Tag: Art 2018

ArtCare Gallery in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
ArtCare Gallery: Care

Yany O’Real (Yany Oh) recently invited me to visit ArtCare Gallery, where a selection of his work is currently being exhibited. Curated by Care (carelyna), the gallery offers a large display space for her own art, whilst also featuring – at the time of my visit – the art of Yany, together with Leonorah Beverly, Lam Erin, Sandi Benelli, Marga J, Shakespeare (SkinnyNilla) and Maxie Daviau, with 3D art and particle displays by Pol Jarvinen and Kurk Mumfuzz.

I admit to having missed Care’s art up until now, and the gallery offers an excellent opportunity to gain familiarity with it. Focusing primarily on landscape studies from within Second Life, which she presents post-processed to resemble paintings.

ArtCare Gallery: Care

One group of her images are vividly rich in colour, strongly evocative of the likes of Van Gogh in their style and offering truly unique views of Second Life. The more lightly processed images are likewise attractive whilst more fully illustrating Care’s eye for presenting views of Second Life as we are familiar with them. Also included in her selection of art is a set of images captured at one of Kurk’s particle shows, which offers a further contrast in style and approach.

Facing Care’s work are gallery bays featuring the work of Max, Leonorah, Lam, Shakespeare, Marga J and Sandi. All are enticing Second Life landscape artists – and in the interests of disclosure, I have an abiding admiration for the work of Max and Shakespeare. Taken together these artists offer a natural flow of images hat allow us to travel through Second Life to many places and regions.

ArtCare Gallery: Shakespeare and Max

Situated in a hall of its only, Yany’s work covers both landscapes and avatar studies, and in a rich mix of styles. I found two of the images particularly captivating:  We Are Many, presenting a single image of avatars attending a presentation, which has been repeated several times over to become a collage, with the groups of images mirrored to offer something of a unique perspective on how we might perceive our avatars.

The second is Starman, a rich – and lighthearted? – take on the launch of Elon Musk’s Tesla Roaster into space as part of the first launch of the Falcon Heavy in February 2018.

ArtCare Gallery: Yany

Located against one of the walls of the gallery are two pairs of doors marked “reception” – one of which leads up to to a 3D display of Pol Jarvinen’s 3D work, and the other down to ground level and a small display of Kurk’s particle art.

With a rich mix of themed 2D art, together with the 3D and particle work above and below, ArtCare Gallery makes for an interesting visit.

ArtCare Gallery: Lam and Leonorah

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The Art of Lu in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Holly Kai Gallery: Art of Lu: Fantasy and Nature

Now open at Holly Kai Gallery, in the first exhibition of our new season, is The Art of Lu: Fantasy and Nature, featuring the art of Lu Anne Anatine (LeeLu Anatine). It’s an exhibition I am absolutely delighted about, as I’ve been enthralled by Lu Anne’s art since I first encountered it at an exhibition at Diomita Plaza Gallery / R&D Gallery (read here for more).

A professional illustrator and digital artist in the physical world, Lu Anne produces some of the most stunning art I’ve had the privilege to see in Second Life. Her work is deeply nuanced; each image stands on its own as an incredible work of art, while many of them suggest that are actually a frame of a much broader story or tale we are invited to let our imaginations weave.

Holly Kai Gallery: The Art of Lu

This is particularly evident in the fantasy images. They offer us glimpses into other worlds, some of which may be from fiction, as with the marvellous Alice, other of which might be born straight from Lu’s own imagination and which feature elven folk and merfolk and more.

The use of birds and flowers within these images links them directly to the selection of nature art Lu has provided for the exhibition – and I was delighted to see Colours of Winter among the latter: this hangs in our lounge at home. It’s a piece that ably illustrates Lu’s use of colour – even when used almost minimally or in muted tones  – as a means of giving a generous depth to her work.

Holly Kai Gallery: The Art of Lu

Throughout all of her art, Lu offers a wonderful mix: these are richly digital images, and yet each one is alive; as alive as it might have been if the subject had been captured in real life via a photograph. It’s not hard to image the coal tit of Colours of Winter flittering rapidly away from its perch a moment after its image had been captured, or to have the merman reach out a hand to help guide you in Swimming Lesson. This breath of life is achieved through Lu’s compositional technique with her work.

The materials I use are a traditional and digital mix of mediums. I will render in graphite the line work for the paintings then scan them into Photoshop so then I can paint digitally. I use a Wacom Cintiq to paint and the programs I use cross between Photoshop and Corel Painter. I may even use other traditional mediums like water-colour as an under painting that gets scanned as well the possibilities are endless …

– Lu Anne Anatine on creating her art

Holly Kai Gallery: The Art of Lu

It’s an honour to have Lu Anne with us at holly Kai Park, and The Art of Lu will be open through until October 13th, 2018, and I invite you all to come along to Holly Kai Gallery and witness her work first hand – you will not be disappointed!

