Tag: Art 2019

Celebrating van Gogh in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
ArtCare Gallery: Vincent van Gogh

Currently open at the ArtCare Gallery, curated by Carelyna Resident, assisted by Kurk Mumfuzz and Yany O’Real, is a celebration of art marking the 166th anniversary of Vincent van Gogh’s birth.

This is at first appears to be a most unusual exhibition, in that the gallery space is given over to large cubes, on four faces of which are reproductions of many of van Gogh’s paintings, while the inner walls of the gallery space carry a repeated reproduction of his 1888 painting, Starry Night Over The Rhone.

The reason for presenting the paintings on large cubes is presented at the landing point by a cube bearing a quote from van Gogh, “I would rather paint on big cubes, but I can’t carry them”.  Also at the landing point is a brief biography of van Gogh, that provides a broad thumbnail of his artistic output and the tragedy of his life.

ArtCare Gallery: Vincent van Gogh

Some of the reproductions include The Church in Auvers-sur-Oise (1890), The Langlois Bridge at Arles with Women Washing (1888), Olive Grove (1889), The Cottage (1885),  Still Life with Lemons on a Plate (1887), Pietà (1889), several of his self-portraits, and a two-walled reproduction of The Starry Night (1889). Between the cubes and walls are several settings suggestive of café spaces, possibly a reference to van Gogh’s mixed view of such places, of which he once said, “I have tried to express the idea that the café is a place where one can ruin oneself, go mad, or commit a crime” whilst referencing his 1889 painting, The Night Café.

It is the range of paintings present here that makes this an interesting exhibition: while some of van Gogh’s more famous paintings are shown (notably, perhaps, the Starry Night paintings), so to are perhaps lesser-known studies, such as from several of his collections: shoes, flowers, people at work, and so on, while there is a balance between his oil and watercolour works. There are also possible references to some of the less considered aspect of van Gogh’s life, such as his relationship with religion, as seen through Pietà.

ArtCare Gallery: Vincent van Gogh

My only complaints are that the use of the cubes, coupled with their size means that viewing some of the works on offer can be difficult. my second is that the paintings are presented without any supporting information – and given the selection on offer, some additional note cards / panels offering insight into some of the themes of van Gogh’s work could encourage a greater appreciation of his work.

Nevertheless, this is still an exhibition worth seeing for anyone with a love of van Gogh’s work. And I confess that while visiting it, I was once again reminded of another tribute to van Gogh’s work, that of Robbie Dingo’s Watch the World. Made far back in 2008, it takes viewers of on a time-lapse journey through the in-world recreation of The Starry Night. The build itself has long gone, but is commemorated in a couple of videos from Robbie, and I’m embedding the 2008 version, presented to Don McLean’s 1972 hit, Vincent, here.

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ArtCare Gallery (Prychek, rated: Moderate)

 

Moon’s Likelihood of Nearness in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
DiXmiX Gallery: Moon Edenbaum

Moon Edenbaum has a talent for taking avatar studies that provide a richness of possible narrative. I first encountered his work in a joint exhibition of art featuring Moon and Hillany Scofield back in 2017 (see Dathúil: Me_You – Moon Edenbaum), and have appreciated his work since then. So it was with a sense of anticipation that I jumped over to DiXmiX Gallery, curated by Dixmix Source, to view a new exhibition of Moon’s work entitled The Likelihood of n e a r e s s.

With its official opening held on Friday, March 29th, 2019, this is a series of some 17 images of Moon’s friends. However, rather than being a set of what might be called “traditional” avatar studies, these are quite marvellous studies taken from some unique perspectives, presented in fitting monochrome finishes.

DiXmiX Gallery: Moon Edenbaum

Each image offers a particular context on the individuals portrayed. They are by turns captures of intimacy, of candidness, of coyness and, throughout all of them, nearness. The suggestion is that the avatars are not so much facing the camera, but are spending time with a friend.

This gives all of them that narrative depth I do enjoy with Moon’s work. Each picture has a story to tell, both about the subject and about their relationship with the camera / the person behind the camera. Take Pai, for example; by avoiding any of her facial features, we are presented with an image of someone who could be shy, or at least self-conscious with the idea of a  camera pointing at her. But this is picture that also reveals she trusts the camera enough for it not to reveal her vulnerability in this regard, while the camera in turn understands her discomfort and respect it by turning its eye away from the potential to embarrass her.

DiXmiX Gallery: Moon Edenbaum

Coyness is perhaps best exemplified through Yul and Mic. Side-by-side, both offer playful views of their subjects that does much to suggest their nature and their relationship with the camera / photographer. Perhaps my favourite among this collection, however, is perhaps Cyn.

Once again a glorious close-up, there is a layered richness to this picture that is attention-holding. It is at once intimate, revealing and allows the imagination to take flight. From the collar around the subject’s through, through to her pose to  the selected angle of the shot itself, the picture offers a story of a woman both aware of – but not bothered by – the presence of the camera, as her attention is held elsewhere, through to a tale of her desires and preferences in relationships. It also raises intriguing questions that give the imagination flight on such matters of her desires and with whom and how they might be met, through to thoughts of exactly who holds her attention, and whether it is in fact the photographer.

