Tag: Scylla Rhiadra

Intolerance of others, whether based on gender, ethnicity, religion, and /or sexuality has throughout human history been as much responsible for human suffering, depredation, subjugation and death as any of our multitudinous wars throughout the ages (with religion and ethnicity themselves being two of the most obvious causes of war / conquest).

In the modern age, to say, “you are less than me” purely on the basis of skin colour, gender, sexual preference and to whatever deity a person might opt to pray (or indeed, the manner and direction of said prayers), should, for most individuals capable of the basics of free and rational thinking be anathema. And yet, here we are, facing a rising tide of politically-motivated and damaging “otherism” which encompasses all of the above noted differentiators. Even women in what are regarded as “free” societies are finding their basic rights under threat / being rolled back.

It is a level of public intolerance that is concerning on multiple levels. There is obviously the increased risk those being marginalised face in terms of diminishing rights and growing potential for violence against them – and well as the encouragement it gives to others to engage in such violence. Then there is also the the positive reinforcement repressive regimes in other nations might see when they hear views similar in nature to their own being espoused by politicians from so-called “world leading” nations. Both of these should give pause to reconsider words about to be spoken by those considered to be in high office – but they don’t.

Such intolerance is poisoning almost all walks of life; for those facing it, it can be – as intended – utterly debilitating, and thus either achieves the goal of subjugation, or generates an anger that can overtake thinking and outlook to a point where it is as damaging to the individual as any form of mental disenfranchisement in the face daily exposure to it. So what can be done? The answer to this simple-sounding question is both myriad and complex; but one part of it can be summed up as support one another and be who we are.

Yes Her is an exhibition of art curated by Scylla Rhiadra which seeks to do just that, with a specific focus on the matter of women’s rights, possibly spurred by the manner in which they are under open attack in the United States, but which embraces women the world over who face a daily challenge simply to exist as people rather than chattel. To use Scylla’s own words concerning the exhibition:

Women around the world are under a great deal of stress right now. And whether we live in Tehran, in Manchester, or in Forth Worth, Texas, we have good reason to be angry. Anger can be a powerful motivator to action. But swimming in constant anger is also a terribly toxic and ultimately self-destructive way to live your life. 

Yes Her is an exhibit that chooses instead to highlight positivity and optimism, and the immense point on which women can call, whether or not they are aware of it. … This exhibit argues that, while our anger can be justified, we need not always be reactive: we can make positive change happen without being prompted by assaults upon our rights. 

We can make a change by being who we are. 

This exhibit celebrates the positive strength and affirmation of what it means to be a woman.

– Scylla Rhiadra, from the introduction of Yes Her

Having opened on Sunday, May 28th, at the Factory Arts Collective Gallery, Second Life Left Unity (if the SLurl delivers you to the ground-level unity station rather than the gallery, climb the steps into Nelson Mandela Park and follow the track to the left to the teleport kiosk), Yes Her sees Laurel Aurelia, Suki Blossom, Kira Fizzgig, Tatiana Demonix (Nikolay), Eva Knoller, Belinda Newell, Onceagain (Manoji Yachvili) and Saskia Rieko, join with Scylla in an exhibition celebrating womanhood. Each of the artists has contributed at least one image, which are displayed with several of Syclla’s own pieces – including the original Yes Her which help foment the idea for this exhibition.

These are images which are all narratively rich (and self-explanatory), offering a reminder to all of us that women are people, capable for expression the same emotions and desires as the male of the species – and, like it or not – the same autonomy of choice and right to a voice (both of which perfectly exemplified by Scylla through Yes Her (My Door) and Yes Her (Listen!). Within them are statement of power through simple companionship, fearlessness (and facing the future), strength, beauty and the essential humanity in being a woman – a humanity to which all of us should aspire, again regardless of religion, creed, gender, sexuality, age or ethnicity.

Whilst a statement on the power of womanhood, as we enter Pride Month at a time when the LGBTQ+ communities are facing what is fast becoming an all-out assault on their rights (even, I’m ashamed to say by women of “status” who really should know better), Yes Her has a broader context in which to be seen.

