Tag: Nitroglobus

Currently open within the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery Annex, operated and curated by Dido Haas, is a fascinating mixed-media exhibition of art by Onceagain (Manoji Yachvili). It brings together gouache painting, Second Life avatar photography and software post-processing to produce a series (or should that be part of a series, given this is apparently not the full collection?) of 16 utterly engaging pieces of the artist calls Splash the Gauche.

As a self-taught artist, Onceagain has a creative range to her work that is as impressive as it is visually engaging. She notes in her own introduction to A Splash of Gouache, that part of the inspiration for the pieces contained in this exhibition came by way of having recently completely a course in tempera painting whilst also experimenting software tools focused on painting and drawing, before going on to state:

So I took some photos of my avi on SL and then post-produced them with this software and printed them on watercolour paper, giving them some real touches. I’m old school, I need to experiment first hand by touching and not just looking at what I’ve produced on a monitor and I often hang what I like on the walls of my home … The mix between three media: SL, SW and RL seemed like an interesting path to experiment and I simply enjoyed working on this.

– Onceagain (Manoji Yachvili)

For those not familiar with them, tempera and gouache are somewhat similar techniques, each with a very long history. They consist of combining pigments with a water-soluble binding agent (often egg yolk in the case of tempera, or gum arabic in the case of gouache). Both are long-lasting, and can infuse the paper on which they are painted whilst being very opaque when dry. Tempera is perhaps the faster drying of the two, with gouache capable of being moistened again to dry in a matte finish.

Within Splash the Gouache – the title presumably referring to the overall finish to the pieces in the collection – Onceagain presents a series of avatar studies, some of which feature sufficient nudity to potentially be considered NSFW. All of them have a feeling watercolour lightness combined with the gouache aspect of lighter tones appearing to have perhaps dried darker than than they had originally been, and the darker tones similarly lighter. This gives all of the pieces a blending of colour and tone that – even in those leaning towards darker tones and shades – have a certain lightness of being about them; a sense of life and vitality as the eyes are inevitably drawn to the figure within each piece.

Also present within each picture – again in part thanks to the combining of technique and the use of colour as much as the subject’s pose – is a sense of emotion and / or reflection of mood which more traditional means of imaging and portrayal might not so easily convey. There is narrative within each piece, although what that narrative might be is likely to vary according to the eyes viewing the pieces. In all they are tactile in the manner in which they hold the eye and mind – which is not unfitting, given Onceagain’s own preference for making physical contact with her art, rather than just rendering on a monitor screen.

Running through to the latter part of June 2024, Splash the Gouache is well suited to the large image format utilised at Nitroglobus, allowing us to fully appreciate the beauty of the pieces and Onceagain’s mastery of both her art and her use of technology. Thoroughly recommended.

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• Nitroglobus Roof Gallery Annex (Sunshine homestead, rated Moderate)

Most of us have likely heard the expression “[Today / This] is the first day of the rest of your life” – but what exactly does it mean when we hear it / say it? What does it pertain to life and how we face it?

For most of us, the response to that question might well lean towards the promise that with each new day comes the opportunity to seize new opportunities, to put the past behind us and look forward to all the potential the future offers. For others, however, the expression might be seen as more a curse than an expression of hope, as Selen Minotaur explores in her exhibition The First Day, (subtitled of the rest of your life) which opened on May 13th, 2024 at Dido Haas’ Nitroglobus Roof gallery.

The easiest way to describe the installation – which encompasses 2D and 3D elements an multimedia, is to refer to Selen’s own words:

“The first day of the rest of your life” usually refers to a new beginning, full of promise and hope. But what if that first day was actually a repeat of the previous days, or worse, a nightmare?

This exhibition speaks of the fears, beliefs and fantasies that invade us in the face of the unknown. And the courage it takes to overcome them, mobilize and move forward. Because no matter what anyone says, the first day of the rest of your life remains a mystery…

In terms of the images, this brings forth a series of richly layered pieces which, depending on your mood and perspective on visiting, might be interpreted in differing ways, both within the context of the the exhibition’s theme and in a manner which might also encapsulate different aspects of both it and how we opt to interpret the underpinning expression.

Take The First Station, a marvellously layer image encapsulating ideas of trying to move forward in life whilst forever unable to leave what has come before as it seeks to pin us in place and blind our ability to see how we can move forward, instead making us look forever back at what has been rather than towards the freedom of what might be. Beautifully symbolised through the use of red colouring, the black and reaching out from between the rail sleepers, the tracks themselves and the eye in the mirror, the symbolic core of this piece is perfectly framed.

