Category: Reviews

Miu’s connections at Nitroglobus in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
The Annex, Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, July 2024: Miu (MuiMira)

In introducing the July / August exhibition at the Annex of her Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, Dido notes that she Established the extension to her gallery with the goal of providing young, talented artists an opportunity to showcase their work, but she feels she have not always succeeded in this goal. I would, with love and respect to Dido, dispute this.

One of the major attractions of Nitroglobus is Dido’s ability to provide an opportunity for new talents in Second Life to display their art. Whether it is via the Annex or within the main galley, Dido has consistently been able to showcase the work of people who have subsequently gone on to be highly regarded within the broader Second Life arts community.  It is this innate ability to recognise talent – and to challenge and stretch the abilities of established artists beyond their comfort zones – that makes Dido one of the most skilled curator / patrons of the ats in SL, and Nitroglobus one of the foremost galleries in-world for hosting consistently engaging and often personal exhibitions.

The Annex, Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, July 2024: Miu (MiuMira)

Such is the case with Connections, which opened on July 19th, 2024 within the Annex. This is a small but utterly engaging collection of pieces offered by Miu (MiuMira) in what is her first public exhibition of her photography in-world, although she has already gathered deserved recognition on Flickr. Her work mixing colour and black-and-white photography, predominantly avatar-centric and showing a highly skilled eye and touch for post-processing.

Connections is very much a themed exhibition both in focus and tone. All of the images are black-and-white, the majority with highly minimalist backgrounds (and those that do have a visible background utilise a considered depth of field to ensure it does remain a backdrop, rather than becoming a distracting focus for the eyes), whilst the overall tone is set by a quote from Margaret Atwood:

In the end, we all become stories.

–  Moral Disorder and Other Stories by Margaret Atwood

First published in 2008, Moral Disorders is an exploration of the interconnectedness of lives and life, the stories within it winding through the lives of parents and children, of siblings and friends, of mentors and enemies from the 1930s through the the present, offering – if you will – an album of photographs written in words, spanning the decades from the 1930s through to the present.

The Annex, Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, July 2024: Miu (MiuMira)

It’s a fitting quote and fitting selection of stories, perfectly reflecting the way Connections offers a visual essay concerning the relationship of the connections between mind, heart and emotions which give the passage of life meaning to each and every one of us. Each image offers an expression of one or all of these aspects of experience, offering a set of images which, as Miu notes herself,  reflect the fact that, “We are the authors of our lives, creating our own beautiful adventures and deciding on the main characters within our book”.

For me, more than this, is the fact that Connections reads as a very personal story: throughout the nine images – and with encouragement from Dido – Miu gently reveals how her avatar is very much the digital embodiment of who she is, and how she embraces her own moods, sensitivities and emotions.

Take, for example, Connections (4); the use of the shawl in both hiding most of Miu’s features, the over-the shoulder revealing just a hint of nose and mouth, suggest a person given to a certain shyness and possible introverted self-reflection. However, the shawl also draws attention to the partially-visible tattoo Never Give Up. Even without the rose which tops it (as seen in other images) being visible, the statement speaks to an inner strength, to embraces the lessons of life and the ups and downs of emotions and use them as a means to learn and grow, and also speaks to an ability to support and love.

The Annex, Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, July 2024: Miu (MiuMira)

In this, Miu’s avatar bears much that reflects her own nature, expressions given form through tattoos and via her mode of dress and choice of looks. They combine to tell a story of a person who is very at ease with herself, her heart and her emotions, and who can freely give expression to her inner self, writing the story of her life with each passing day.

A genuinely impressive and engaging collection, and a superb debut exhibition. Highly recommended, and congratulations to Miu and Dido.

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Grauland’s Corsair Island in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Grauland / Corsair Island, July 2024 – click any image for full size

Update, July 20th: Jim dropped me a line of the lack of soundscape noted below – apparently it was an easily-done oversight, and has now been rectified, so be sure to have local sounds enabled when visiting!

About a couple of weeks ago, if memory serves, I bounced into Jim Garand’s Grauland on one of my periodic visits to see what might have changed since my last visit. At the time, Jim appeared to be smack in the middle of redressing his Homsetead region – also home to his M1 Poses store – and so I pretty rapidly bounced my way back out again to allow him to finish things off, but with my curiosity well and truly piqued. I had intended to return just a few days later, but life had other plans, and so have only just made it back.