Although the focus of the art is clearly on the power and beauty of womanhood and the right of women to make their own choices in life, Yes Her speaks out against all such intolerance and toxic behaviour and offers encouragement to any finding themselves marginalised by the bigotry of others. Simply substitute the word of your choice (gay, lesbian, pagan, refugee, person of colour, and so on) for the final “woman” in the quote from the exhibition’s introduction I’ve used earlier in this article, and you’ll see why. As such, it offers a message of strength extending well beyond its core focus, and offer s a reminder that no matter what those who would use intolerance as a message of hate and a means to ostracise and / or control, we are all people, with far more that unities us than separates us.

SLurl Details

• Factory Arts Collective Gallery (Oculea, rated General)

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.

SLurl Details

• Michiel Bechir Gallery (Embrace, rated Adult)

I was recently indirectly pointed towards Eden Gallery by photographer Pacific Fanshaw, who features the location in her Profile Picks. Operated and curated by Adelina (AdelinaLawrence), Eden Gallery sits within the Garden of Eden, a region given over to flights of the imagination, offering a mixture of fantastical public spaces and private residences.

In this, the gallery literally stands over the cavern of Enchanted Eden, a music / dance venue, and takes the form of a grand windmill-fronted cottage built within the boughs of a great tree. The tree is reached from the lowlands of the region via stairs and steps running up to and around the cavern or by means of winding path; steps and path both ascending to the plateau over the cavern, and visitors must ascend the tree by way vertical ladders and a wooden walkway that eventually lead to the gallery’s front door (used here as a landing point SLurl).

The treetop cottage offers three floors of space, although at the time of my visit, only the mid and upper levels of the house were in use. The front door accesses the middle floor, and an exhibition of art by Scylla Rhiadra, known for her explorations aspects of life and the human condition (such as with Virtual Toxic, which I reviewed here and Intimacy, which I review here).

So far as I could see, this exhibition has no title, but it very much continues in the vein of exploring aspects of life. Each piece, as artificially composed and posed as it might be, captures a single moment in life that is marvellously expressive and exquisitely rich in narrative, making the fact it has been constructed fade entirely into irrelevance, leaving us caught in the richness – and in places, the mystery – of the images as we encounter them. Just take Connect, the first image encountered in entering the house, for example: the message of love and intimacy is so powerfully conveyed through expression, skilled use of line-of-sight from one character to the other, lens flare, reflection, and the balance of light shadow.

Then within In Transit in the next-door room, there is an unmistakable sense of personal happiness in an exchange with someone – or something (Scylla might be responding to reading a departure or directions board) – is richly palpable. Meanwhile Little Universes tells a layered story containing just a hint of sci-fi mystery (catch the telescope and the white light spilling through the (slowly opening?) door) wrapped in what might otherwise be a more every day event – noticing the lens cap has been left off the telescope.

Each and every image is thusly evocative, but I found myself repeatedly drawn to Transition (above right) for is narrative mystery: is the man seen in the mirror actually there, or is he the personification of a memory on the part of the woman? Is the shadow on the wall behind her a clue that he is there, standing behind her – or is the shadow actually hers and merely fooling us?

Take the gentle curve of the staircase to the upper floor of the house, and you’ll find a display of art by Adelina, some of which in the main room at the top of the stairs might be considered by some as not suitable for work (NSFW).

These are more personal in nature, nude and semi-erotic images someone might take with their lover and intended for personal viewing rather than display. This gives them a depth of perspective that casts those viewing them into the role of voyeur whilst simultaneously presenting encouraging a sense of privilege in sharing in these personal, guarded moments.

Mixed with these are images that touch upon the realm of fantasy story-telling, fashion and contemplating reflection.  All are marvellously composed, focused, framed and processed to present a collection that is beautifully and richly emotive throughout.

SLurl Details

• Eden Gallery (Garden of Eden, rated Adult)

The question of identity / pseudonymity has been linked to Second Life pretty much since the platform from the start; we have complete agency of how we represent ourselves and how much of ourselves we chose to reveal to the world. It is often said that this pseudonymity allows us to more fully express who we’d like to be.

But who are we, really? The person we are at home and among family is not the same as the person we are at work;, and that person is not the same as the person we are when with friends, and so on. Even within our family group, who we are with loved ones – husband / wife, children, parents – can change from moment to moment.