Then there is  First Sunrise. This is a piece which might be seen as one of those casting a wider net of potential interpretation. The promise of a new day, of open horizons and all the promise they hold – be they through the arrival of a new day which marks our decision to mark it as a new beginning, our “first sunrise”, so to speak, or the literal first sunrise of birth. At the same time, the Sun rises as a clock, the ever present reminder that life is finite; that no matter who or where we are, we are allotted a finite time. Do we allow it to dominate us, to cause us to live in fear of the every diminishing pile of minutes left to us? Or do we simply “live in the moment”? Where does the balance lay? Is life itself not a state of progress from the former to the latter?

There is more I could state here around the likes of the caged head, the face mask, and the 3d elements; in fact, I did start – but the reality is, The First Day should be experienced first hand and interpreted directly – and possibly over more than one visit. All I will say here is that I recommend viewing the images and sculptures first prior to viewing the video; in this way, ideas are neatly framed and the narrative then unfolds.

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• Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (Sunshine Homestead, rated Moderate)

Currently open through most of April 2024 at the Annex of Dido Haas’ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery is Event Horizons, a series of abstract art pieces by  Kirjat Umarov.

The title of the exhibition draws directly on the astrophysical phenomenon defining a boundary beyond which events cannot affect an observer. Coined in 1950 by the Austrian physicist Wolfgang Rindler, it’s a term most commonly associated with black holes, celestials object so dense that no nearby matter or radiation can escape their gravitational influence. Most often, if rather simplistically, the event horizon is defined as the boundary within which black hole’s escape velocity is greater than the speed of light, and so light itself cannot escape it, and thus we cannot know what actually occurs on the other side of the boundary, we can only theorise.

Given that Kirjat’s work and studies encompass the theology of Christianity, religious iconography and thematic devices which might be considered as representations of an “unknowable God” (as well as touching on art history and philosophy and the human condition), the title of the exhibition is well chosen, inviting us to try to look beyond the surface presentation of the 16 images presented around the walls of the Annex (one being a triptych, and as such counts as a single piece), and consider their potential meaning and interpretation – or, as Dido states in her liner notes for the piece – allow ourselves to be drawn ever closer to the event horizon of each piece as we ponder its meaning and potential for interpretation.

Some of the pieces would appear to reflect current world events – perhaps most obviously Peace Glory Honour, referencing as it does the people of Ukraine as they face the aggression foisted upon them by Russia; together with Outbreak, which might be seen as a reference to the continued threat of pandemics in the wake of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak (COVID-19), which might also lead to thoughts of the risk of such outbreaks spreading unnecessarily through people foolhardy ability to accept conspiracy theories over scientific fact.

Others with the set offer reflections on religion – some perhaps more obviously than others when going purely by their titles. I was drawn to Dekalogos, with its open invitation to consider the Ten Commandments both through its title and the presentation of its 10 symbols. More particularly, Hilasterion and The Holy Curtain gained my attention, each encouraging cogitations on the nature of the Ark of the Covenant, the “Holy of Holies” and the nature of God as portrayed via the Old Testament. Additionally, Hilasterion led me to thoughts of expiation and atonement and thus to reflections on the nature of Christ as a person and as a religious symbol – something that is today particularly relevant given the rise of the religious Right and their persistent misrepresentation of Christ spiritually, philosophically and physically.

But, as always, these are just my subjective thoughts and reactions – yours most likely will be different; which is fine Event Horizons is an individualistically expressive range of abstracts; a series both open to interpretation and, should you opt to purchase any, well suited to display within any SL home.

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• The Annex at Nitroglobus (Sunshine Homestead, rated Moderate)

It’s been over a decade since I first encountered Morlita Quan’s art in Second Life. At the time, she was one of the recipients in the Linden Endowment for the Arts 4th round of land grants to artists, and I was immediately struck by her work. Over the course of the next few years I encountered her art over and again at various festivals and collaborative art events, but it was not until 2016 that I was able to blog about it as a solo exhibition, when I visited Organic Geometry, presented at the Art Gallery the Eye under her physical world artistic name, MorlitaM. Since then, I’ve always been attracted to her exhibitions whenever presented, finding myself deeply attracted to her work, which often blends the use of geometric and organic forms in unique and captivating abstracted ways.