Jim has a habit of pulling together settings that are a mix of landscape, art, architecture and narrative. Sometimes they are themed, as with the last edition of the region I blogged about – see: Grauland’s Last Trees in Second Life, or they may be inspired by an actual location; at other times they might be more nuanced in ideas and themes, and at others still, others they are simply offered as opportunities for photography and art. Grauland / Corsair Island appears to fall within the latter two groups, offering hints of a theme here and there whilst in general offered a highly photographic setting with a lean towards artistic expression.

Grauland / Corsair Island, July 2024

The setting’s little  – Corsair Island – might perhaps suggest the idea of pirates, sailing ships, treasure and all that; however, this is not the case. Rather, the name appears to be taken from the World War 2 vintage Vought F4F Corsair single-seat fighter displayed almost as a museum piece towards the south-west corner of the region. Sitting with wheels on its own of concrete apron, a separate square of the same close by hosting a mighty sea anchor which might have hailed from a WW2 battleship of aircraft carrier, the Corsair looks out to sea from flat-topped table of rock with a broad throw of sand curving around its base to form a golden beach.

The local vegetation suggests this is a tropical island, one amidst a small group, with the Corsair itself immediately raising thoughts of the Pacific conflict of WW2. This is perhaps further enhanced by the general layout of the island, which suggest it may have once been an airbase for a land-based contingent of US Navy aviators and their aircraft. The road running north-to-south might have at one time been a runway, and whilst the sound side of the island is now in part excavated and home to free-standing art installations, there is a chance that it may have once been flat and home to a second runway.

Grauland / Corsair Island, July 2024

Of course, the huge concrete bulk of a road tunnel rising from the sea and with its  darkened maw open to either disgorge or swallow road vehicles at the north end of the road tends to suggest that perhaps this is a place much closer to the US mainland, but it does not entirely eliminate the dance of the imagination in thoughts of airbases from past conflicts.

In fact, the placement of some of the buildings alongside the road might also add to the idea, their position suggesting they’ve replaced what may have been an aircraft dispersal area and / or hangers and workshops. But again, in opposition to that, the presence of the gas station and motel with its slab-sided beachfront cabins again give the impression this is a place much closer to the US mainland, and one which sees a degree of vacation traffic passing back and forth through the tunnel; so I’ll leave it to you to form your own backstory for the setting.

Grauland / Corsair Island, July 2024

The southern side of the island is given over to art installations. Three of these are bound the draw attention, possibly at the expense of the fourth. The latter take the form of a series of disks, rings and cylinder elements arranged in a manner that presents a series of spaces that can be walked around and through. The three main installations, meanwhile, are a mix of the familiar and the new.

Many of Jim’s past installation have included the motif of standing blocks, generally in geometric arrangements. These have frequently been in the form of cubes resembling block of cement, but here Jim includes a pyramid to the eastern end of the island with its flanks being climbed by ranks of stone uprights in a design by Alex Bader. Next to this is the excavated area, walled by heavy blocks and its floor tiled. Within it stands a series of walls forming something of a maze-like area, squares of blue tiles mounted on the wall sections like windows. The maze isn’t hard – it’s not intended to be – and has a roofed platform at its centre, served by two stairways.

Grauland / Corsair Island, July 2024

Alongside of this maze, sitting between it and the southern beach is an area suggestive of ancient ruins fronted by a large bust of a female torso. Steps down to a lower area passing under the “ruins” provides access to the beach. To the north of the island, hidden among rock formations, is a formal garden area watched over by Buddha, Psyche and a reproduction of Horatio Greenough’s (1805-1852) Arno the Greyhound as found at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts.

East of the garden and most directly reached via a winding paved driveway that links it to the main road, is a large warehouse style of building sitting walled-off from the rest of the island, giving the impression it is separate to the rest. It is dressed as a private home and not for public access, but the gates guarding it open on approach and there is no security system in evidence – so I have no idea if it is meant to be public or private, so I remained circumspect.

Grauland / Corsair Island, July 2024

As always, this iteration of Grauland is photogenic and attractive, holding a lot to see (not all of which is mentioned here). It is strangely devoid of any soundscape (either that, or my viewer simply was not registering local sounds during my visit!), but to make up for this (if it is the case), a gift from Jim is available for visitors at the landing point.

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Stevie’s serenity: an exploration of Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Kondor Art Garden, July 2024: Steive Basevi

It was back to Kondor Art Centre for me once more, this time for a visit to the Art Garden to witness a new exhibition of Second Life centric art by Stevie Basevi.

Stevie is probably best known as the owner of the Sanctuary RP Community, which operates across three regions offering a mix of themed role play and combat. Outside of this, she has worked extensively with the American Cancer Society (14 years) and One Billion Rising, and is a member of The Seanchai Library’s Special Projects Creative team.

