Tag: Art 2021

Kultivate 6th annual Spring Art Show in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Kultivate Spring Art Show, 2021

Currently underway until Sunday, June 13th, 2021 is the Kultivate’s Magazine 6th annual Spring Art Show in Second Life, featuring the work of some 32 artists, supported by daily music events.

Kultivate Magazine is a publication about the cultural aspects of Second Life, its goal is to support art, culture, photography, music, and fashion. The brand includes the magazine, The Windlight Art Gallery, The Edge Gallery, The Kultivate Loft Gallery, Signature Gallery, AIR Gallery, the Select Gallery and the satellite Dene Gallery located in Rosehaven. In addition, Kultivate Magazine is the media partner and primary sponsor of Team Diabetes of Second Life, an official and authorised fund-raising team for The American Diabetes Association.

Kultivate Spring Art Show 2021 – Vita Theas

The participating artists for the  2021 Spring Art Show comprise: 4pril Resident, Amanda, Angel Heartsong, Anouk Lefavre, Cutewillow Carlberg, Dandilyon Jinx, Dawnbeam Dreamscape, Deynira Yalin, Elise Sirnah, Eucalyptus Carroll, Eve Petlyakov, Jamee Sandalwood, Johannes Huntsman, Kacey Macbeth, Kapaan Resident, Klint Kord, Lena Kopiak, Matt Thomson, Myra Wildmist, Ohara Takamori, Phoenix, Roxcee REesident, Sabine Mortenwold, Sandor, Sevant Anatra, Sheba Blitz, Slatan Dryke, Tempest Rosca, Vanessa Jane, Veruca Tammas, Viktor Savior, and Vita Theas.

The setting for this year’s event is a formal garden rich in the colours of spring, the artists all occupying individual greenhouses around the edges of the gardens, a broad footpath offering the way around.

Kultivate Spring Art Show 2021 – Vanessa Jane

Entertainment for the rest of the show- my apologies to John and Tempest for only getting to it as it reaches its mid-point – is as follows (all times SLT):

  • Thursday, June 10th
    • Daily Giveaways: 10 gift cards.
    • 13:00: live musician Ziggy Sixpence.
    • 14:00: live vocalist Jackie Lefko
  • Friday, June 11th:
    • Daily Giveaways: 10 gift cards.
    • 18:00: live musician Dee Timeless.
    • 19:00: live musician Thunderfoot.
  • Saturday, June 12th:
    • Daily Giveaways: five skyboxes by Inverse.
    • 17:00: live vocalist Aislen Sings.
    • 18:00: live musician J Lively.
  • Sunday, June 13th:
    • Daily Giveaways: two 3D Environment 360 view skyboxes by Inverse.
    • 13:00: awards ceremony.
    • 14:00: live vocalist Sarita.
    • 15:00: live vocalist Samm Quenda.
    • 23:30: Art Show ends.

So be sure to hop along and enjoy the entertainment and appreciate the art!

Kultivate Spring Art Show, 2021 – Sevant Anatra

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A trip to Cica’s Circus in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Cica’s Circus

For June, Cica Ghost is offering us all a trip to the circus with her latest installation which opened on Tuesday, June 8th.

Called, appropriately enough, Circus, this is an engaging setting that brings to life all the brightness – and perhaps some of the edge – of its namesake for people to explore.

From the big top to cages to transport animal whilst on the road to the animals themselves – elephants, giraffe, seals, lions, bears – Circus presents all the elements that for so long made circuses a place of wonder for young and old. And not just the circus – rids and other interactive elements aware those who visit, giving the setting a slight funfair lean as well.

Cica’s Circus

Scattered throughout are Cica’s trademark dances lay hidden within various objects awaiting discovery – keep and eye out as well for the gifts that can make the dancing even sillier! Other items, when moused over, offer sit point for those who wish to observe all that is going on. for the more energetic, the trampolines offer the challenge of bouncing in place or trying to time bounces and movement to catapult yourself upwards and back and forth between them.

Of course, circuses can raise feelings of disquiet over the welfare of animals, whilst clowns are not everyone’s cup of tea when it comes to fun. These points are perhaps indirectly alluded to by Cica due to the clowns here keeping themselves to one side of the path through the circus, and the fact that the entire setting sits under a slightly gloomy twilight sky.

Cica’s Circus

But really, Circus is about freedom and escape, a recapturing of childhood innocence and wanting to “run away to the circus”. And in a time when there has been so much gloom and spectres of pandemics and political polarisation and more, taking time to escape is actually not a bad idea. So why not hop along to Cica’s Circus and have a little fun?

