Tag: Art 2022

Recently opened at The Vordun Museum and Gallery, operated and curated by Jake Vordun, is a stunning exhibition of art from the physical world offering a celebration and exploration of the life and work of Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1656) also known as Artemisia Lomi), one of the most accomplished artists of the Baroque period, (c. 1625-1740).

Born in Rome on the 8th July, 1593, the eldest child Prudenzia di Ottaviano Montoni and noted Tuscan artist Orazio Gentileschi, Artemisia took up art at an early age, and was producing professional works by the age of fifteen. Like her father, she followed the innovations set by Caravaggio – such as the use of real models – whilst also developing a natural eye for the use of the brush and in the mixing of paint and use of colour to depict the female figure with a naturalism which extended beyond the more idealistic approach of her male peers.

Initially regarded more out of curiosity than in recognition of her skills – she came to wider public knolwedge as a result of the trial of artist Agostino Tassi, who raped her when she was 18 – by the time she was in her early twenties, she had become the first woman accepted into the  Academy of the Arts of Drawing in Florence.  As her work gained a broader audience, so to did her career flourish through patronage and hard work, her art carrying her from Florence back to Rome, thence to Naples – and even to England and the court of King Charles I.

As well as its depth of realism, her work is notable for its focus on women from myths, allegories, and the Bible, with many featuring herself as one of – if not the – protagonists. Her art eschews the more accepted view of the female form – that of a gentle, sensitive, vulnerable creature – to instead present women as figures of power, strength, and the equal of men.

The exhibition at The Vordun – entitled Allegories of Artemisia – is an extensive look at Artemisia’s work offering one of the most unique gatherings of reproductions of her art to been seen outside of the printed page.  A collaborative display by Jake Vordun (producer), Marina Münter (vivresavie) – curator; Paul Gils (ObertonX) – research assistant; and Cibele Cibernética (profetadigital) – graphics designer, it is a multi-room exhibit made all the more abosrbing by its non-linear approach to Artemisia’s life and art, one which – in the words of those responsible for the exhibition:

[Traces] a parallel between the the characters she depicted in her paintings and her own life, the visitor gets the chance to experience real scale works by her and artists from the same period, given the chance to analyse visually the aspect of her work.

From the introduction of Allegories of Artemisia

On accessing the exhibition from the gallery’s main hall, vistors should follow the route through the opening to the right. This takes a route through a series of rooms, starting with a general introduction to Artemisia Gentileschi, followed by a series of self-portraits that help into introduce both the artist and the artistic tradition of a painter focusing on a subject more than once during their career.

From here, further rooms offer reproductions of some of Artemisia’s more noted works drawn from biblical stories (including from deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament), together with reproductions of the same subject by her male contemporaries – thus providing that opportunity to directly compare the work of Artemisia with her contemporaries, and appreciate both the uniqueness of her depiction of female characters and the depth of naturalism found within her work.

Wall text in each room help contextualise the subjects of the paintings and also to provide historical / biographical information (such as on Artemisia herself or her father) where relevant. This set of rooms culminate in a three-part section dealing with the deuterocanonical character of Judith which include both Judith Beheading Holofernes and Judith and Her Maidservant. This in itself is an exquisitely framed and presented series of images – some of them the most famous of the Baroque period – forming an exhibition-within-an-exhibition.

Beyond these initial rooms lies a large hall that brings together further pairings and small groups of paintings by Artemisia and other artists of her period (one of which includes a piece by one of her few female contemporaries – Elizabetta Sirani), and well as individual pieces by Artemisia. This is bracketed to one side by two further “themed” sub-sections entitled Church Commissions and Mary Magdalene.

Throughout the exhibition there is a wealth of information carefully brought together by the organisers. Each painting is presented with a plaque supplying the title of the piece, the name of the artist, the approximate time in which it was painted, and where it resides today. In  typical Vordun style, these plaques can be clicked to display their information in local chat. Meanwhile, the main hall includes a timeline of Artemisia’s life, defined in terms of the recognised periods of her work as an artist, and the notable events within them, together with a small display of works by other artists and inspired by her work and life.

Since its inception, the Vordun has presented a series of long-duration, richly immersive exhibitions that seek to replicate the experience gained within a physical world museum, whilst presenting exhibits which either cannot be reproduced in the physical world or, if they do have something of a  physical world analogue, are far more accessible than their counterpart might be. All of this makes The Vordun an engaging visit, and Allegories of Artemisia adds to this enormously.

When visiting The Vordun, do be sure to accept the local experience and specifically for Allegories of Artemisia, make sure your viewer is set to Used Shared Environment.

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• The Vordun Museum and Gallery (Vordun, rated Moderate)

Currently on display at the Michiel Bechir Gallery – itself sporting a new frontage, décor and outdoor events area – are three exhibitions by well-established Second Life photographers, which between them offer a set of contrasts that make for an interesting trio of displays.