By her own admission, Stevie has only relatively recently become immersed in Second Life photography. However, she has quickly and deservedly gained recognition for her approach and style, and has been featured in numerous exhibitions, and her range covers both avatar studies – she has worked as a fashion photographer of BOSL – and SL landscapes.

Kondor Art Garden, July 2024: Steive Basevi

She is also, like myself, a Second Life traveller, capturing memories of the places she visits as photographs; and with Capturing Serenity, An Exploration of SL, she provides a pleasurable taste of both her travels and her work in this latter regard.

I wander the grid in search of scenes that connect my emotions and feelings from my eyes to my heart. The things that I photograph, I don’t photograph them because I wanted an image of a particular thing. I went to the regions, looked around and waited for something to connect with me, to call out for me to come, visually commune, and make my heart sing.

– Stevie Basevi

Kondor Art Garden, July 2024: Steive Basevi

The exhibition in the Kondor Art Garden presents twelve pieces by Stevie, all perfectly suited for viewing under a night-time sky setting (as seen here). They reveal a handful of some of Second Life’s most popular public destinations, including Elvion (4 images and a frequent feature in these pages), Sainte Rose sur Mer (4 images, and also featured in these pages), the Karasu Estate (2 images), Blossomvale and Summerville (1 image apiece).

All twelve images are superbly captured, framed and cropped, Stevie using a minimum of post-processing (something I try to do with my images, but not with the same skill as Stevie demonstrates). They are also all finished in colours than emphasise the title of the exhibition, presenting each of the locations at a place evocative of serenity and peace; rich in a sense of nature and the ability for humanity to live in harmony with the natural world.

Kondor Art Garden, July 2024: Steive Basevi

Capturing Serenity, An Exploration of SL officially opens at 12:00 noon on Thursday, July 18th, the opening featuring music by DJ Joss Floss (jossinta). However, the exhibition has already had a soft opening ahead of time, and is available for viewing as of the time of writing this piece.

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Balanced on a Cloud Edge in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Cloud Edge II, July 2024 – click any image for full size

In January 2023, I visited Cloud Edge, a stunning mountain setting beautifully presented to give the impression of being so high up in a mountain range the very clouds lay beneath you (see: Walking a Cloud Edge in Second Life). Designed by Funky Banana, a region designer with a talent for producing attention-holding region designs and settings I’ve delighted in writing about in these pages, Cloud Edge was somewhat unique in presentation – as I noted back in 2023. So, when I learned he had opened a new iteration of the setting, I was off to pay it a visit.

Still occupying a Homestead region, albeit in a new location, Cloud Edge II continues the theme established in Cloud Edge,  offering a suggestion that this is a place within the same mountain range as the original, once again largely above the tree-line but where hardy growths of shrubs and krummholz cling to the otherwise barren rocks.

Cloud Edge II, July 2024

While there is a sense of continuation from the original Cloud Edge within this setting for those who visited the original, together with one or two familiar elements (notably the eagle – this time perched on a rock rather than riding the updraughts rising up from the valleys below – and the presence of a rope bridge), this is very much a place with an identity all its own. The clouds here are denser, forming a white sea which in places rises higher than the visible ridges as if to suggest there are other nearby domes and spines of rock lurking just beneath their blanket, and which might yet be revealed should the clouds deign to part.

That said, there is one dome visible to the south of the main ridge. It sits tantalisingly close yet forever out of reach of hikers (you can obviously fly over to it, but that’s cheating!), even if the clouds might encourage thoughts that just perhaps, beneath their fog-like embrace, a curtain of rock wide enough to traverse to reach the dome and its lonely tree might yet be found.

Cloud Edge II, July 2024

However, there is a visible hiking route to follow, one pointing north from the landing point at the south-eastern end of the ridge. It runs up to the foot of the blunt-nosed outcrop rising from the mid-point of the ridge to form a lone peak which seems to by supporting the trail as it sags away to lower ground to the south and north. Passing around the peak on its south side, the trail then drops back down and turns almost due north to rise via an narrow neck to a bulbous headland which extended a stubby nub of rock as if pointing to the (off-region) mountains.

This stubby finger of rock offers a dramatic look-out point with nothing but the blanket of thick cloud below, giving one the impression of standing on air with the enticing the mysteries of what lay beneath the veil on clouds calling up to you. But there is something else about this outcrop; it doesn’t take much of a rotation of the camera around it to realise that, with its bulbous mass sitting behind the stubby nub, it bears a suggestion of a terrapin sitting over white water, the nub of rock forming its head, the bulbous headland behind being its body. It an illusion heightened  by the right play of light across it, which can give the illusion of the nub bearing a beak and an eye staring out over the cloud tops.

