Tag: Sisi Biedermann

Now open at Raging Graphix Gallery, curated by RagingBellls, and continuing through until April 29th, is an exhibition by digital artist and Sisi Biedermann.

The exhibition marks both the gallery’s move to a new in-world location and an expansion of the space it provides for visiting artists, and I can honestly think of no better artist than Sisi to inaugurate the new building in its new home. As I’ve oft remarked in this pages, her work is extraordinary for its content, depth and presentation.

Referred to simply as a Celebration of the Arts, the exhibit offers a rich pot pourri of Sisi’s wide-ranging work as a painter, a digital artist, a creator of the most marvellous collages, and a weaver of tales. Nature and fantasy are strong – but not exclusive – aspects to her art, while her ability to blend styles and approaches to her images is simply sublime.

All of this is much in evidence in this exhibit, located on the upper floor of the gallery (the lower being given over to Raging Bellls’ own art), which offers everything from almost “straightforward” images from Second Life (Sonata of Love), to marvellous paintings from nature such as Christmas Roses, through more abstracted works (Another Art in Copenhagen) and wonderfully surrealist pieces like Fisherboat and Time Flies, to Sisi’s always mesmerising digital collages such as Veils and the truly marvellous Oriental Dream.

As is invariably the case with Sisi’s work, the 20 pieces presented in this exhibition are not so much to been looked at as they are to be savoured; each is so richly detailed it should – like a fine wine – be enjoyed in is own time, unhurriedly, so it might be properly appreciated.

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• Raging Garphix Gallery (Heatherwood, rated Moderate)

I recently paid a further visit to Sisi Biedermann’s Gallery and Garden, which I last visited in November 2018. Since that time, the gallery has undergone a revamp, so I was curious to see the new look, and also the two exhibitions that opened at the start of August and will remain so through until the latter part of September.

The upper three floors of the gallery continue to present Sisi’s own artwork, which as I’ve noted before is the most extraordinary digital work. Produced in the physical world and then uploaded to Second Life, Sisi’s art is the very definition of crossing and re-crossing the digit divide: a physical world artist who produces the must remarkable digital pieces for upload to a digital world, allowing it to be seen and purchased by a global physical world audience.

Combining multiple elements – original art (digital and paintings), elements drawn from Second Life and her imagination – all brought together to form richly layered and texture pieces that combine aspects of collage and montage to produce the most stunning pieces that are utterly engaging and completely captivating. As I’ve said before, those who have not seen Sisi’s art first hand really should drop in and do so.

At the same time, visitors can also available themselves of the exhibitions by Kayly Iali and Debbie7155.

Kayly is an artist who has been broadening her portfolio of her physical world art uploaded to Second Life over the last while, and here presents a series of her abstract art, with ten 2D pieces and three free-standing items. There are – to me at least – some of the most captivating pieces in her catalogue of work.

Abstract art is potentially the hardest to grasp to the point of being simplistic by some. Kayly’s work, however demonstrates the richness of the technique, particularly with pieces like Orchestra (above), and Creation, but also through the likes of Fires Storms – which also have a particularly poignancy given the environmental situation that places like California and Siberia have so recently faced.

Debbie7155 is an artist I have not previously encountered in Second Life, and her exhibition of fourteen pieces offered here are richly diverse in presenting her work as a physical world artist. All of them have there own appeal, but I found myself particularly drawn to her three watercolour paintings of animals (above), while her acrylic on canvas Moon contains a delightfully Warhol-like echo.

Sisi, Kayly and Debbie demonstrate the power Second Life offers in the presentation of physical world art to a global audience an artist might otherwise not reach, and those who appreciate this should take the opportunity to drop into Sisi’s gallery as see for themselves.

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• Sisi Biedermann Gallery (Caisteal Maol)

Sisi Biedermann is a prolific and exceptionally talented artist. Her work is quite unlike art produced within Second Life or uploaded and exhibited in-world. In a sense, thanks to Sisi’s imagination, style, and rich use of colour and ideas, to me it straddles the two. So many of her pieces could depict settings and situations waiting to be created in-world, whilst all offer doorways into fantastical worlds that come to life as virtual places within our imaginations.

As I’ve noted before, Sisi’s work is broad-ranging and so skilfully executed, it is possible to become lost in her techniques (which, I’d hazard a guess mix both traditional and digital approaches), so I was delighted when Caitlyn and I had the opportunity to visit Sisi’s gallery in-world to view some of her most recent work, which went on display at the start of November 2018.

Sisi notes her art and her time in Second Life are closely intertwined, and not just because of the numerous exhibitions in which she participates:

I joined Second Life in 2007, and back then I never realized how much this would mean to me. I started taking photos in Second Life in 2008, and have developed my style ever since.

Back then I had just started painting with acrylics after a very long break where I raised my children and looked after my family and my work. Today, I have painted several hundred paintings, and I still get a lot of inspiration from nature, second Life and northern islands such as Faroe Islands and Iceland.