However, her latest exhibition – currently being hosted by Dido Haas at her Nitroglobus Roof Gallery – offers a glimpse of another side of Morlita’s life in addition to that of an artist and musician. Cats and Dogs is something of a challenge set by Dido – a long time friend of Morlita’s – to produce a themed exhibition. Dido tends to present these to folk every so often, and they are often particularly hard to fulfil, as Dido has a knack for both shining a light on a side of someone’s SL or physical life (or both) which is seldom seen, and easing them out of their established comfort zone (and I speak here from knowledge – Dido hand me such a challenge well over a year ago, and I still have yet to try and rise to it to a point where I have confidence in the results!).

For Morlita, the challenge came in the form putting together an exhibition focused on her work in taking in and caring for abandoned and mistreated animals, notably dogs.

While this might sound easy, it’s not necessarily so. For a start, should the images be of animals taken in Morlita’s physical world life, and if so, how should they be shot? What needs to be done to eliminate too much personal information from accidentally slipping into an image? Which animals should be featured? Should these be individual or group shots? And if not images of actual animals she is caring for, that what should be offered? shots of random animals, perhaps caught on the street? or should the images be drawn from digital sources – SL and elsewhere? And so on. When you add the fact that Morlita works in the realms of the conceptual and abstract, the melding of ideas and thoughts, both in her art and in her music, then the task becomes even more of a challenge – how do such approaches mix with the practicalities of animal welfare and care?

With Cats and Dogs the answer to that last question would appear to be quite eloquently. Cats and Dogs is at once both a collection of conceptual pieces, oft with abstractions of meaning, and of portraits and studies of cats and dogs which can be taken purely on that level, depending upon your outlook mood.

Some of the themes woven into the images will at once appear obvious to anyone what has owned a cat or a dog (perhaps most recognisably in Ego, while in others the layering of ideas might be more nuanced (as in the highlighting of the eyes in a on some, capturing the notions of intelligence and understanding within our furred friends). In others still, the potential for meaning / interpretation is even more nuanced, if one so wishes to make it so – such as GP_MorlitaM (9) – or can simply be seen as an image of an animal enjoying life (and splashing through water). These are pieces which also blend Morlita’s love of the animals with her love of geometry and organic forms, each piece bringing all of these aspects together in a unique expression of love and understanding.

Supported by 3D elements by Adwehe, Cats and Dogs is something of a very different exhibition for Nitroglobus; one that is obviously very personal to the artist – but also one fully in keeping with Dido’s tenet of encouraging her artists to present something which engages the eye and the mind. My apologies to her and Morlita to getting to this blog post a little later than is normally the case with exhibitions at Nitroglobus – and also to Dido for the fact that I still haven’t met the challenge passed to me back in late 2022!

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• Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (Sunshine Homestead, rated Moderate)

My idea of art is not the refraction of light, but the expression of what lies behind it. I want to create something that is inside a person, something that has a fragrance like fermented love. Therefore you rarely find anything cheerful or uplifting in most of my work, nor do I want to express such things.

Thus states Bamboo Barnes in discussing her latest exhibition – and her third at Dido Haas’ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery over the years – which opens on December 11th, 2023.

As I’ve frequently noted in these pages, Bamboo is one of the most vibrant, evocative, provocative, and emotive artists in Second Life. Her work is far removed from that of other artists who mix digital techniques with images from the physical world and those from SL, in that it it is both introspective and yet often – through the use of colour and tone – strongly assertive such that individual pieces can both reflect her inner thoughts, personal perceptions and feelings whilst at the same time speaking directly to the person viewing them in an equally personal and also entirely unique way.

Such is the case with Broken Chair, an exhibition of 19 studies by Bamboo, supported by a series of 3D elements by the artist, some of which reflect the title of the exhibition, others of which might appear more abstract at first glance.

The images are predominantly monochrome in nature, colours – outside of red – sparingly used. Each offers its subject in Bamboo’s trademark style: a face, sometime in full, sometimes in profile, often in sharp focus, just as often not; each one looking outwards at or beyond the observer, expression and pose – even when the eyes are unseen – giving voice to the tumult of thought and feelings tumbling through the mind within the head. What these thoughts and feeling might be is up to observers to interpret for themselves, but there is more than enough within each one to resonate with each of us, and cause a sense of understanding and familiarity.

Where colour is used, it is done so in emphasis of a mood, emotion or feeling, whilst the title of the exhibition speaks to what so often lies within us all: the introspections that are so personal we cannot give voice to them; thoughts that can – whatever their origin or cause – leave us spiralling in silence, trapped without ourselves – but which also demand expression, be it through physical or mental reflection. These are thoughts which can leave us feeling less-than-whole – or broken, if you will. Yet even whilst bringing forth this sense of brokenness, such thoughts and feelings can so often also impart an inner strength or drive to overcome, to mend; a determination to learn, to overcome, to become more whole and move forward in life.

