty, which I wrote about here.

Over the course of the next year, I lost track of the region, so I was intrigued to catch word from Annie Brightstar that Roche would once again be closing at the end of September, as announced by the region’s current holder, Uta (xoYUUTAox). Intrigued, Caitlyn and I went to have a look.

Roche
Roche

Mostly given over to water, the region sits beneath a dark sky, lit to one side by a bright white star caught forever just above the horizon, giving the region a magical, otherworldly feel. Tall trees are scattered across the shallow waters, their willow-like branches glowing dimly and strung with lights as much as leaves. Blue and red lilies carpet the water under some of the trees,  whilst a grove of bamboo stands guard around two oriental style bridges, which rise from the water to span the water, sharing the space with tables of alien-looking blue plants caught in the light of that distant star.

Ruins can be found among the carpets of lilies, and to one side of the region a single rocky outcrop pushes its way clear of the dark water, a giant piglet asleep on its grassy head.  The remaining occupants of the region can be found flapping above a dual line of old electrical poles, or fussing around the litter of chairs and seats scattered in the lee of the poles.

Roche
Roche

With light falling like raindrops from a cloudless, starry sky and lanterns floating on the water, Roche is a strange, but enchanting place. There is no ambient sound scape; instead the gentle sound of piano solos is offered via the audio stream. For those seeking somewhere to sit, places can be found among the jumble of chairs and seats, at the top of a curving flight of steps, among the ruins, or against the giant piglet on his island.

Roche has always offered unique environments, and Uta’s design is no exception. Whether or not the next incarnation of the region maintains that tradition remains to be seen; as does whatever comes next from Uta’s imagination; I gather she is already thinking about something new elsewhere. In the meantime, if you’ve not paid her vision for Roche a visit, you might want to do so before the region changes hands once again.

Roche
Roche

SLurl Details

  • Roche (Rated: Moderate)

 

Windlight Gallery Fellows September-October 2016

Posted on by Inara Pey
Windlight Fellowship Exhibition, September / October 2016
Windlight Art Gallery Fellowship Exhibition, September / October 2016

Now open at the Windlight Art Gallery is the September-October 2016 Fellowship exhibition, which features the work of artists Jesse Boren (Tatjab Resident), Cadence Caine (heathermknopp Resident), Kaijah Chrome, MIlly Patton (MillyWH Resident), Bluesrocker Resident, ChloeElectra Resident, KodyMeyers Resident, Pacesoftly Resident, Tisephone Resident, and Inquisitor Titanium, together with Windlight Gallery artists in residence Pam Astonia, Honey Bender and Warm Clarity, Windlight Gallery’s Select Artist, Wicca Merlin, and – yours truly 🙂 .

Windlight Fellowship Exhibition, September / October 2016
Windlight Fellowship Exhibition, September / October 2016

On offer once again is a rich mix of styles and subject matter – landscapes, avatar studies, some abstract work and some images from the physical world. It is this mix of styles and subject which makes the Windlight Exhibitions more than worth the visit; the Gallery design encourages the visitor to focus attention on each artist in turn whilst at the same time allowing individual styles and approaches to be compared and contrasted, helping one to appreciate further the skills evidence by each artist in creating their work.

I’m particularly proud to be a part of this exhibition: showing my work is not entirely my strong suit, so being offered the opportunity to do so is gratifying. So much so, that if there are artists who are shy about showing their work in public, or find they’re uncertain about how to go about presenting their work in-world, I thoroughly recommend the Fellowship as offering an excellent starting point. Find out more below.

Windlight Fellowship Exhibition, September / October 2016 - toot! toot! It's me :)
Windlight Fellowship Exhibition, September / October 2016 – toot! toot! It’s me 🙂

The Windlight Artist Fellowship Programme

In promoting and supporting artists and photographers, the Windlight Art Gallery operates the Windlight Artist Fellowship Programme. This allows artists to apply for free exhibition space at the Windlight gallery for a period of 30 days. Applications are open to artists from across Second Life, and the criteria for acceptance can be found in the Artist Fellowship Programme application form.

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Submerged in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
The White Canvas Gallery: Submerged
The White Canvas Gallery: Submerged

Now open at the White Canvas Gallery (formerly the Good Days Gallery), curated by Goodcross is Submerged, a selection of aquatic-themed images by Elizabeth (ElizabethNantes), which she calls “an immersive experience” – a description which highlights the unique approach taken in presenting this collection.

Visitors arrive on the edge of a glass-sided pool of water, spray breaking against the rocky edge, the art displayed under the rippling surface. To view the art properly requires jumping into the tank, and then exploring it from beneath the “surface”, where bubbles drift upwards, fish and jellyfish swim and drift by, and a platypus floats gently, watching the ducks swimming above.

The White Canvas Gallery: Submerged
The White Canvas Gallery: Submerged

Eight of the images – all of which present figures at play on and under the water – are displayed around the inner walls of the tank, and are offered for sale; they face an additional four images arranged on the faces of a cube. The entire impression is that you are fully immersed in the environment – not just by being “underwater”, but very much a part of some of the scenes as those in them look towards you through the water.

This feeling of being immersed is further heightened by the careful placement of transparencies carrying the animated ebb and flow of foamy waves. These give the impression of the water’s surface (see in the centre image and the one above as a dark shade across the upper portions of the images), positioned so that some of those featured in the pictures do indeed have their heads above water. Only one – the image seen on first arrival (and heading this review)- is effectively “out” of the “water”; and even this is positioned to suggest the subject is rising from the surrounding pool.

