Tag: Art 2018

Seduction and Vettriano in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Seductions

Seductions is the title of a combined 2D and 3D installation by Alo Congrejo and Lorys Lane, with Alo providing the overall build and Lorys the photographs.

“[Seductions is] An urban pathway,” the artists state of the installation, “that guides the visitor through images representing the seduction in different fields and contexts.”

Seductions

It’s a curious piece; one suggestive of depth, but which can be can be slightly confusing in the manner, the images appearing to be at odds with the general geometry of the setting, in which cubes (including the rooms in which the images are displayed), squares, rectangles, cylinders, spheres, and so on, can draw the eye to them, and away from the photographs.

The images themselves, spread across a series of red rooms – the colour itself matching the core theme of the installation -, present multiple aspects of seduction, from couples becoming intimate through to the initiation of seduction – the use of undewear and nightgowns and slips; to the way casual or suggestive acts can lead to more intimate acts: the casual touch of hand on body, the more deliberate placement of a bare foot placed between spread thighs, the start of attraction in catching sight of someone across a room. It’s a fascinating range of images, each with a unique narrative – and some have something more – as the artists openly acknowledged.

Seductions

Jack Vettriano (born Jack Hoggan) is a self-taught Scottish painter, who images can encompass themes of seduction and acts of seduction (although his portfolio covers far more subjects). Several of the pieces within Seduction are offered as an homage to Vettriano’s work. Which they might be, I leave to you to decide; suffice it to say that they are presented in such a way to offer an homage without in any way being derivative – they are all of themselves unique in style and presentation.

And the setting? It exudes a certain amount of impersonality surrounding the photographs; this in itself fits the overall subject, as the act (or art) or seduction is a personal act, one that generally takes place in rooms and spaces away from the public eye, even as the world continues on around it: the ebb and flow of people in streets and places outside. Acts of seduction and intimacy can also cause embarrassment; hence, perhaps the reason for the 3D animated pieces: the offer the eye a “distraction” from the acts of – dare I say – foreplay depicted here.

Seductions

The setting also has another interpretation: acts of intimacy, of seduction, can be born out of the most unexpected encounters: a meeting on the street, at a café, in the midst of the bustle of daily life. Some of this is to be found within the photographs, and the setting itself offers a further echo of this.

Seductions is, as noted, a curious installation – but this is not meant negatively; the simple fact is, the more time spent within it, the more it engages the eye and mind, the 3D environment and the photographs working in unison to attract us and offer stories for our imaginations. From the landing point, take the teleport to the main platform.

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A Bay of Dreams in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Bay of Dreams; Inara Pey, April 2018, on FlickrBay of Dreams – click any image for full size

Solo Arte, the open-air gallery space for art and culture designed by Terrygold, is well-known for art displays and installations, as I’ve frequently covered in this blog. All of the art events at the venue have tended to be on platforms in the sky – Terry has designed a lovely outdoor urban setting, complete with small indoor galleries as well as the street-side areas for art displays, while additional installations can be set-up on their own platforms. This has tended to leave the ground level space of the quarter-region parcel unused where public access is concerned.

Or at least, it has until now. Bay of Dreams is a new ground-level setting Terry has created for people to enjoy – and it stands as another demonstration that you don’t have to have an entire region in order to create something special.

Bay of Dreams; Inara Pey, April 2018, on FlickrBay of Dreams – click any image for full size

“It’s inspired by the Canadian woodlands,” Terry told me as we explored the space. “We will also be hosting some parties and music events here, and people are welcome to explore the woodland paths and come here for a little peace.”

The setting has the feel of somewhere in the Rockies – the parcel is bounded on two sides by curtain walls of rock to separate it from its neighbours, the remaining two looking out over open Linden Water, which one might imagine to be the waters of a lake. Scotts pine vie with the rocky curtains for height, a grassy path winding its way eastwards through them from the landing point, while a raised wooden board walk curls back to the western edge of the parcel and a waterside venue space.

Bay of Dreams; Inara Pey, April 2018, on FlickrBay of Dreams – click any image for full size

A rectangular, lawned space bracketed to the north and south be a stage area and a pavilion-style bar respectively, and by water to the west and east, this events space is extremely attractive in design and layout. It’s fair to say – if an understatement – to say it embodies an artist’s eye, with simplicity of layout with a balance of design and placement of elements – notably pieces by fellow artists such as CioTToLiNa Xue – to create an elegant venue space. A wooden pier to one side offers a rezzing create where a canoe can be taken for a row out onto the southern waters – just be careful about paddling too far, as you might bounce off the region edge.