On the ground level of the gallery, and bracketing the main foyer are exhibits by Vanessa Jane (VanessaJane66) and Raisa Reimse (RaisaReimse). Both are known and highly regarded for their SL landscape photography and capable hands with post-processing, and while both focus on landscape pieces within there respective halls, both have contrasting styles which also compliment one another.

Within her display, Vanessa Jane offers 15 pieces, many of which offer broad, almost panoramic views of settings within Second Life, re-touched to offer views that contain a degree of romance and / or offer present the richness of the location in a single frame.

Architecture also sits as a focus with several of these pieces, with Vanessa ably demonstrating her ability to bring the character of a building or structure to life, and to wrap a narrative around her images. Capped by three images which are largely black-and-white, this is and engaging selection of art.

By contrast and across the foyer, Raisa Reimse presents a selection of 14 pieces which carry with them a rich sense of painting in the style of the great landscape artists. In part, this sense is due to both the ratio of the images themselves and their framing – but which is mostly imbued through Raisa’s rich use of colour, which offers a depth to these pieces that is genuinely captivating.

These are pieces that also carry a sense of life and motion whilst also demonstrating that Raisa understands the effective use of depth of field and angle to present a unique image / story. In these latter points I’d particularly point to Dream of Fall, with its suggestion of capturing a diorama, and In Flight, which so richly conveys the motion of the Debonair aircraft and the solitary joy that can be found in flying.

Within the upper level hall, Scylla Rhiadra brings a selection of her evocative images together under the theme of Shadow.

The use of light and dark and how they play across surfaces and figures has long been a feature of Scylla’s work; more than a feature, really, and they tend to be central to her work and how she presents themes and ideas. This is a point she acknowledges for herself in the poetic introduction to this display:

No mystery compelling as that obscured by dark.
No beauty so heart-rending as that which lies bathed in shade.
No nakedness is more exposed than that which is clothed in garments of night.
No demons so seductive as those concealed by gloom. 

Shadow is the shape of our desire.

Another aspect of Scylla’s work is that of subtext; it is perhaps as important to her compositions as the contrast between light and shadow. This subtext, so often suggested through subtle placement of props as much by pose or focus or angle, gives each piece Scylla produces its fullest depth of expression and narrative. Within this series of images, this is perhaps most clearly seen within Sale, but it is also waiting to be found in each piece by those who take the time to look.

Three richly engaging artists in their own right, in being brought together by Michel within the one gallery, Scylla, Raisa and Vanessa here present a compelling trio of exhibits.

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• Michiel Bechir Gallery (Embrace, rated Adult)

Hailing from Denmark, Prins (Skylog) has been active in Second Life for more than a decade; however, he has only recently gained an interest in Second Life photography (starting in December 2021) – and in a relatively short space of time, he has established himself as a highly visual artist and something of an experimentalist. Proof of this can be found in a somewhat immersive exhibition of his work which runs through until the end of October 2022 at the ground-level exhibition space of NovaOwl Gallery in Second Life

Entitled simply Prins, this is a genuine tour de force of the artist’s work; one that literally takes over the exhibition space in what can only be described as a riot of colour.  Large-scale reproductions of his work cover walls, floors and ceilings alike, forming a backdrop to more “traditional” framed pieces. The result is a hall literally alive with art, several pieces of which are animated and all of which – be they on the floor, walls, windows or ceilings – appear to be for sale.

On entering the gallery space, one is greeted by Prins himself (as a large self-portrait on the floor) whilst facing a clever view of the gallery’s centre room windows, which Prins has effectively turned into a  triptych of paired “glass” images (if I might be allowed to mangle ideas like “triptych” and “pair” like this).These are bordered to the left and right respectively by a marvellously evocative image of a sea monster entitled Nessie and a mural depicting a woman in clown-like garb and in various poses, entitled Ladies in Red.

This is the start of a three-room adventure into colour and presentation, where there is literally not a single corner without something to attract the eye. From landscapes through avatar studies to expressions of other people’s art, Prins has an ability to both capture his subjects – and our attention – in a multitude of engaging ways that speak to a natural eye for angle and focus. He is also an artist unafraid to both offer a restrained hand with post-processing and also experiment freely with layering, colour, depth and finish to present pieces that might be said to border on abstract expressionism, further captivating and holding one’s attention.

Such is the immersive nature of the exhibition, it can be a little overwhelming when entering the gallery (I’d advise reducing draw distance if you’re on a lower-end system and tend to use a DD of 100m+ just to ease texture loading), it can take one or two moments to adjust to the all-inclusive use of space.