So yes, we might so often feel broken inside, but as with a broken chair, we have the ability within ourselves to mend and heal. Perhaps not fully – even a repaired chair can so signs of the work applied to make it so – but enough to carry us forward in life. And within Broken Chair, Bamboo perhaps reminds us of that such feelings – and the drive they encourage – are both common to us all.

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• Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (Sunshine Homestead, rated Moderate)

For this article, I’m taking a look at two exhibitions which opened at Second Life in November 2023. They are both entirely independent to one another (and indeed, very different in form and style), but share some common themes which – to me at least – make them somewhat suited to joint coverage. Perhaps the most obvious connection between the two is that as they feature nudity, they should be considered NSFW; some of the other links are drawn entirely from my own perceptions and probably do not coincide to any great degree with those of the artists. Ego, take what you read here with a measure of circumspection – and do visit the exhibitions to gather your own thought on them.

The first exhibition is entitles – sort-of appropriately – Restricted, likely in recognition of the nudity it presents. It can be found in The Annex at Dido Haas’ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, and comprises a selection of some of Dido’s monochrome / black-and-white work. These take the form of simple but elegant studies of Dido’s avatar, generally nude, in minimalist settings / scenes.

Of the collection, Dido states there is “no story, just more of me”; but while no story per se might be had within Restricted as a whole, the  individual pieces very much do offer glimpses of vignettes we might freely interpret, if so minded, whilst collectively and within their composition, framing and presentation, they most certain do offer a narrative of artistic measure in their celebration of the female form.

The use of framing is perhaps most delightfully apparent in What’s Up? and In The Corner, both of which utilise the physical framing of the picture in which to tell their individual stories.  In terms of technical composition, the use of light and shadow, the more mechanical aspects of photography – such as the Rule of Thirds – can be found combined through the eye of a genuine arts to produce a piece simply dripping with stories waiting to be told (Curtain). Alongside of it, the My Shadow images offer their own lessons in composition and narrative framing, whilst Shy is so exquisitely expressive, it captivates from the moment first seen.

Meanwhile at Monocle Man Galleries, curated by Lynx Luga (lynx Iuga) and Kit Boyd (and available through until November 19th inclusive) is Hotel. A noted photographer of the human form male and female, Troy’s art covers portraiture, nude studies and erotica, and he is rightly admired for his life-like studies, which have been featured across multiple Flickr groups as banner images, the subject of exhibitions and the focus of multiple SL publications.

As indicated by its sub-title, Hotel is from the wellspring of erotic images Tory has produced – and is thus potentially the more NSFW of the two exhibitions herein. It features a series of intimate / sexual black and white chiaroscuro images, best described by the exhibition’s introduction:

This collection is, in a sense, a return to Troy’s roots in erotica. Using a single room, he images various guests, single or otherwise, and the behaviours in which they indulge once the doors are locked and the lights are out. 

Offering a third-person view of these “behaviours”, each piece casts the observer into the role which combines a sense of presence within the activities taking place – perhaps as a participant taking a moment to watch, or as voyeur observing events with (or without?) the knowledge of those actively participating, or perhaps as the person behind the lens, capturing these moments of deep intimacy.

Which of these roles you opt to take – if any – is a matter of personal choice. What is not in question, however, is the depth of personal and shared intimacy evident throughout; together with the richness of presentation and style. In the latter regard, the use of chiaroscuro is genuinely exquisite, and does much to enhance what are already intense and personal studies, lifting them to the heights of erotica art. Each piece has its own narrative, shared and personal, and each is perfectly framed and processed.

So, what is the connection I see between these two exhibitions? Simply this: both are rich in their celebrations of individual freedoms of expression, be they in terms of how we see ourselves or in how we express intimacy, love and desire between one another regardless of gender, colour, etc., either individually or jointly. This is reason enough to appreciate both Hotel and Restricted; but add to that the fact that there are those zealously determined to deny such freedoms in order to force conformity to their own narrow strictures of society, and both exhibition might also be seen as offering a very subtle reminder of what be lost to many if we allow such zealotry to succeed.

SLurl Details

•  Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (Sunshine Homestead, rated Moderate)
• Monocle Man Galleries (Flying fortress, rated Adult)