Tag: Art 2024

Whilst I’ve been familiar with the photography of Alex Riverstone for a fair while and have covered his work in these pages, I hope he’ll forgive me for the fact I hadn’t twigged he’s now curating his own gallery space – Sugarfish Photography – which is currently home to a selection of his own work and a joint exhibition featuring both Alex and Harlo Jamison (HarlowJamison).

Located on a sky platform, Sugarfish Gallery featured four exhibition spaces gathered around a central terrace / event space for opening parties. It’s a simple, minimalist design which allows each of the gallery units to present the art it contains to the best advantage, naturally allowing works to be grouped by artist and / or theme as required, with each building a short walk from the last.

At the time of my visit, Sugarfish was mid-way through the joint exhibition by Harlo and Alex, entitled Shades of Erotica (set to end mid-July 2024). Occupying three of the four gallery spaces this is, as one might expect from its title, an exhibition leaning strongly into erotica and adult themes, with some of the images definitely in the not suitable for work (NSFW) category – so if you are of an overly sensitive disposition, please consider yourself warned. The remaining building is home to a cross-section of Alex’s landscape photography.

I’ve always appreciated Alex’s landscape photographs from around Second Life; he has a knack of capturing the essence of a location and / or presenting the core of an idea through pieces that are framed and cropped in a manner that is visually attractive. A further facet of Alex’s work is his use of style – colour, monochrome, black and white – in which to present a mood or sense of emotion. All of this is very much demonstrated in the selection of pieces displayed at Sugarfish, the pieces within the hall neatly grouped by theme or style.

Alex’s art also feature in two of the three halls given over to Shades of Erotica (with one of the halls also forming the Sugarfish gallery), with Harlo’s taking up the remaining hall.

An exhibit of erotic and sensual Second Life photos … Join us for an exploration of sensuality, let the images speak to you, inspire you, and awaken your senses. Whether you’re a connoisseur of photography or simply seeking to be moved, this showcase promises something for everyone.

– Alex Riverstone on Shades of Erotica

Given the nature of Shades, these are avatar-centric photographs, with Alex’s pieces offering what might be regarded as sets built along interconnected themes and utilising (I believe) the same model. Outside of the use of nudity / semi-nudity, these are pieces touching upon common themes of erotica activities: clothing (boots, stockings, latex clothing, heels); activities (D/s games, bondage), and the the use of pose and focus to offer a feeling of sensual suggestion.

With her pieces, Harlo explores similar avenues, whilst also offering pieces of a more narrative style in terms of how they might be interpreted, as well as enfolding elements of eroticism and sexuality drawn from a broader canvas (so to speak).

Whilst not the first piece within her gallery space, Red2 Shadows Him helps set the tone of Harlo’s pieces. It sits on the left wall of the hall relative to the entrance, and thus sits close to one of the rooms displaying Alex’s art. It features a model seated on a stool, front lit and casting a shadow. In this it follows on from a series of images from Alex on the same lines (Shy Model). Here, and unlike Alex’s pieces, the silhouette of a male figure  dominates one side of the photo. Thus, Red2 Shadows Him offers both a narrative in its own right and also sense of continuity between the two artists’ work in both content and titles (Shadows him = follows Alex’s images).

These dual-layer narrative can be found elsewhere in Harlo’s selection. Gentlemen & BadBoys, for example, both suggests the making of an erotic ménage à trois whilst also hinting at the issues of temptations which might be prevalent in relationships (the woman’s hand reaching back for the the man behind her even as she is hugged by her lover. Meanwhile, Ladies & Harlo’ts, only offers a tongue-in-cheek play on Harlo’s name, it offers both a tale of refined sensuality touching on three people, whilst the black and white finish and clothing carries is suggestion of harking back 100 years and a period when taboos started to be broken more openly, even if they weren’t entirely broken down for many more decades to come.

Elegant, explicit, sensual and sexual, Shades of Erotica is engaging through out.