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  • Circus by Cica Ghost (Springville, rated Moderate)

Anja’s Surrealism in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Anja’s Surrealism

As a cultural movement, surrealism developed in Europe towards the end of the First World War, and is best known its visual art, music and writings that offer the juxtaposition of different realities to challenge the eye and the mind.

In terms of art, those embracing the movement initially tended towards scenes and settings that could appear unnerving – or at best illogical – that could bring together the ordinary and the extraordinary, the approach intended to allow the artist’s subconscious to express itself more than their conscious processes. Thus, pieces often feature the elements of surprise and that of and non sequitur, which tend to become the focus of their art when viewed, rather the being an expression of the philosophical movement surrealism was intended to be.

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Anja’s Surrealism

However, when well executed, surrealist art brings together a balance; a joining of the natural with the non sequitur, of colour with form and the subconscious of the artist with the imagination of the observer that is captivating and extraordinary to witness.

This is absolutely the case with the art of Anja (Neobookie), who is the artist of the month for June 2021 at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, curated by Dido Haas. On display is the most stunning exhibition of surrealist art it has been my pleasure to witness, one that fully embraces the core principals of the movement whilst encompassing broader photographic and artistic techniques and commentary.

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Anja’s Surrealism

Through her work, Anja is able to touch on subjects in her images in a way that is entirely non-directive. Take Free Willy, Survivors, and Wrong Shipping for example, with their subtle suggestions of our relationship with the world around us.

Elsewhere might be found commentary on the human condition – life and relationships – and an embracing of technique such as fata morgana and chiaroscuro that is simply captivating. But, and at the risk of repeating myself, it is important that you do not try to directly seek meaning in these pieces – rather allow them to talk to you, a Anja herself notes:

Do not try to understand all of the images shown, but just let them affect you. Even after two rounds of wandering, are you able to discover a pattern? Is there a common theme or common thread? Crazy, crazier, craziest seems to be the only connection and thing in common in this colourful collection of ‘Anja’s Surrealism’.
Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Anja’s Surrealism

So, do take the time to drop into Nitroglobus through June and let Anja’s Surrealism to whisper its words to you.

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June at Jamison Arts in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Jaimson Arts, June 2021

Having opened its door in mid-May, Jamison Arts is a boutique style gallery operated by Harlow Jamison (HarlowJamison), a long-term Second life resident enjoying a new lease of life within the platform.

Located in a  cosy building of a style popular with SL gallery owners simply because it naturally lends itself to being used as exhibition space, Jamison Arts offer two floors for displaying art, which might be used for joint or ensemble exhibitions or (potentially) for a focused exhibition of a single artist’s work

Jamison Arts: SabrinaCooke

For the May / June exhibition – which I’m getting to a little late, so my apologies to Harlow and the artists – the former is the case, with Harlow devoting the ground level of the gallery to a New Artist Showcase featuring the work of SL photographer SabrinaCooke, with the upper level split between the original art of Jaelle Faerye and original digital art by Aruba DeCuir.

The exhibition marks the first Sabrina has made in Second life – although she is active on Flickr and has displayed her work in the physical world. Centred on avatar studies and portraits, the pieces she presents at Jamison are an engaging selection of work that both captures the beauty and vitality of the Second Life avatar, and which off a masterclass in chiaroscuro for those who may wish to witness more after my last article on the subject.

Jamison Arts: SabrinaCooke
Nor is it solely chiaroscuro that is demonstrated here. Colour, lighting, focus, cropping, attention to detail – all are woven together into a series of images, each one of which forms its own single-frame story.

One the upper floor, the space is split between Jaelle and Aruba, with Jaelle presenting a series entitled Animals, a series of paintings on that very subject, with a particular focus on horses. The majority appear to be watercolours, and while I’d perhaps prefer to see them in a larger style if only to discern more of the detail within them, they are all pieces that are beautifully presented.

Jamison Arts: Jaelle Faerye

Aruba’s art is broad ranging, with “traditional” pieces vying for attention with more abstracted pieces and collages. Here she present a small selection of paintings that lean towards the latter, with several pieces offering text to get the grey matter working.

Offering three very different artistic styles that come together into a single engaging exhibition, Jamison Arts offers a richness of talent well worth seeing before the current exhibition draws to a close.

Jamison Arts: Aruba DeCuir

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Four artists for June at GenovArt in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
GenovArt B&W Gallery: Caly Applewhyte

I made my first 2021 trip to the GenovArt Galleries, curated by Juna (Junanuj) this week to take in the latest exhibition to open at the centre’s B&W hall. It  will certainly no be my last.