DiXmiX Gallery: Moon Edenbaum

It is also, for me, the piece that reflects the title of this most fascinating exhibition, which I have no hesitation in recommending, each picture offering so much to those who view them.

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Paola’s Nudes: an homage to Helmut Newton at Nitroglobus

Posted on by Inara Pey
Nitroglobus Gallery: Nudes by Paola Mills

Now open through April and into May at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, curated by Dido Haas, is Nudes, a themed series of images by Paola Mills, which stands as something of an homage to the late German-Australian photographer Helmut Newton.

For those unfamiliar with Newton, who is perhaps best remembered for his work from the 1970s through mid-1990s, I’ll let Brooke McCord provide an introduction:

Nobody has made quite the lasting impression on fashion imagery as Helmut Newton. Hired by French Vogue in the 1950s before being propelled to fame in the 1970s, Newton came to be renowned for his controversial scenarios, hypersexualised imagery and striking compositions. With elements of his work that linked to the themes of surrealism – an art movement dominant during his youth spent growing up in Berlin – Newton’s unadulterated love of beautiful and strong women saw him create images laden with heavy overtones of voyeurism, sadomasochism and fetishism.

Brooke McCord, Your ultimate guide to Helmut Newton, Dazed, 2016

Nitroglobus Gallery: Paola Mills

In particular, Newton is p[erhaps best known for two classical collections of photography, White Women (1976) and Big Nudes (1981), which together with 1978’s Sleepless Nights, often form a triptych of themes for retrospectives of his unique style of photography.

For Nudes, Paola states she draws inspiration from, and pays something of a tribute to, Big Nudes, although I would perhaps argue that some of the pieces here also reflect (and contrast with) Newton’s White Women as well. As noted, both have come to be regarded as classical works by Newton; White Women due to its mixture of aesthetics, technical perfection and bourgeois decadence laced with dark elegance and eerie abstract s/m trappings to present what was regarded as a pinnacle of erotic photography.

Big Nudes, however, eschewed all of the trappings found within White Women. Instead, for this series of black-and-white photos, produced between 1979 and 1981, Newton took a stylistic change, the elaborate layouts with their tones of decadence discarded in favour of a full-on unambiguously formulated approach that took pride in female nakedness, and its power therein.

Nitroglobus Gallery: Paola Mills

This latter aspect is very much in evidence within Paola’s images, which also offer a contrast to Big Nudes with their use of skin tone and backdrop; they thus present almost an inverse mirror to Newton’s originals. And like Newton’s Big Nudes, Paola’s images speak to both the vulnerability and strength of the female body. But within some of them as well are echoes of White Women: a delicate and nuanced sensuality which, when combined with camera angle and backdrop – the plainness of the latter notwithstanding – offer echo elements of Newton’s 1976 collection. Not that Paola is intending to titillate through these images, a point she makes in the notes accompanying the exhibition, after she gives credit to Newton for his work:

Much more modestly I wanted to represent the nakedness of an avatar in all its erotic charge. I don’t want to tickle the sexual instincts nor excite the minds, but only convey to my avatars the human sensitivity that guides them in the metaverse.

– Paola Mills, describing Nudes

Nitroglobus Gallery: Paola Mills

But just because there is something of a voyeuristic / erotic aspect to some, of the images in Nudes should not be seen in any way as a failure on Paola’s part to achieve her stated goal. Rather, it speaks to the success in presenting the full complexity of human sensitivity – both within the images themselves and our reaction to them.

Nudes officially opens on Sunday, March 31st, 2019 with a party at 12:00 noon SLT, and will run through the month and into May. However, those wishing to see the exhibition ahead of the launch can do so now.

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Yumi’s Art at the Lin C Gallery

Posted on by Inara Pey
Lin C Art Gallery: Yumi

The Lin C Art Gallery, curated by Lin Carlucci, has opened the doors on its April exhibition, featuring as its chosen artist Yumi (Yumanthi), with an official opening event on Wednesday, March 27th, 2019.

Entitled Yumi’s Art, the exhibition presents around 29 pieces, which might be broadly split into three areas, each of which reflects Yumi’s approach to her work.

I am in SL a lot to visit places for photo-shoots of landscapes, people and situations, and show them in my special View. I love to work with light and shadow and special and different colours I use from the viewer tools and other paint programmes.

I love to present my photos in my galleries and other places and am always glad when people enjoy them. I am learning a lot from great artists in SL and my art is a work in progress.

– Yumi, describing her art

Lin C Art Gallery: Yumi

The ground floor exhibition space is largely devoted to Yumi’s images of her Second Life travels, providing interesting and in place unusual views of the places she has visited. Above these, on the mezzanine level, is a selection of avatar studies, some of which might be deemed NSFW, and what I can only describe as a series of experiments in colour, some of which border on the abstract, and three of which, depicting scenes involving a mermaid, I found attractive in their bold use of colour and contrast.