SLurl Details

• Sugarfish Photography (Forgotten Tales, rated adult)

On 30th June 2024, Summer Vibes opened at Onceagain Gallery curated by onceagain (manoji Yachvili). A celebration of summer time and all it might bring, the exhibition features art by six Second Life artist-photographers: Onceagain herself, Kian (random26356), Terrygold, Rita Glad, Deluna (Sophia Galewind), Scylla Rhiadra, Maddy (Magda Schmidtzau) and Moki Yuitza.

This is an exhibition where the setting plays a role as well as the images; Onceagain has redressed her region – which I wrote about in its own right in May – as a summertime  beach / coastal setting. The sand rises and falls, water cuts its way into the landscape and across the beaches, dunes and rocks, stand various structures, many built out of shipping containers, which also form several bridges across the water channels cutting into the region.

The landing point sits alongside a collection of trailer homes stacked up in a manner a little mindful of Ready Player One, together with containers which shelter Onceagain’s images. These for a lovely collection of works linked by themes (or shades, if you prefer) of blue whilst presenting images of summer fun and activities at the beach or in or by the water.

Proceeding clockwise from here and over the sands and harder-packed ground will bring you to another shipping container in which lies a selection of pieces by Maddy. These feature a mix of images and the colours of summer, several of which I believe might be AI generated. From here, and passing by way of one of the container bridges, visitor come to a trio of gallery spaces.

Sitting over the water is a pier with a multi-level structure at one end housing Terrygold’s work. Two of the level here are connected internally by step, whilst the uppermost must be reached from outside. All three house images and studies of summertime times and hints of the time of year offered in Terrygold’s inimitable and attractive style; individual pieces each with a story to tell in its own way, complete with hints of summer and / or summer activities.

At the top of the hill, Moki uses her space to present a series of genuinely minimalist studies focused on her avatar, together with a set of richly coloured pieces. The sets are effectively split between levels / “rooms” in the space, allowing etc grouping to be appreciated. The individual pieces are again strong in story – although I admit to being drawn to the elegant depth of the more minimal pieces – particularly Sand and Mirage.

Below Moki’s are is another container featuring Kain’s work. I’m not sure I’ve actually witnessed his photography before, but I have to say there is something very endearing about these pieces and the slightly tongue-in-cheek manner in which he presents memories of Regions Past in Second Life. These are genuinely delightful poster-type images with text that both point to their source location and offer a winking smile of humour from the artist. Kian’s Travel Agency is certainly a “business” worth visiting!

Another trip over water – this via wooden bridge – provides access to Rita Glad’s exhibition and Scylla’s. Rita is another artist with whose work I’m not familiar; I found her pieces here vibrant in their use of colour and also joyous, reflecting one of the major emotions experienced the the young and the young at heart when visiting the seaside.

Occupying a single-level building apparently build out of sun-bleached plywood, Scylla’s art once again engages and challenges. As I’ve oft mentioned,  Scylla is a photographer-artist who truly understands the art of gentle suggestion; her images stand as single-frame stories such that even when joined by a central theme, each remains independent of its fellows as it whispers to us. but what that might be is entirely personal and subjective, the combination of image the the words Scylla has selected to go with it tweaking the imagination and forming ideas in ways that are unique to each of us.

I could happily wax lyrical about Scylla’s work; the use of visual and written metaphor, the subtle referencing through lines of text and composition of images. But I won’t here; suffice it to say the pieces displayed here are richly evocative, and I particularly enjoyed Lost In and the use of lines from Eliot’s The Dry Salvages. (The Four Quartets being one of my great loves). There is something quite marvellous in the back-and-forth play of metaphor and idea evident between the lines of the poem and the image itself, serving to underline the truth of Eliot’s commentary that, like it or not and no matter who we are or where we go, our connection to the natural world cannot be broken.