All this brings me to where I am today and I hope you will enjoy my pictures.

– Sisi Biedermann on her art.

On offer at the gallery are around 50 of Sisi’s paintings, each one of them stunning in their colours, composition and presentation. Where a number of her recent exhibition have perhaps leaned towards her animal and wildlife images, this collection focuses more on her fantasy work and human studies, touched with elements of the mystic and science fiction in places.

Every single piece on offer is testament to Sisi’s skill; each one unique and captivating. So much so, that picking out a single piece from this collection is unfair; but I admit there is one piece in particular that completely took away my breath.

Perfectly placed on the upper floor stairwell, and passing unseen until visitors make their return journey to the lower levels, is The Evil Wizard, and it is quite the most stunning painting of the late Heath Ledger in what was perhaps his most remembered role: that of The Joker in The Dark Knight. The positioning of this piece means that you cannot fail to immediately be mesmerised by such a captivating image of Ledger as The Joker.

A truly striking gallery, and not one to be missed.

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• Sisi Biedermann Gallery (Caisteal Maol)

Now open at the Lin C Art Gallery, curated by Lin Carlucci, is What A Wonderful World, an exhibition of the extraordinary art of Sisi Biedermann.

I’ve reported on a couple of exhibitions featuring Sisi’s art of late – and with good reason; her work – all of it original pieces she has painted and composed – is quite unlike art produced within Second Life and exhibited in-world – nor is it quite like any real world art uploaded into Second Life by artists. Rather, and in a sense, thanks to Sisi’s imagination, style, and rich use of colour and ideas, to me it straddles the two. So many of her pieces could depict settings and situations waiting to be created in-world, whilst all offer doorways into fantastical worlds that come to life as virtual places within our imaginations.

Sisi’s work is broad-ranging, although there is a focus perhaps on wildlife and fantasy art. It is also so skilfully executed, it is possible to become a lost in her techniques (which, I’d hazard a guess mix both traditional and digital approaches – but I have not had the opportunity  to discuss this with her), as in the stories contained within each painting.

What is particularly captivating about many of Sisi’s pieces also lies within the manner in which she presents them. Some may appear to be oil or watercolour on canvas, others as tiled mosaics, and others appear to have been embossed. Which approach is used doesn’t appear to be as result of random thought; often times the presentation and finish to a piece is as much a part of its story as the images itself. Take The Boy in The Moon, for example, with the embossing of a net-like finish over the piece as the boy dangles his rod from a crescent Moon; or the finish impressed on to My Amazing Garden that allows the imagination to feel the texture of flower petals and the soft brush of dandelion heads…

With around fifty pieces on display, this is the largest exhibition of Sisi’s work I’ve seen, and my only small regret is that none of the wildlife pieces see at exhibitions she’s held earlier in the year aren’t also more in evidence here. This is obviously to avoid any feeling of repetition in displaying her work – but such is the sheer beauty and power contained within her animal images, it would have been nice to have seen a fox or a giraffe or similar here…

And if you think 50 is a lot of pieces to display – where Sisi is concerned, I assure you it isn’t. As I’ve intimated, these are more than just paintings, they are stories, and as such, they are each as individually engaging to the eye and imagination as the last.

What A Wonderful World will remain open through until Thursday, September 13th, and should not be missed.

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• Lin C Art Gallery (Hana Aloha, rated: Moderate)

Now open at the Paris Metro gallery in Second Life is Mystery of Nature, an exhibition of art by Sisi Biedermann, presenting 14 pieces of work for our appreciation.

“I joined Second Life in 2007, and back then I never realised how much this would mean to me, ” Sisi says of her art and her time in Second Life. “Back then I had just started painting with acrylics after a very long break where I raised my children and looked after my family and my work. I started taking photos in Second Life in 2008, and have developed my style ever since.

“Over the years, I have amassed several hundred paintings,  and I still get a lot of inspiration from nature, Second Life and northern islands such as Faroe Islands and Iceland.”

The pieces selected for this exhibition reflect Sisi’s love of nature, whilst offering pieces with a slight fantasy twist to them, complete with a touch of the abstract. From landscape studies to works focused on people / avatars, it’s a remarkable selection, rich in colour and depth, broad in style and composition. Nature is reflected in all of them, from being the focus Fern through to the autumn leaves framing The Chinese Tower or the mountains and Moon seemingly forming the backdrop of Top of the World.

The fantasy elements are perhaps clearest in  Faery Land and Magic Book, but so too is it event in other pieces as well – such as The Bridge, with its rich symbolism, and the framing of The Edge. Similarly, the abstract nature within the pieces is both obvious and beautifully subtle.

This is a superb selection, of art, one well worth visiting and the individual pieces very collectible for hanging at home.

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• Mystery of Nature, Paris Metro Art Gallery (Paris Couture, rated: Moderate)