Featuring the work of Calypso Applewhyte, Sandi Benelli, Sisi Biedermann and Christower Dae, the exhibition opened on Monday May 31st, and is very much a must-see collection of art by SL artists and photographers I highly respect or am just coming to appreciate.

Sisi Biedermann is someone who needs no introduction to those who regularly read these pages. I have been, and remain, in awe of her artistry, which is broad-ranging in style and technique, encompassing everything from photography to oil or watercolour on canvas, etchings, tiled mosaics, and digital mixed media, whilst encompassing just about every kind of subject.

GenovArt B&W Gallery: Sisi Biedermann

The pieces offered at GenovArt are very much from Sisi’s digital etching / collage portfolio, and they take visitors on the most captivating journeys into nature and spring, featuring as they do the rich diversity of bloom and flower and the vibrancy of life they represent.

Across the hall, Caly Applewhyte presents an exhibition of two parts, each entitled Geisha, and repectively sub-titled In the Soul and Next Gen.

GenovArt B&W Gallery: Caly Applewhyte

Caly is, without a doubt one of the most gifted and evocative avatar portrait artists in Second Life – and this portfolio of her art is utterly astounding.  Offered as oils-on-canvas, with brooding deep tones and background, these are pieces that are deeply alive and vibrant in the degree of life and vitality running through them and bringing to the fore a narrative of the Geisha as the mother, warrior, daughter, lover, artist – the very soul of her civilisation.

Sandi Bellini sees her art as a means of achieve freedom and peace from the scurrying demands of life, and anyone who has seen her Second Life landscape images cannot fail to have felt that same sense of calmness and escape wash over them. Often using muted tones or backgrounds against which deeper colours are set, Sandi has a way of bringing the places she has imaged not just to life, but as locations in which you can place yourself such that you can feel the breeze, hear the splash of water, touch the softness of the grass or the roughness of the wood found within them.

GenovArt B&W Gallery: Sandi Benelli

I’m not aware of having encountered  the avatar photography of Christower Dae (ChrisTower Dae) previously, but on the strength of the pieces offered on the upper level of the hall at GenovArt alongside Sandi’ space, I want to see more.

Set on white backdrops and within a white space that brings them vividly before the eye, these are portraits of avatars that are incredibly life-like; the deftness of touch in post-processing is quite extraordinary – so much so that it is almost invisible, and the eye becomes convinced that it is not looking upon images of digital characters, but into the faces of living, breathing people.

GenovArt B&W Gallery: Christower Dae

Bringing together four truly unique talents into a single space, this ensemble exhibition at the GenovArt B&W Gallery is a must see – and be sure to walk across the Glass Gallery hall, where four more artists may be appreciated – and to which I’ll be returning for another article anon.

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CK’s space adventures in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Hoot Suite Gallery: Blushock Space Adventures

Earlier this year, and initially at the suggestion of CK (Ceakay Ballyhoo), I visited Planet Idun, a role-play / photography region developed by Fazzy Constantine (Faisel Constantine) and the Blushock role-play team, which includes CK as a member. I found it an engaging visit, as I noted in An Away Team Mission to Planet Idun in Second Life).

That visit gave me the chance to familiarise myself with the Blushock team, their backstories and role-play and the future mythology they’ve built up around their activities. It’s an acquaintanceship I was able to extend in April, when I paid a further visit to the group’s region to tour their latest build, Resilient Station, which in their developing story has become the team’s new base of operations (see: Docking at Resilient Station in Second Life).

Hoot Suite Gallery: Blushock Space Adventures

I mention all of this, because CK is also an artist, and in her latest exhibition has opened at Hoot Suite Gallery in Bellisseria (curated by the super Owl Dragonash), and it focuses on the Blushock team and their adventures within the Vanaheim star system.

As an artist, CK is perhaps best known for her regions-as-paintings installations, rich in story and always a delight to tour (see The Forest Beyond in Second Life and Niamh’s Journey of Dreams in Second Life). Here she presents a series of vivid paintings that chart the Blushock Team’s adventures across the Vanaheim system, including their time on Idun, at Jasper Point on the planet, and the worlds around the system’s blue giant star – including the discovery of Baldur, the asteroid that is now home to Resilient Station.

Hoot Suite Gallery: Blushock Space Adventures

Rich in colour and vividly portraying the locations the crew have visited – and members of the crew themselves – Blushock Space Adventures presents an engaging set of images and forms a further means of learning about the Blushock Coalition and their activities, information on which can also be found at the Blushock website.

Information on the exhibition and the team will also likely be available at the exhibition party, which will take place 12:00 noon at Hoot Suite Art Gallery, and will feature the music of Joe Paravane.

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