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Solo Arte: “explore and enjoy” in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Solo Arte

Opening on Friday, September 14th, 2018 at 13:00 SLT is a new group art installation at Solo Arte curated by Terrygold and Melania (MelaniaBis), Featuring an ensemble cast of artists, it has been given the informal title of explore and enjoy.

Those participating in the exhibition cover the realms of both 2D and 3D art, and comprise Oema, Terrygold, Jill Agresti (Jillx), Solkide Auer, Judy Barton (Mitla), Giovanna Cerise, Desy Magic, Annalisa Muliaina, Maddy (Magda Schmidtzau), Eupalinos Ugajin, Ciottolina Xue, and Moke Yuitza.

Solo Arte: Oema

The setting for the exhibition is rather unique, a three-dimensional space that initially appears as a rooftop garden, dotted with large hollow spheres, each of which contains (or will contain) an element of 3D art by some of the artists, together with some additional buildings and a little stream flowing between rocks and cliffs. However, there is more here than meets the eye: under the garden are numerous spaces, some of which can be glimpsed from above, others of which are fully enclosed and hidden, where more art and other points of interest can be found. Getting around these forms something of a mystery tour, making a visit to this installation a journey of discovery.

The spheres are intended to be worlds of their own – each has at least one entrance / exit, and visitors are invited to step inside them and become fully immersed in the art within. The dioramas and vignettes may come with explanatory text, or may stand alone or – as in at least one instance – share a poetic theme with the words of Jill Barton, whose poetry, inspired by the space, can be found on media boards to one side of the rooftop area under the eaves of a building.

Solo Arte: Ciottolina Xue

Once inside a sphere, you are fully enclosed in the space to generate a feeling of immersion – and which also makes finding your way back out a little interesting if you get turned around inside! But for a deeper sense of immersion, I suggest trying first-person view whilst within a sphere. Note that to fully appreciate some of the art, you must have your viewer’s Advanced Lighting Model option (Preferences > Graphics) enabled. Shadows are also recommended as being enabled when visiting – but I would suggest that this is a more optional requirement, depending on how well or otherwise your viewer performs with shadows enabled.

The 2D art is more traditional displayed on the walls of the lower levels of the structure. These have been designed in such a way that each 2D art area is at least partially open to the natural daylight of the environment (using the local windlight or setting your viewer to sunset is recommended). Maddy’s and Desy’s art is set out so as to appear in garden style environments, while Oema’s is in more of a built-out area that forms the main route into the lower levels from the rooftop garden when exploring on foot.

Solo Arte: Maddy

To fully get around the installation however, requires the use of the Teleport Anywhere Doors that can be found throughout the build. I particular, one of these is located alongside the location for Jill’s poetry, and another on the lower level of Oema’s 2D art display. Together, these two doors form (depending on which you use first) the start / end point for a journey through the installation, passing from display area to display area – including one tucked away deep inside the build, where more 3D can be found.  Nor is this all; also hidden down inside the build – and accessible on foot, should you spot the tunnel – is an underground events / bar area.

With Nessuno Myoo and Kicca Igaly due to join the exhibition during its run, this is a creative approach to displaying art that makes for an engaging and fun, as well as visually impressive, visit.

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Cica’s The Girl Who Cried Wolf

Posted on by Inara Pey
The Girl Who Cried Wolf

Opening on September 13th, 2018, is Cica Ghost’s latest art installation The Girl Who Cried Wolf, which as she notes is something of a play on the Aesop fable, the Boy Who Cried Wolf.

Within the piece, the wolf has already arrived, and can be found chasing the sheep over hill and dale, hoping for a meal. And where is the shepherd boy, who should be watching over them?

The Girl Who Cried Wolf

Well, unlike the original fable, in which his calls for help are ignored after previously pranking the village into believing a wolf was after their sheep when no such thing was happening, he’s off playing his little flute. Instead, it’s left to a little girl from the village to raise the alarm – shouting for the shepherd boy, who refuses to budge from his perch on a rock.

Within the setting are a number of Cica’s familiar sitting points where visitors can involve themselves in the story (mouse over some of the animals and furnishings to be found in the setting and you’ll discover them), and which offer a little sense of fun to the tale.

The Girl Who Cried Wolf

Looking at the core of the scene, it is perhaps tempting to look for a deeper meaning within it, or to perhaps ascribe some kind of political undertones to it. But neither is Cica’s intent at all; in fact she makes it clear that when it comes to politics, she has no time for the subject, “and I don’t bring politics into Second Life.” she states firmly.

Instead, this is a setting born entirely of the creative process. “I made that scene with sheep and wolf first,” she told me, “And it reminded me of that fable.”And the switch to having a girl raising a warning of the wolf’s arrival? “I wanted the shepherd boy playing a flute,” Cica says, “so I made the girl.”

