Tag: Cica Ghost

Cica Ghost’s installation tend to carry with them elements of fairy tale; sometimes these elements are obvious in terms of the narrative on offer, in others the fairy tale aspect is further offered by the installations title, whilst the installation itself includes touches and turns which might cause the mind to wander further than any idea of “traditional” fairy tales. But howsoever the theme might be presented, the installation itself is always engaging.

For February 2024, Cica presents Dark Fairytale, which – for me, sits within those installations Cica offers which perhaps encourage the mind to wander further than the “traditional” idea of fairy tales. Flowing into it – in very subtle ways – are a touch of Guillermo del Toro and a tickle of cosmology. As with all of Cica’s installation, use of the Share Environment is a must.

Dark Fairytale presents a dark, somewhat parched landscape of lowlands watched over by peaks and hills around their edges, with two hills detached from the rest as if scouting inland. Caught under a cloud-rippled sky, this is a place with an otherworldly feel to it – a feeling that’s increased by the large face of planet (or moon?) hanging low above the westward horizon, its surface marked by the veins of a vast mountain complex spreading outward from its southern extreme.

The presence of this world / moon which does much to cast this place as much into the realm of far-away worlds in distant space as much as it does conjure thoughts of fairy tale lands. Yet at the same time, the eye of this planet might cause some to think of our own solar system; for those familiar with Mars, one of the splayed tendrils of light coloured mountains stretching across the world offers a faint suggestion of a mirrored Vallis Marineris and Noctis Labyrinthus so familiar to Mars. The effect is entirely coincidental rather than intended, but for those who see it, it gives a further twist to any backstory the imagination might choose to write for the installation.

This is a world inhabited by various kinds of dragon (one tucked away off-shore), all of whom appear to peacefully co-exist with the local humanoids, who in turn appear to live in exotic little homes.  As with all of Cica’s characters, the creatures here carry with them a sense of innocence rather than menace, with the humanoids having some technical know-how, going by the snail car in the midst of the landscape. As one would expect, there are multiple places to sit or dance scattered through the landscape, whilst the creatures offer plenty of opportunities for photography.

Given the friendliness of the locals, the “Dark” of the installation’s title would appear to relate less to any idea of the kind of tales involving a twist of fear and / or horror, and more to the fact that this world is either dimly lit or seen at night. That said, the fantastical nature of the creatures and beings here does pump the cosmological element within Dark Fairytale, as noted. In this, the quote Cica has chosen for the installation also has a role to play, coming as it does from a longer statement by the late English cosmologist and theoretical physicist, John David Barrow.

All told, another marvellous setting from Cica, one able to suggest all sorts of stories to the willing imagination. And the hint of Del Torro? Take a peek inside the rotor-topped house, and you might spot it!

Slurl Details

• Dark Fairytale (Mysterious Isle, rated Moderate)

Cica Ghost is back with a wintertime setting to see out 2024 with Snowflakes, and in doing so, offers us a little insight into the fact that even snow monsters appreciate a little warmth on cold winter nights when the stars shine brightly.

In a darkened world where hills rise like comical bumps a cartoon character might suffer after taking a bop to the head, birch tress point boughs bereft of leaves towards the nigh sky, as if trying to to pull down the blanket of stars to wrap around themselves and stave off the cold. All around, snowflakes drift towards the ground to join their siblings already there.

Night-time can be one of the most magical times to witness gently falling snow when the wind is calm and the air is fresh; there can be a wonderful sense of mystery, particularly when walking through wooded land  – and believe me, as one who has partaken of late evening walks through the park adjoining my home, walking under naked tress and over the bridges panning the local stream, I speak from experience!

But here, among these trees, are other wonders to be found. This is because, with the Sun long set and darkness all around, the local snow monsters have come out. Although in fairness, “monster” here is more due to a matter of their scale rather than any wicked intent on their part. Indeed, and as noted all they are seeking a little of the forementioned warmth – both the kind born of a warm fire and the kind from friendly companionship – or having a little fun building a snowman.