The White Canvas Gallery: Submerged
The White Canvas Gallery: Submerged

I opted to photograph the collection against a night backdrop, as that was the local estate time when Caitlyn and I visited. However, tweaking Phototools also suggested that early morning or late afternoon windlight settings with the Sun low in the sky worked particularly well if a background of sky is required.

An imaginative collection presentation creatively presented.

SLurl Details

Peacehaven – A New Beginning in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Peacehaven - A New Beginning; Inara Pey, September 2016, on Flickr Peacehaven – A New Beginning – click any image for full size

In April, I wrote about Peacehaven, a beautifully rugged and picturesque region designed by Purr (PurrBlaize). At the time, the region was slated to close in May 2016, although it remained open a while longer before the doors finally closed and the region passed into new ownership.  Now, and as featured in the Destination Guide, it is back, albeit on a smaller scale, occupying a quarter of a region; but smaller doesn’t mean any less photogenic.

Peacehaven – A New Beginning presents visitors with a compact corner of beauty and peace ready to be explored and enjoyed. Journeys here start in the north-east corner of the land, on a concrete causeway at the foot of the tall spire of a lighthouse.  Two arches on the landward side of the causeway beckon people forward; the first is a natural formation of rock, its top broken in ages past, mosses coating its inner and outer faces. The second is of carved stone blocks and columns, apparently remnants of an ancient structure.

Peacehaven - A New Beginning; Inara Pey, September 2016, on Flickr Peacehaven – A New Beginning

Beyond them both, and across the sweeping curve of a river channel which reveals this part of the land to in fact be a small island, the ground thrusts upwards into a rocky plateau. Water tumbles down one face of this mesa, cutting a further channel to link with the river’s curve. Flatted-topped, the plateau is home to a thatched cottage, the short grass around it offering grazing for  horses and cattle, a wide pool – the source of the waterfalls – providing fresh water for them to drink. Behind the cottage, the rock again pushes upwards to form a small flat shoulder, where sits a modest growth of vines from which a harvest of grapes has not entirely been plucked.

The route up to this high perch is via path and stair, which wind between dry stone walls and up shelf-like steps of rock, passing bright splashes of flowers and  a tree-house snug along the way. Or, for those so inclined, a path at the base of the rugged plateau offers the chance to walk around it, passing a freshwater pond where lilies grow in one direction, or over a stout stone bridge and under the shade of trees to where the path divides, presenting a second wooden bridge leading back to the small, wooded island in one direction, or the choice of two further paths between the trees – but I’ll leave it to you to visit yourselves and see where they may take you.

Peacehaven - A New Beginning; Inara Pey, September 2016, on Flickr Peacehaven – A New Beginning

For those who prefer their time in the sun, Peaceheaven – A New Beginning offers two beaches, one to the north and the other to the east, both watched over by the lighthouse and set with parasols and dance systems, with one reach by another stone arch, a further reminder of an ancient presence here. Those in a romantic or reflective frame of mind are also catered for, with places to sit and snuggle – one or two of which might take a little careful finding.

Peaceheaven – A New Beginning is another demonstration that you don’t necessarily need an entire region to build something special. Exploring it is a genuine pleasure, with the snuggle spots and beaches ideal for resting-up afterwards, the sound of birdsong in the trees and waves on the sand forming a suitable backdrop for lazing away the time.

Peacehaven - A New Beginning; Inara Pey, September 2016, on Flickr Peacehaven – A New Beginning

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The Curio in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
The Curio
The Curio

Open at the Serena Image Arts Centre, from September 10th 2016, is Eleseren Brianna’s The Curio, a mixed 2D and 3D art installation centred on a gigantic figure and a tale written in the style of a Victorian gentleman’s personal journal.

The gentleman in question is Joseph C.R. Pomfret, who is travelling through Finland as a part of an unspecified group of English families. Whilst lodging in a hotel in Savonlinna, they are invited to spend time at a private fishing lodge owned by one Doctor Koskinen. It is whilst staying there that the group encounters the Enkeli (“the Angel”).

The Curio
The Curio

This narrative is presented at the start of the installation, as a large intellibook which offers easy reading of the entries. Beside it, nine images arranged in an arc of easels, stand as a visual tableau of the encounter with the Enkeli. Rendered in a manner suggestive of skilled penmanship, they might be taken as drawings taken from the journal as offered by Mr. Pomfret as illustrations of the remarkable find. In turn, the nine images point the visitor towards the giant angel itself – not that it is hard to miss!

The Enkeli is an imposing figure set upon s sand bar surrounded by a landscape of rugged island in keeping with the journal’s description. Helmeted, with spread wings ruffled and in disarray, his is collapsed on hand and knees, as if exhausted. A great lance is held tightly in his right hand, blunt end thrust into the ground, tip pointing skyward, gripped as if he might be about to lean on it for support to regain his feet. Wooden chairs and a ladder invite visitors to explore the figure after the manner of Pomfret and his companions, while a rowing boat is moored alongside offers a further indication of scale.

The Curio
The Curio

The Curio is an interesting three-way piece, balancing storytelling with images and sculpture to present a unique narrative. It remains open through until September 16th, 2016, and a Gatcha / Gacha machine at the start of the exhibit offers all nine of the images and a copy of the journal  in an equally unique way of offering art to visitors.

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