These southern waters are dominated by a near-nude rock that rises impressively from them. It is straddled by an equally impressive cabin crouching on study wooden legs rooted in the stone beneath. The cabin can be reached via two platforms at the base of the rock – against which a canoe can be moored – and ladder-like steps. For those who don’t like the idea of rowing to the rock, it can be reached via another wooden board walk.  This extends out from the eastern side of the woodland trail, winding its way over a small island between the shoreline and a the tall rock.

Bay of Dreams; Inara Pey, April 2018, on FlickrBay of Dreams – click any image for full size

Along the path to this board walk can be found a little camp site and a tiny waterfall tucked away under the cliffs bordering the parcel. The trail itself continues beyond the board walk to where a sign points the way to a little cove where people can sit or cuddle – or take a HUD from the sign at the water’s edge and go for a swim.

Bay of Dreams is a charming, extremely well designed environment put together with an eye for detail. It has a balanced elegance about it which gives life to the truism “less is more”. Should you enjoy a visit, please consider a donation towards the parcel’s upkeep, and if you want to keep abreast of events at Bay of Dreams and Solo Arte in general, consider joining the Solo Arte group.

Bay of Dreams; Inara Pey, April 2018, on FlickrBay of Dreams – click any image for full size

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Three into on at DiXmiX for April and May

Posted on by Inara Pey
DiXmiX Gallery: Oyo

DiXmiX Gallery, curated by Dixmix Source, is currently hosting three exhibitions side-by-side by Second Life artists, all of which opened in April and run through (at least in part) to May. As is always the case with this gallery, the exhibitions are both intriguing and a little frustrating.

First up, and in the foyer area of the Grey Gallery, is I’m a Magic Marker (SquarePegRoundHole69), an artist to whom I was introduced – or her work at least – by Sorcha Tyles. “For me, Second Life is a way to escape into a novel that you write yourself, but with me, the story is generally without a plot,” Magic said at the time of her exhibition at Sorcha’s gallery. “Some images are cathartic, some are just because I like to look at pretty things.”

DiXmiX Gallery: Magic Marker

It’s a point of view that can be applied to the twelve images offered at DiXmiX. Quirky, eye-catching and often featuring bold colours which demand our attention, they present attention-grabbing avatar studies (with a little nudity in places). Some might appear to be straight-forward almost studio style photos (such as “#1” and “#7”); others offer that opening to a story mentioned in passing by Magic, while some evoke echoes of art and artistry from other sources – notably #5 and the wonderfully eye-catching #3 with its hint of a Jackson pollack influence.

Adjoining this in the ground floor Black Gallery is Blanc by Oyo, a series of fourteen quite striking studies, largely of avatars, but also featuring landscapes, in which white – and the title might suggest – plays something of a role almost throughout. Again untitled, given only a number, these are attention-holding studies which although free from narrative, instantly draw one into them each in turn. There is a vibrancy and life within each, beautifully encapsulated in their largely muted tones.

DiXmiX Gallery: Oyo

Most of the images stand as individual pieces, each to be appreciated in its own right. the exceptions to this are “IV”, “V” and “VI” which form an impressive triptych-like trio of images (above),  each on standing as an individual piece, but all three combine perfectly together to form a single and evocative whole; a glimpse of a vacation or favourite coastal place caught in the mind’s eye.

On the upper floor of the gallery, in the White Gallery space, is 12 Photographers and 1 Chair, by Mr. S. As the name implies, this is a set of twelve studies of Second Life photographers – all of them male, and welcome in an age where the camera is still often preoccupied with studies of the female form – seated in an armchair and presented with a glimpse of their own work as a backdrop.

DiXmiX Gallery: Mr. S

Caught in the same lighting, the 12 artists, Yann Whoa, Aran M., Skippy Beresford, Dixmix Source, Terry Fotherington, Gaus, Burk Bode, SL Senna, Moon Edenbaum, Oscar Sabra, Vrir Resident and Serene Footman, all make for intriguing studies; although I did find that in a couple of the images, the supporting “background” image tended to draw my eyes away from the main subject perhaps a little too much. Nevertheless, these are striking studies, and with several, I couldn’t help but feel Mr. S had caught not only the look, but the very essence of his subjects through both their portrait and the selected supporting image.