The Girl Who Cried Wolf

And thus a simple, charming update to a famous tale has been made. One in which, the shepherd boy is more interested in playing his flute than in watching over the sheep – leaving it to the little girl to raise the alarm. But ien’t wanting to be off pursuing his own interests rather than the work assigned to them by their elders typical of many little boys?! 😉 .

The Girl Who Cried Wolf will, as with most of Cica’s installations, remain open for around 4 weeks.

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Avatar studies at Club LA and Gallery

Posted on by Inara Pey
Club LA and Gallery: Lyra Romanas

Now open at Club LA and Gallery, curated by Fuyuko ‘冬子’ Amano (Wintergeist), are two small exhibitions by Lyra Romanas and Io Bechir. Both offer avatar self-studies, and whilst very individual in styles and approach; they complement one another in a side-by-side exhibition.

“As an artist, I am first and foremost driven by an inner creative force, something captures my interest, a process takes form and a journey starts towards a finish product,” Lyra says of her work. “I like to explore my creativity through different platforms, such as painting, drawing, sculpturing, graphics, photography, digital art etc. I developed an interest for digital art mainly through SL, a wonderful playground when it comes to creating fantasies and make them come to life in a picture.”

Club LA and Gallery: Lyra Romanas

Contained within a small studies or workspace, the images are presented in a space suggestive of an artist’s workspace, albeit without all the clutter. Thus, in entering this space, it is as though we’re entering Lyra’s own space to appreciate her art even as she is creating.

Of the images, they stand both as individual pieces and also as three stories, each of four frames apiece, and which we are invited to imagine and extend. In this, they are very much reflective of Lyra’s approach to her art: offering pictures that are very much alive, and very much in the moment, as Lyra notes. “I have a formal art education. But when I create I follow no rules or guidelines regarding my art, I just go with what’s right in the moment.”

Club LA and Gallery: Io Bechir

Across the hallway can be found Io’s selection of art, which might be considered NSFW, involving nudity as it does. I’ve been a fervent admirer of Io’s work since first encountering it, and am always pleased to have the opportunity of seeing more of it. Her self-portraits are always richly evocative and rich a narrative, and the seven images she presents here more than demonstrate this.

Each of the seven has its own story to tell, but I confess that of all of them, Three Hours Early (seen above, right) utterly captivated me; the composition of the image is simply sublime, and the depth of emotion caught within it utterly stunning.

Club LA and Gallery: Io Bechir

Both Io and Lyra will be on display at Club LA through until October, and can currently be seen alongside the photography of Carolyn Phoenix / Sirenis, which I reviewed in August 2018.

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More art at the Astral Dreams Project

Posted on by Inara Pey
Astral Dreams Project

The Astral Dreams Project has opened a further round of artist exhibitions. As I noted in July, when the installation first opened in July, the aim of the installation, itself a reproduction of the Piazza di Spagna in Rome, was to celebrate Italian arts and creativity in Second Life. However, for the latest exhibition, Oema Resident, the installation’s curator, has thrown her net a little wider.

Astral Dreams Project: Giovanna Cerise

Occupying the two 3D galleries (one of which occupies to location of the Keats-Shelley Memorial House) are home to exhibitions by JadeYu Fang and Giovanna Cerise. Both are striking artists, perhaps best known for thematic installations of their own.

For Astral Dreams, both offer pieces that appear to be influenced by some of those installations pieces. Giovanna, for example, includes a piece reminiscent of Clinamen Read here for more) and an element of From the Worlds to the World (read here for more). Meanwhile, JadeYu includes pieces that are reminiscent of her OpeRaAnxiEty (read here for more) among the selection of pieces for her exhibit.

Astral Dreams Project: CybeleMoon

Across the piazza, the twelve 2D art spaces present works by nabrej Aabye (physical world art); Dido Haas (avatar studies); Cullum Writer (physical world digital art); Kiana Jarman (avatar studies); CybeleMoon (Hana Hoobinoo) – mixed media / SL photography); Megan Prumier (avatar studies); Skip Staheli (avatar studies); Nekotto (avatar studies); Ambre (Ambre Singh) – avatar studies; Lam Erin (waterscapes); Naiike (avatar studies) and Ful Macchi (landscapes).

Of these artists, I confess to be drawn to the images and imagery of CybeleMoon – who creates the most fantastic stories through her art; the remarkable studies by Dido Haas, who has a way of capturing the very life of her avatar; the fabulous digital forms by Cullum Writer; and Lam Erin’s painting-like landscapes and waterscapes.

Astral Dreams Project: Cullum Writer

Which is not to say I don’t have an appreciation of the work by the other artists; truth be told, all over something eye-catching or unique. Together they all make an interesting exhibition, one that will be open through until at least the end of the month.

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