These chaps clearly mean no harm (although beware the falling snowballs near some of them!); one even looks a little looks a little unhappy and lonely on the cold night, possibly because there’s a nice little house close by (one of a number sharing the landscape) which could well be a lot warmer inside than it is outside – but he’s a little too big to get through the front door!

For those who like a little fun, there are Cica’s dances to be found and a pair of “snow rollers” to ride around on. The setting is accompanied from a quote from Lorelei Gilmore from the 8th episode of the first season of The Gilmore Girls, A show I’d never heard of until reading the quote – and subsequently finding the episode – love and War and Snow – is one of the most highly regarded of the show’s entire run. However, it expresses the mood of Cica’s Snowflakes perfectly:

Everything’s magical when it snows

SLurl Details

• Cica’s Snowflakes (Mysterious Isle, rated Moderate)

Cica Ghost is back for October with another whimsical installation with White, which opened its doors on October 14th, 2024. The setting uses a quote from the American portrait and genre artist, Charles Webster Hawthorne (1872-1930), who is perhaps most famous for  for his lushly painted portraits and landscapes and for founding the Cape Cod School of Art (1899):

Put variety in white.

To be honest, I’ve no idea of the context in which the quote was originally given, but Cica has taken it to heart ahead of the coming of winter in the northern hemisphere to give us a symphony of white from the ground on which we walk when visiting to the sky overhead. Has it snowed? Is the world frosted?  Are we perhaps in another realm entirely? You decide.

Certainly, the creatures scattered through the landscape are somewhat otherworldly; some appear slug-like (but friendly – for the most part!) as they sit upon the pockmarked white of the ground; others appear to be partially extruded from that very ground, as if squeezed up from below – or perhaps they are simply lying partially buried for some reason; still other looks like alien mice, small (compared to their companions!) and potentially huggable. Some even look like hills within the landscape – at least until their maws open in a long, slow yawn-like motion.

The structures here are equally strange, carrying with them the feeling that they’ve also been extruded from the ground – or some giant little boy or girl has been building the more extraordinary sandcastle-like creations as they raise trumpet-like appendages to the sky.

But then, also, there are the tall flowers, snowdrop-like in their white innocence and the monochrome butterflies flittering overhead (and under at least one of which people can ride); these look so natural, so familiar, it’s hard to place this strange place as being anywhere else than on Earth. And perhaps it is; perhaps it is a dreamscape, and we are invited to be travellers crossing it. The choice is yours.

And that’s the beauty of Cica’s installations: they allow us a moment of escape, a chance to relax and inhale the air of whimsy. so – enjoy!

SLurl Details

• White by Cica Ghost (Mysterious Isle, rated Moderate)

August brings with it – for those of us in the northern hemisphere – the latter part of summer and the promise that autumn is about to get out out of bed and start looking in our direction. But before it arrives there is still time for those who wish to grab the opportunity and have some summer fun – be it a vacation or simply a little time at the seaside.

It is the latter – a trip to the seaside – that Cica Ghost celebrates in her August 2024 installation Summer Camp. While it many not have anything to do with the more formalised affairs families in various countries pack their kids off to for a part of summer, Cica’s setting does have much to offer the kid residing in all of us: sand castles, friendly dinosaurs, happy-go-lucky snakes, fishy cars to sit on, opportunities to dance.

As is usual with Cica, the installation is framed by a quote, this one from a poem by the American poet, writer and physician, William Carlos Williams.

In summer the song
sings itself 

– William Carlos Williams, The Botticellian Trees

Williams’ work is a fascinating trove; most closely associated with the modernism and imagism movements, both in word and art, his poetry drew on multiple inspirations whiles often centres of related imagery – such as trees.

The Botticellian Trees itself interweaves the theme of trees and reflection on art (or at least, an artist, hence in part the title), but it is perhaps best know for this pair of lines, fully capturing as they do all of the beauty, promise and feeling that summer can bring, regardless of our age. Here, it perfectly captures the essence of Summer Camp.