My frustration, such as it is, lies again with the lack of liner notes accompanying this three exhibitions. With 12 Photographers and 1 Chair in particular, it would have been interesting to get Mr. S’s perspective on his images, and perhaps those of some of his subjects. This (usual) quibble aside, all three exhibits are well worth a visit.

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Out of Here in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Out of Here

“My images don’t have a bar code, from time to time they scream. Today is the first day of peace though,” Nevereux notes in her Preview to Out of Here Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, an exhibition of her work now on display at , curated by Dido Haas. An evocative artist whom I’ve admired through these pages on a number of occasions,  Nevereux offers sixteen images which, as show notes in a mere general introduction to the exhibition, form something of a reflective, emotional journey.

“Out of here is despair converted into media with intrinsic meaning and no pretenses,” she sates, “… it’s a spiritual thing, the individual perception of feelings after breakup. We seek in our beliefs sensory encounters, something beyond the words uttered. The words may reverberate subtlety, but the raw feelings, truth, irony and an imaginative point of view wrestle us each moment to create image after image.”

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Out of Here

And so we are presented with images of raw emotional depth, each one presenting not a narrative or idea, but a feeling; a response; a desire. All but one are really presented as standalone moments; flashes of an emotional state, a state with which, in all likelihood we can each identify. The exception is Adieux. Beta version, seen at the end of this piece, which conveys emotions through words as well as by image.

Love and loss obviously result in darker feelings – emptiness, loneliness, despair, hurt, and so on. This is certainly the case with the majority of the pieces offered here – but that shouldn’t be taken to mean these are in any way bleak images. Entirely the reverse, in fact. As noted above, these are images that are powerfully and evocatively familiar in their interpretation; so much so that rather than sinking us into bleaker thoughts, they offer a journey – possibly cathartic – through feelings and responses. Some may even offer more than one potential interpretation.

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Out of Here

Take Every Song Is A Lament (above, left), for example. Clearly, the title reflects how songs can feel to us when a relationship ends;  that sense of loss, not just of love and companionship – but also a of oneself. This is beautifully framed by the image itself – a body partially dissolved into a trail of feathers leading to an escaping bird. But so to, is there an alternative here: that need to escape; a wish not to feel the hurt and upset evoked by song, and to simply escape.

Similarly, and alongside of Every Song Is A Lament, is Going from Belonging 2 B Longing. Again, the title and the image perfectly convey the idea that there comes a time when a relationship ends – for whatever reason – when we a deeply aware of that shift in state: for a couple (or family) or an individual; we feel more a shadow than a presence. But again, perhaps, there is an alternative metaphor here: when a relationship ends, we are often surrounded by support; and as well-meaning as that support might be, we nevertheless feel apart from it, rather than a part of it. We simply want to fade away and escape it all.

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Out of Here

An open display of images reflecting inner thoughts and feelings, Out of Here is an expressive exhibition, one not to be missed.

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2018 Raglan Shire Artwalk: call to artists

Posted on by Inara Pey
Raglan Shire Artwalk 2017: Utterly Wizardly

The Raglan Shire Artwalk is one of the staples of the SL art calendar, and for 2018, it will take place between Sunday, May 13th and Sunday, June 17th, inclusive.

Every year over 100 artists and residents in Second Life display 2D and 3D art across a number of exhibition spaces across all the regions of the Raglan Shire cluster. 2D art is displayed on hedgerows in and around the regions, offering visitors the chance to view pieces as they explore the Shire, while sculptures and 3D art is displayed in a number of designated areas across the regions.

Those wishing to exhibit their work at the 2018 Artwalk are invited to complete the  Artist Registration Form, which should be submitted for inclusion no later than 21:00 SLT on Sunday May 6th, 2018.

General requirements for entry:

  • The event is a non-juried show
  • Artists can display more than one piece if they wish
    • 2D (“flat” art pieces will be awarded a maximum of 15 prims, and individual pictures should be 1 prim, including the frame.
    • 3D art (sculptures, etc.), will be awarded a maximum of 500 prims for up to three pieces of work. Artists are requested to state the number of prims per piece in their application.
    • Sales of art are allowed.
  • Types of art supported by the show are: representations of RL photography, painting, drawing, printmaking, collage, and digital fine art that can be displayed on a prim;  and SL photography, manipulated SL photography and SL sculpture.
  • Pictures of RL crafts, such as beadwork, leatherwork, etc., are not part of the show’s  definition
  • All the above art forms are welcome, but should be rated PG / G – so no nudity, please!
  • Group membership will be required in order to display work
  • Questions and enquiries should be forwarded via note card to Artwalk Director Karmagirl Avro, or Artwalk Assistants Kayak Kuu & Shadow Marlin.