An interesting and eclectic mix of images and styles, Yumi’s Art officially opens with music and dancing at 13:00 SLT on Wednesday, March 27th, and runs through until  Thursday, April 26th, 2019.

Lin C Art Gallery: Yumi

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Duna Gant at The Eye in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
The Eye: Duna Gant

I first became aware of Duna Gant‘s art in 2018, during an ensemble exhibition in which she was presenting five avatar studies that quite captivated me. So when the opportunity came to see more of her work at The Eye art gallery, curated by Mona (MonaByte), I had to hop over and take a look.

Apparently untitled, this exhibition feature a baker’s dozen of Duna’s art, the focus here being on nature, and some of the pieces are extraordinary studies of flowers that offer an abundance of life within them – just pan your camera over the paintings close to the entrance to the exhibition to see for yourself.

The Eye: Duna Gant

You can see life, emotionally, in black and white, but I prefer to see it and live with it in colours. Colours as synonyms of diversity. Diversity of opinions, of perceptions, of creeds, of cultures, of sensibilities. It is what Nature around us shows us. an example of an infinite palette of colours in perfect harmony.

– Duna Gant, describing her exhibit at The Eye

These pieces are wonderfully delicate, but also rich in subtle colour and texture; the flowers such that you feel you could reach out and cup them gently in your fingers and inhale their scent.

Within the second half of the gallery space, the paintings become broader in scope, some reflecting nature’s seasons as well as her diversity of colour. Aquarelle, for example, suggests summertime on the river, while March and Winter speak for themselves in terms of season and title, but present both without the need for words through their use of colour.

The Eye: Duna Gant

Another engaging exhibition from a talented artist and painter.

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A Spring Awakening at Ce Soir in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Ce Soir Spring Awakenings – TerraMerhyem

Open now through until May 2019 at Ce Soir Arts is the Spring Awakenings art exhibition, which includes 2D and 3D art together with poetry and a series of live events in the spoken word.

As spring dawns, it’s time to turn our attention to the beauty of nature – and the beauty of the human spirit. We – in the northern hemisphere – are coming through the last dreary days of winter, moving slowly into the freshness of spring! Winter is beautiful: snow sparkling in the moonlight, sweet red cardinals taking refuge in snowy firs, and the warmth of home enveloping us as we come in from the cold. But spring! And awakenings!

 Ce Soir co-owners, Mireille and Ǣon Jenvieve-Woodford

Ce Soir Spring Awakenings – TaraAers and BJojo Songlark

The art exhibition is extensive, spread throughout several of Ce Soir’s buildings and in the surrounding gardens, making it an ideal opportunity to not only appreciate the art on display, but to explore gallery and grounds.

The participating artists for the exhibition, as listed in the guide note card are: Ǣon Jenvieve-Woodford, Amy Inawe, CybeleMoon, Daze Landar, Fae Varriale, Isabel Hermano, Jolie Parfort, Jojo Songlark, JudiLynn India, Mathilde Vhargon, Michael Romani, Mireille Jenvieve-Woodford,  Morgue McMillan-Shoreland, Paula Cloudpainter, Pieni, Rage Darkstone, Randy Firebrand, Russell Eponym, Secret Rage, Silas Merlin, TaraAers, TerraMerhyem, Virginia, Xanthe and Xirana Oximoxi.

Such a diverse group of artists marks this as one of the broadest themed exhibitions I’ve visited in a while in terms of individual interpretations of the the theme, with names both familiar and new to me. It’s always a delight seeing the work of CybeleMoon, JudiLynn India, Michael Romani and Silas Merlin, but it was an absolute delight to discover the beautiful images of Second Life birds by Jolie Partfort and sculptures by TerraMerhyem. Each artists appears to be presenting at least two pieces of art, and some may be interactive and require touching – check the notices often to be found in each display area.

Ce Soir Spring Awakenings – Jolie Parfort

Three landing points are given for the exhibition, so rather than embedding SLurls here in the text, I’ve included them at the end of this article.

The spoken word events feature Ǣon Jenvieve-Woodford, Aoife Lorefield, Bryn Taleweaver, Caledonia Skytower, Dubhna Rhiadra, Mireille Jenvieve-Woodford, Morgue McMillan-Shoreland, Russell Eponym and Stranger Nightfire. These are side to be taking place through until Sunday, April 14th, but to be honest and outside of the opening event, I failed to find a schedule either at the exhibition or on the Ce Soir website; group membership may be required to receive word on dates and times.

Ce Soir Spring Awakenings – Ǣon Jenvieve-Woodford

Richly diverse, located throughout the fantasy inspired Ce Soir landscape, Spring Awakenings is a joyous – and quite joyful – celebration of art.

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Ce Soir is rated Moderate.