Cloud Edge II, July 2024

This northern end of the main ridge is not the last place to explore; over to west side of the descent from the main peak is another shoulder of cliff dropping away into the clouds before a thumb of rock pokes itself back above the mist. Such is its proximity, there is a suggestion that it is perhaps joined to the main ridgeline somewhere below, just hidden from sight.

However, there is no need to risk a scramble down into the clouds in an attempt to find out. Instead, a rope bridge has been strung across the gap between the two formations. Whilst missing some boards roughly two-thirds of the way across, the bridge nevertheless spans the narrow gap to offer a want onto the plateau on its far side and the presence of the eagle, which appear to be ready (and without Norma Desmond’s madness) for its close-up shot by budding DeMilles paying it a visit 🙂 .

Cloud Edge II, July 2024

Once again, an outstanding and unique location (albeit one with an unusual soundscape, sounding is as does like waves breaking against the shore), which continues and extends the beauty of the original. It is also a setting which naturally lends itself to a range of potential environment settings as well as the Shared environment when it comes to photography (as I’ve admittedly done in some of the images above).

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The Dignity of Things in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Saint Elizabeth’s University: Haiku Quan – The Dignity of Things

Haiku (Haiku Quan) is perhaps bet known in two capacities. The first is as the founder of the Free Museum, which she present visitors to obtain art  – with the permission of the artists themselves – from across Second life for free, as I wrote about shortly after it opened in January 2022 (see: The Free Museum of art in Second Life). The second is as the host and organiser of a range of musical events and concerts, notably for art events at Akiko Kinoshi (a.kiko) Art hub of Akipelago, where she books and hosts between two and three concerts a week.

However, Haiku is also a photographer in her own right, and is currently exhibiting some of her work at the Hermit Gallery at Saint Elizabeth’s University. Spread across the three levels of the warehouse-like gallery, The Dignity of Things offers a curious yet nonetheless charming look at what might be called “the extraordinary everyday”; the focus being on the kind of everyday items we might find in the physical world and which have been reproduced in Second Life.

Saint Elizabeth’s University: Haiku Quan – The Dignity of Things

From coffee percolators to toys, ornaments hairbrushes and even eggs, The Dignity of Things presents a series of images of the items we so often take for granted for one of several reasons: because of their utilitarian nature; or because they are designed to highlight the beauty of their contents – as with flower vases; or simply because even if they do contain a natural beauty or attractiveness of their own, our daily familiarity with them causes us to overlook them more than “see” them. Yet, again as Haiku notes, they all nevertheless has a dignity of form entirely of its own.

Each item is featured on its own, with little in the way of any background that might otherwise draw our attention from the subject of the picture. This gives each image a minimalist look and feel which – to a degree – put me in mind of Melusina Parkin’s minimalist photography. Now to be clear, this is not to say Haiku is in any way directly mimic Melusina’s unique approach; where Melusina’s images tend towards being off-set in focus relative to their subject, and utilise unique angles, Haiku uses a more direct, face-on approach, focused solely on each item- a clear differentiator between her work and Melu’s. Nevertheless, like Melu’s work, the overall minimalism of Haiku’s pieces allows us to focus fully on each subject and – to use Haiku’s words – its inherent dignity, whilst (again also like Melu’s photography) each picture suggests a wider narrative that exists beyond the bounds of the picture frame.

Saint Elizabeth’s University: Haiku Quan – The Dignity of Things

A further attractive aspect of these pictures is the fact they appear to be minimally post-processed; there is a natural rawness to each one, giving it realism that others often seek to produce through complex post-process editing. This, coupled with the elements noted above, makes these pieces so engaging.

However, there is another aspect to these pictures that I found attractive: their framing is such that not only are we made to focus on each of their subjects, we are also encouraged to consider the creativity and skill that brought them into Second Life. This in turn overlaps with the larger narrative alluded to: the fact that all of the subjects in this collect of images reflect items we can find around us in the physical world, all of which also have a dignity of beauty and creativity – either the result of Nature or due to a combination of practical form meeting purpose and / or man-made processes and creativity behind them.

Saint Elizabeth’s University: Haiku Quan – The Dignity of Things

All of the pieces in this collection are offered for free, in keeping with Haiku’s approach to offering art at no cost, making them attractive to those looking for very individual pieces of art for their SL homes.