Details on set-up will be sent to participating artists on Tuesday, May 8th, 2018. Step-up commences at 09:00 SLT on Friday, May 11th and runs through Saturday, May 12th. Note that space along the hedgerows in Raglan Shire for 2D art is NOT assigned, but can be taken on the basis of first come first serve. Certain areas of Heron Shire will be designated for sculpture set up and available locations set with a marker.

Key Dates

  • Sunday May 6th: Applications close at 21:00 SLT
  • Tuesday, May 8th: Notification of exhibit space location issued to artists
  • Friday, May 11th / Saturday May 12th: Artist set-up days
  • Sunday, May 13th: ARTWALK OPENS
  • Sunday, June 17th: Artwalk closes
  • Sunday, June 17th (after 18:00 SLT) through Tuesday, June 19th: Takedown of works.

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Of Martin Luther King and Hindu temples in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Martin Luther King

April 4th, 2018, marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. To commemorate this, and more particularly his work advancing civil rights through non-violence and civil disobedience, Adams Dubrovna has put together an exhibit entitled Martin Luther King, which is now on display at the Museum of Sacred and Narrative Art.

Across 32 display panels, Adams traces key points in Dr. King’s life, starting with an examination of his education, and concluding with his final public appearance  on April 3rd, 1968 at the Mason Temple (Church of God in Christ Headquarters), at which he gave his famous “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” address.

Martin Luther King

In 1954 Dr. King became pastor of the Dexter Baptist church in Montgomery, Alabama. In March 1955, Claudette Colvin – a fifteen-year-old black schoolgirl in Montgomery – refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in violation of Jim Crow laws, local laws in the Southern United States that enforced racial segregation. King was on the committee for the Birmingham African-American community that looked into the case – but a decision was made not to pursue it, as it involved a minor.

Then, in December that year, Rosa Parks also refused to give up her seat, and was arrested for “civil disobedience”. The NAACP, working through their local chapter president Edgar Nixon, saw Parks as the best candidate for seeing through a court challenge on the matter of segregation, and she so and Dr. King become central figures in the American civil rights movement, starting with the Montgomery bus boycott.

Martin Luther King

This – together with the bombing of King’s home on January 27th, 1956 (he was preaching at the time) and his own arrest (the first of many) – mark the starting point for the exhibition tracing his civil rights activism.  The panels the trace the key moments in his life and the civil rights movement in chronological order, many of them using Dr. King’s own words. These include the Albany Movement, the Birmingham campaign, the 1963 march on Washington DC,  and the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches.

Also marked is the King’s place on the international stage (through a look at their visit to India in 1959 and his opposition to the Việt Nam war). Many of the panels include Dr. King’s own words, making them particularly poignant, particularly the excerpt of his April 3rd, 1968 address at the Mason Temple. This reads as prophetic in light of the events that followed on April 4th, 1968. Wisely, the exhibition doesn’t unduly dwell on Dr. King’s death at the hand of James Earl Ray, but rather passes on to some of the monuments erected in his memory in the United States.

Ellora Caves Exhibit

On the floor above Martin Luther King is an exhibition of images and plans of the Ellora caves, one of the largest rock-cut monastery-temple cave complexes in the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India. It features Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments, and artwork, dating from the 600-1000 CE period.

The exhibition focuses on the latter two: Hindu and Jain temples and art, referred to as caves 13–29 and caves 30–34, respectively. It’s something of a mixed media exhibit, featuring photographs, slide shows and information boards / givers. The Hindu caves form the first part of the exhibit located at the top of the steps from the Martin Luther Exhibition. It is centre on a pair of large format photographs of the Kailasa Temple.

Ellora Caves Exhibit

There is a route around this display – commencing with the early Hindu period, then the Kailasa Temple images, complete with floor plans, and on through the Jian caves and art. The information note cards provide a fair amount of information, although the information buttons on the slide shows might be a little confusing – they provide a landmark to the in-world store for the slide show panels rather than information on the images they display.

For those looking for an exhibition or two with a historical lean, Martin Luther King and the Ellora Caves display could be well worth a visit. The former nicely compacts Dr. King’s life into an easily digestible presentation and avoids reading as preaching. The Ellora Caves display offers some excellent images of the caves, art and temple ruins, although it would be nice to have some form of credit offered for them – even if they are from the exhibitor’s own collection – would add a little more depth for those wishing to do further reading.

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