Which leads me (by way of another container bridge) to Deluna’s selection of pieces. These form an intriguing set, on the one hand, each has a clear form and interpretation, one in part offered by its title. On the other, the presence of a poem by Carlo Betocchi brings to mind the subjective imagery of the hermetic poets wherein the sound of the words forming the poem are as important as the meaning of the words in bringing forth a personal understanding of the poem. The presence here of Betocchi’s work suggests that each of the images offered by Deluna has more to say to us through the its use of colour and individual elements as much as by its overall framing and cropping.

In all, an engaging and engrossing collection of art.

SLurl Details

• Onceagain Gallery (Fading Shadows, Moderate)

It was back to the Kondor Art Centre, operated and curated by Hermes Kondor, for my second visit to the Kondor Art Museum, which saw the opening of its second four-month exhibition of 2D and 3D art; one which features 2D artist-photographers who are, in my opinion, some of the most expressive in the of field presenting work in Second Life.

The exhibition opened on June 23rd, 2024, the exhibition answers a question I cogitated during my first visit in February (see: The Kondor Art Museum in Second Life): would the Museum feature just the one set of exhibitions, or offer a rotating series of exhibits? For this four-month run, the Museum features pieces by Mihailsk, Monique Beebe, Hermes Kondor, Selen Minotaur and Scylla Rhiadra, with a selection of Ilyra Chardin’s charming 3D figures awaiting discovery at the entrance and in the main foyer.

To the left of the museum (as you enter the foyer), Scylla presents La Danse Des Petits Rats. However, this is not a celebration of small rodents jiving (or performing other dances), as the name might suggest; rather it is a celebration of the work of French artist Edgar Degas (July 1834 – September 1717). Often referred to as an impressionist painter, despite the fact he often despised the impressionist movement with its focus on “bright” colours and use of artificial light, Degas is probably best known for a series of paintings he produced  from the late 1860 through the 1880s focused on the young dancers studying at the School of Dance at the Paris Opera who were referenced as the Little Rats.

No-one knows exactly where the name originated, although the likes of Balzac claim that the romantics saw the rat as a creature to be held dear – small and inquisitive, but able to mature into a “tiger” or “panther”, powerful and lithe – just as the young students at the School of Dance started out urchin-like, maturing into a lithe dancers, their moves fluid and graceful.

Whatever the origins of the term, Degas’ paintings of the Little Rats stand as a history of the students at the School of Dance – from painting the dancers during a performance, he moved to producing “behind the scenes” paintings showing the dancers backstage, in rehearsal or being taught. In doing so, he provided insight into the secrets of ballet training, the paintings becoming extremely popular. At the same time, the series also helps to mark the artist’s own evolving style as a painter. Within her exhibit, Scylla offers A celebration of Degas’ style – his use of colour and light (both of which do stand him aside from his impressionist peers) and, like his original studies of the Little Rats, pay homage to them and their growing mastery of the art of ballet.

Connecting to Scylla’s exhibition and running around the back of the museum is that of Mihailsk, who is one of the most expressive single-frame storytellers in Second Life. Emotive, often rich in metaphor as well as shooting straight from the hip, Mihailsk’s work spans both colour and monochrome, the stories wrapped within them.

On the upper floor, Monique presents something of a retrospective of her avatar-focused photography, which – as with Mihailsk – is generally centred on her own avatar and marvellously expressive and rich on both narrative and, frequently, a degree of subtext. Her exhibitions tend to be thematically driven and often highly sensual in nature, and the latter is clearly observable in several of the pieces in this collection – and should potentially be regarded as NSFW.

At the risk of repeating myself, Selen is also a richly expressive artist, often working to a theme or idea, the pieces she produces richly layered both in terms of their use of colour and elements and in terms of their meaning / interpretation. As with Moni, the items presented in this collect form a retrospective of her work from 2020 through 2024.