However, the very fact that every surface has been utilised, coupled with the richness of colour throughout the majority of the space, balanced here and there with the considered use of darker or more muted tones, given a sense of life to the entire exhibition, the sheer vibrancy evident in some of the pieces giving the impression they are shouting their stories in joy.

As is usually the case with NovaOwl, the exhibition had a “soft” opening on September 3rd. However, there will be a more musical gathering to celebrate Prin’s work on September 11th, 2022, starting at 12:00 noon SLT, with an open invitation for anyone interested in Prins’ work and art in general in SL to attend.

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• NovaOwl Gallery (Novatron, rated General)

Currently open (for a while longer, I hope, given its debut was August 11th, 2022), at  Onceagain Art Gallery curated by Onceagain (Manoji Yachvili) is B&W Group Exhibit – the title of which pretty much speaks for itself, being an ensemble exhibition of black and white and monochrome photography featuring both Second Life landscapes and avatar studies.

And when I say ensemble, I really do mean it: a total of 24 artists have submitted at least one image for the collection. Some of those who have done so will doubtless be familiar to patrons of art in Second Life, and others may be less familiar names – although their art is no less engaging.

Together they are: Apple Pippage, BlazeAme, Celestial Demon, Dane Albion, D’cuir, Etamae, Kika Yongho, Kunisaki Izumo, Lika Cameo, Nino Vita, Madame Reve, Manoji Yachvili, Mara Telling, Mariza Reifsnider, Mihalisk, Moki Yuitza, Nekonuko Nakamori, Opie, Terrygold, Scylla Rhiadra, Violette Rembrandt, Whiskey Monday, Yeya Zuta and Zakk Bifrandt.

Given this list, and breadth and depth of the images on display is impressive, with the restriction of having to remain with black and white (as the majority have, although there are a number of more monochrome pieces within the collection) adding to both the appearance and appeal of those where one is more accustomed to seeing the artist’s work in colour.

With 24 artists taking part, it is not surprising that the entire main gallery is given over to the exhibition – and in this it is especially well suited to the exhibition’s theme.  The tonal quality of the gallery and its various rooms, coupled with the local environment setting leads an almost monochromic feel to the gallery, something further enhanced by the choice of décor placed within the various rooms, which heightens the feeling that the gallery is very much a part of the exhibit, rather than merely hosting it.

A further framing for the exhibition can be found on two of the gallery’s exterior walls, which feature quotes on the power of black and white photography from Ted Grant (1929-2020) – widely regarded as the father of Canadian photojournalism -, and Robert Frank (1924-2019), whilst the layout of the gallery, with its different rooms and levels (with access to the main hall down the stairs from the landing point, or to the upper level rooms via the catwalk, then using the internal stairs to visit the lower level) prevents the exhibition from every feeling “top heavy” from the sheer volume of piece on display.

As noted, I have no idea how much longer B&W Group Exhibit will remain open, so I would advise that if you should like to visit, you do so sooner rather than later, just in case!

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• Onceagain Art Gallery (Peaceful Mountains, rated Adult)

Currently open through until the end of August at the Monocle Man sky studio is an untitled exhibition by European artist Duraya which is simply captivating in its content.

I first encountered Duraya’s work earlier in 2022 and was immediately struck by her technique. Starting with a foundation of an image captured or framed / posed within Second Life, Duraya uses a skilled application of post-processing to create images which are genuinely breath-taking in their beauty and narrative strength.

Within this exhibition, Duraya takes this a step further, adding animated elements – both 2D and 3D – to some of the 27 images within the selection presented across the gallery’s two floors, supported by 3D elements Duraya has either created or added in order to provide further depth to the exhibition.

Avatar focused, some of the images might be said to lean towards nightmare, others towards joy, and some appear to be statements on the state of Earth and life. Each can be appreciated in its own right; however, there is a broader sweep of interpretation here, one that is likely personal to Duraya – the images potentially being reflections of her state of mind within her journey through life.

The clue to this comes in the form of selected lines from Our Deepest Fear, a passage by Marianne Williamson which first appeared in her 1992 bestseller A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles, and which has often been (mistakenly) attributed to Nelson Mandela. It’s a passage (found in chapter 7 of the book) which has gone on to be used as an inspirational poem, the first stanza of which reads:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.

– Marianne Williamson

In her selection of Williamson’s words, Duraya offers a clear framing to her works at Monocle Man: a recognition of the power (and creativity) of self when one is at ease with who one is, together with the liberty that brings (including through self-expressive mediums such as art) to oneself – and to others one encounters.

Rich in content and metaphor, this is a richly layered selection of art in which the pieces can be appreciated both in and of themselves as single-frame stories, beautifully presented (and animated in some cases), or as a whole and as an exploratory selection.

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• Monocle Man (Flying Fortress, rated Adult)