And all of these personas are very different to who we are when alone; those intimate moments of oneness in which we perhaps most truly reveal who we are without fear of observation / ridicule / rejection. And so, too, are multiple areas of overlap – each and every one of us is an individual; but the question still remains, given all these multiple facets to our make-up, some self-imposed, others placed upon us by society / those around us, who are we – really? And can we use avatars to express not who we’d like to be, but who we are?

It is this exploration of self through our avatar that is the focus of Intimacy, an exhibition / installation by Scylla Rhiadra which opened at the end of February 2022 at the Onceagain Art Gallery curated by Onceagain (Manoji Yachvili).

Set within an environment that is as much a part of the exhibition, are twelve images designed to better inform us as to who the person who inhabits “Scylla Rhiadra” actually is. To quote Scylla’s introductory notes from the exhibit:

The pictures in this exhibit represent my attempt to communicate that extra “something” about myself. They do so, not by removing the barriers that separate who I most truly am from how I represent in a virtual environment, but by leveraging virtual images and appearances to convey it … Here you will see “Scylla” (who has never washed a dish in her entire virtual existence) dancing as she washes dishes, getting dressed in the morning, and eating ice cream at outrageous hours of the night. These are intended not merely to provide some insight into “what I do” in real life, but more vitally “who I am” there – which is, pretty closely, also “who I am” in Second Life.

– Scylla Rhiadra

Of course, one might say there is a certain hubris in trying to use an avatar in this way; at the end of the day, whatever is done, the avatar is not the person operating it, neither in look nor in perception by others. Plus, said avatar is a puppet; any image of it must posed, the setting staged; thus any attempt to use it to bring forth a broader expression of “self” must itself be something of a manipulation of perception as much as any other use of our avatar to impart a persona.However, this is far from true. While the images may well be constructed to bring forth a specific aspect of our personality, the fact remains that the aforementioned pseudonymity baked-in to Second Life also frees us from the usual impediments (fear, embarrassment, etc), that might otherwise stand in the way of our revealing more of ourselves to strangers never seen or known. Thus, they are the perfect vehicle, staged settings notwithstanding, by which we can “be who we really are” and express what might otherwise remain hidden, as Scylla notes in her introduction to Intimacy:

One of the most important opportunities afforded by Second Life, and virtual embodiment generally is the chance to represent facets of ourselves that we cannot, or do not, express in our material lives. That I am doing something that is really quite the opposite of this – representing my more mundane self virtually – doesn’t change the reality that a virtual self can be not merely liberating but also revelatory. Just as the fictions of a good novel can reveal Truths with greater clarity than more factual forms of discourse, so too, I hope, does my artifice here strip away some of the barriers that separate me from . . . you. 

– Scylla Rhiadra

Thus, these 12 images are deeply engaging and fascinating in their depictions; so much so, that any thoughts of the “falseness” of their staging / posing is quickly lost. Instead, we are invited to share on the most intimate expressions of how Scylla views herself, and the moments from the physical world that make up many of the facets of who she is in the world of pixels and zeros and ones.

As noted, this is an exhibition in which the setting plays as much as role as the images themselves. From the night sky (make sure you have Use Shared Environment checked via menu → World → Environment), through to the maze, the lamps that illuminate each image as we approach it, to the props to be found throughout the space, everything has a role to play. The maze, for example, might be seen as a metaphor for our exploration of who we are, either as others try to understand us, or as we look upon ourselves. Such explorations can involve wrong turn (misapprehensions) and back-tracking (re-evaluation). Similarly, the lamps alongside each image represent those moments of realisation / revelation that spur our understanding onwards, and so on.

Provocative, revelatory, rich in content and presentation, the images offered in Intimacy, are highly personal both in their exploration of Scylla’s sense of self, and in the way they can chime with each of us and our own considerations of who we are in life – digitally and physically. They are also marvellously composed and framed as individual artistic pieces that can be appreciated in their own right. All of which makes this a thoroughly engaging visit.

SLurl Details

• Intimacy, Onceagain Art Gallery (Peaceful mountains, rated Adult)