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  • Hermit Gallery, Saint Elizabeth’s University (Dark Dreamer, rated Adult)

Soulstone’s touch of sci-fi and art in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Soulstone, July 2024 – click any image for full size

It was back to Soulstone, the Full private region held by Valayra Asher (Valayra), for me, and a place I last visited in February (see: A belated appreciation of Soulstone’s winter beauty in Second Life). Since that time, the region has once again had a make-over; this time bringing us a distinctly sci-fi setting which folds into itself an element of art visitors might appreciate – although I’m admittedly uncertain as to how long the setting will remain in place,.

The setting has a distinctly Star Wars feel to it when first arriving, the About Land even referencing Tatooine; it is akin to arriving within a district of somewhere like Mos Espa, containing as it does elements mindful of both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. However, to say the setting is intended to represent any specific location on Tatooine or from the Star Wars franchise in general – films or streaming shows – would be a mistake. The look here is more general in nature, including as it does references and hints to broader media sci-fi themes.

Soulstone, July 2024

The public area runs entirely up the eastern half of the region and also encompasses the north-west quarter. Separated from all of this by slender ridges of sand is the south-west quarter of the region, which is given over to what appears to be a private home. So, if I might borrow from another science fiction classic (if one that is terribly underrated due to its source material): “all of this region is yours to explore, except the south-west corner. Attempt no landings there.”

The landing point is located at the entrance to a bar – I hesitate to use the term “cantina”, as that word carries with it certain expectations given the Star Wars inspiration for the region, and the place inside the doors by no means seeks to replicate the place visited by a certain young Skywalker and his elderly companion. Rather, it has a look and feel – and touches of humour – all its own, with the humour starting at a sign bearing a “quote” next to the front entrance:

Trust me, you can dance.

– Alcohol

Soulstone, July 2024

The bar is located to the north-west of the setting, which is the most sparsely populated part of the town in terms of buildings. One of these offers a touch of science fact to mix with the sci-fi, coming in the form of a holographic display of our own little dwarf planet Pluto (technically a Kuiper Belt object, thus causing its formal reclassification in 2006). This shares the space within the building with what might be regarded as the first of the setting’s art displays.

Outside, away from its covered entrance, a strange convoy of elephant-like creatures carrying what appears to be robots on their backs is passing. It form a more visible (on first arrival) statement of art, and one that occurs elsewhere in the setting as a kind of motif. It is also one which, at first glance, put me in mind of Haveit Neox’s work; although his is purely coincidental.

Soulstone, July 2024

The caravan appears to be heading for the largest and tallest building in the setting, which forms a combination of art gallery and hotel, the former offering digital 2D art inspired by Star Wars. The latter offers multiple levels of accommodation of a form Tech 49 (or 52, depending on your point-of-view) Jack Harper might well feel at home within, given the general styling if not the overall presentation. Landing pads on the uppermost level offer what is presumably private parking for residents who need it for their spacecraft.

The hotel isn’t the only place with room for spacecraft. To the south sits a hanger / landing bay which, whilst in no way resembling it, brings to mind Peli Motto’s hanger and maintenance facility as most frequently seen in The Mandalorian. Close to this is a large, open landing facility sitting atop a flat rock, which offers a hint of franchise cross-over as it is home to a vehicle quite clear based on the Danube class of Starfleet runabouts (as particularly seen in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Soulstone, July 2024

Whilst this craft here is in no way representative of Starfleet or the Federation, it did remind me of wry comment on the part of one Major Kira Nerys concerning this much put upon class of vessel: “You know, the rate we go through runabouts, it’s a good thing the Earth has so many rivers.”

In terms of art within the setting, and in addition to the elements already mentioned, visitors might find pieces by Bryn Oh, Fresh3D (also responsible for the elephant convoys), DRD (Deathrow designs), Ini (in Inaka) – together with an accompanying 3D element stacked by Valayra, and Pira (Igor Novikov).

Soulstone, July 2024

Also awaiting discovery is what is either a laboratory overseen by little rabbit-eared robots or what might actually be some form of medical centre (at least going by the red crosses on the gallery level beds (assuming the red cross is universally translatable!). A further reference to The Mandalorian can also sort-of be found here. In addition, some of the buildings include various figures from Star Wars, and walkers possibly inspired by the franchise can be found going about their business in the dusty streets – although they may at times have to duck to avoid the lasers which are firing up into the sky from next ground level in a couple of places.

Throughout all of this are numerous little touches that might help further delight the eye, whilst the default environment setting and the use of both local sounds and – here and there – media – further add to the experience. The setting also lends itself to custom EEP settings for those who like to use them, as I hope at least a couple of the images here demonstrate.

Soulstone, July 2024

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