There’s really not too much else to say about this installation; it is very much something to be experiences rather than read about. The creatures and figures found throughout are offered for sale in Cica’s shop, storefronts for which are perched up on the cliffs overlooking this sandy realm. The fish cars may be static, but they still offer places to sit (and other can – as usual – be found throughout), with a touch of acrobatics / balancing thrown in as well. And then there are the sand castles to wander through and (in places) climb, while for those who’d like more of a bird’s eye view (or should that be crow’s eye view 🙂 ), there’s always the balloon floating serenely overhead.

So – go see and enjoy!

SLurl Details

• Summer Camp (Mysterious Isle, rated Moderate)

June brings with it Cica Ghost’s installation for the the month, located on her Homestead region of Mysterious Isle, and this time it is a little different from recent installations from Cica.

Entitled Under the Stars, it comes with a quote from John Green’s debut novel (2005), Looking for Alaska, which – as with the majority of the quotes Cica uses – frames the theme of the installation, without necessarily reflecting the source it is taken from (in this case, Looking for Alaska being a coming of age story):

At some point we all look up and realize we are lost in a maze.

– John Green

Instead, the quote literally describes the core of the setting – a maze carved into the ground and sitting under s starry sky. The landing point sits at the start of the maze and to one side of the region, the way forward marked by high walls of terrain and the path quickly splitting. Which arm you take is entirely up to you – but what I would suggest is that you resist the temptation to cam upwards and look at what might be sitting above and instead allow the maze to unfold before you.

This actually makes describing the setting a little hard, as it really is best taken as a voyage of discovery. However, within the maze is a series of open spaces, some of which are home to giant creatures of fantasy; but these are not monsters; rather they are more like oversized cuddly toys, some of which bring to mind memories of Dr. Seuss. All are sleeping, the stars overhead looking like lights spread across a green sky of grass, presenting the feeling we are somehow underground whilst at the same time suggesting the creatures are all lost in happy dreams. Those spaces with a creature contain one of Cica’s marvellous drawings.

Also scattered through the maze are ladders leading up to the ground above. These can be climbed to reveal what lay overhead. Again, I don’t want to spoil things by saying too much here.

With a number of places to sit, creatures to photograph (and purchase!), Under the Stars is another genuine delight from Cica and fully deserving of a visit.

SLurl Details

• Under the Stars (Mysterious Isle, rated Moderate)

Under the sea,
Under the sea.
Cica makes it better
Down where it’s wetter
Take it from me.
Up on the shore we work all day
Out in the sun we slave away
While down in the Ocean
We can be floatin’
At Bubbles for free.

OK, so those aren’t exactly Howard Ashman’s lyrics (and yes, they are probably cringe-inducing – but then, that’s what I’m here for 😀 ), but they do apply to Cica’s Ghost’s April 2024 installation Bubbles, a fun trip down into the ocean depths (well, semi-depths at least).

This is a place where fronds of seaweed rise from a quilted sea floor, their growths interspersed with small carpets of flowers while the flat patchwork of the sea floor is interrupted by gatherings of pointed, steep-sided knolls and lumpy rocks, the latter often sprouting plant growths from their tips / tops. Within this undersea realm bubbles rise effortlessly and a host of sea creatures are waiting to greet visitors – some of which might be responsible for the strange little houses scattered throughout the setting.

From a static clam (or possibly an oyster – you decided which!) that sits open as a place to sit, through little fishes happily swimming in circles to a giant sea turtle, the denizens of this realm pose no threats to visitors. Indeed, several offer opportunities to sit on / with them or to play with them as you do handstands, whilst a starfish clings to the side of one of the houses as if engaged in a game of hide-and-seek and hoping it will not be discovered.

The little houses are all unfurnished, but that’s fine; fish rarely need a bed to sleep on and chairs offer little comfort to lobsters or octopi. However, the shells to be found outside the front of some of the houses do offer the chance to get together and dance for a while (perhaps while singing Ashman’s actual lyrics from The Little Mermaid). For those who prefer to make some music, Cica has provided a little electronic piano sitting on a hill – and the fish circling it  seem only too willing to listen to anyone opting to tinkle the keyboard.

When visiting, do keep an eye out mer-like couple who may be the custodians of this little underwater realm; they might appreciate a little hello from you as well!

SLurl Details

• Bubbles (Mysterious Isle, rated Moderate)