Rounding out the exhibition, and located at the front of the museum and to the right of the entrance is Beach Time, a quite marvellous collection of monochrome photographs by Hermes, celebrating summer at the beach.

Engaging, beautifully presented and ideal for appreciating / purchasing, these 2D exhibitions make for a worthy visit, with Ilrya’s characters bringing the charm of their own visit to the museum. Those visiting can also wander the Kondor Art Garden outside of the museum, which is again hosting an exhibition of AI art by Milena Carbone.

SLurl Details

• Kondor Art Museum, Kondor Art Centre (Royal Tea, rated Adult)

It’s been a while since I’ve covered an exhibition at Lizbeth Morningstar’s Starborn Gallery, in part because Lizbeth has been busy with various projects, one of which has been the re-designed and expanded. To mark this, the gallery is officially re-opening on Saturday, June 15th, 2024 with a special event and a featured exhibition of new work by Lizbeth herself.

The gallery itself now covers three floors and, in a little touch I’ve not seen at a gallery before, includes a garden on the roof where visitors and patrons can not only relax, they have the opportunity to buy the plants and items found within the garden, as supplied by the Featured Store. A teleport board within the event space fronting the gallery and between it and the beachfront provides access to the roof gallery and to the various levels of the gallery – although the latter can all be reached from this the gallery itself.

Lizbeth has a very distinctive style with her photography, often leaning towards a sense of white contrast suggestive of intentional over-exposure, together with a use of soft focus and colour-washing that I’ve not seen used by other SL photographers. While it is not Lizbeth’s only approach to photographs – as I’ll come to – it does give her photography a unique tone and look: images with a sense of watercolour paintings or which have been given a gentle colour wash. It’s an attractive approach to photography, and well suited to landscape images whilst also working with pieces that include avatars. Further, there is a purity within this approach which is very much reflective of Lizbeth’s use of her SL photography as a means of meditative self-therapy.

It’s also an approach very much in evidence on the ground floor of the gallery, which features a large display of Lizbeth’s work to the left as one enters, and the feature exhibition, entitled Be Tough to the right.

The latter might be defined as a essay on the life of the modern professional woman; someone who is all too often required to be both feminine and tough and unforgiving at the same time, forced to compete with male colleagues on terms defined solely by those same male colleagues – but who can, at the same time, celebrate themselves for who they are and celebrate the moments of freedom and delight to be found within the sunny streets of the city or when out to meet friend at night. It’s also, as the introductory notes suggest, something of a celebration of Lizbeth’s relationship with her avatar: how the persona of her avatar is both a reflection of Lizbeth as she is, and a facet of her personality as she would at times like to be – something I think we can all recognise in our own relationships with our avatars.

The majority of the upper floors of the gallery feature a further exhibition of Lizbeth’s work, entitled Before Dawn. This showcases Lizbeth’s approach to night-time photography, in which there’s often that use of a softer focus but here combined with a more obvious use of layering and employment of deeper contract and colour enhancement. In this, Before Dawn perhaps demonstrates a boarder range of images, running from hauntingly mysterious forest scenes rich in a sense of enchantment, through city scenes filled with enigmatic light and streets filled with a soft neon glow suggestive of noir-like settings, to more personal pieces presenting moods and emotions.

Both Be Tough and Before Dawn are evocative in their ability to evoke and reflect mood. They also (and her I include the broader exhibition of Lizbeth’s art on the ground floor of the gallery alongside Be Tough) form a richly contrasting but complementary pairing, both in terms of the styles and themes enfolded in each, and in the manner in which the sections of the gallery have been outfitted by Lizbeth.

The official opening of the gallery will take place between 098:00 and 10:00 SLT on Saturday, June 15th, 2024 . I’m pleased to see Lizbeth make a return to operating Starborn Gallery and continuing her love of SL photography, and I look forward to seeing more exhibitions at the gallery.

SLurl Details

• Starborn Gallery (Starborn, rated Moderate)