Tag: The Living Room

Tuesday, April 5th sees the opening of the latest exhibition at The Living Room, the art and music venue operated by Owl, Daallee and Nora. This month sees a further double-header, featuring the images of Bluesrocker and Eleseren Briana.

Eleseren is just ramping-up her focus as a photographer in Second Life, although she has previously exhibited her work at Dreanz and Visionz in Inworldz, with The Living Room marking her fifth exhibition in Second Life.

Trained as an illustrator in the physical world, Eles is perhaps best known as a fashion and couture model in Second Life, so her photographic work is understandably focused in that direction, but certainly not limited to fashion shots. Rather, she demonstrates a measured eye for composition and colour which brings depth and beauty to her landscape work as well, as demonstrated in several of the pieces displayed at The Living Room.

“I’ve been involved in the arts most of my life. Coming from a musical background, I have had a very keen appreciation of the creative process, whether it be in music,  the performing arts,painting, writing or photography,” Bluesrocker says of his photography. “I much prefer shooting out on location in the multitude of amazing sims which populate SL than in a studio, as I feel I get much better results that way.”

The majority of pieces Bluerocker presents at The Living Room are avatar studies which marvellously demonstrate his ability to create a  rich narrative with a single image, making this a captivating display of his work.

The April exhibition will officially open at 12:00 noon SLT at The Living Room on Tuesday, April 5th, with music from Camme {CC} Carver. It will remain open through until Tuesday, April 26th, when there will be a closing party again at 12:00 noon SLT, featuring Mimi Carpenter. In addition, there will be a special celebration featuring Eleseren’s work taking place at Holly Kai Pavillion, Holly Kai Park on Saturday, April 9th at 12:00 noon SLT, featuring the music of Christopher Quan (formal attire requested).

Don’t forget the monthly music sessions at The Living Room, either! On Thursday, April 14th the The Living Room will host Tone Uriza from 17:00 SLT, followed by Key Drammondof from 18:00 SLT. Then, on Thursday, April 21st, there will be three hours of music, starting at 16:00 SLT with Engramma, then Oblee at 17:00 SLT, before finishing with The Vinnie Show at 18:00 SLT.

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• The Living Room (Rated: Moderate)

 

Skip Staheli is a photographer who needs no introduction. His avatar studies are legendary in Second Life – and with good reason. He composes some of the best on the grid, often mixing elements of both digital and physical worlds to produce stunning images. He’s now the featured artist at The Living Room through until March 29th.

“For my  Second Life work I use PhotoShop CS6 and plug-ins like FilterForge and Alien Skin,” Skip says of his technique. “But I would be nowhere without my Bamboo drawing tablet; a lot of my work is drawn by hand. For two years I’ve taken art classes and draw with pencils and charcoal. Second Life showed me how much I could enjoy drawing,  and if not for it, I probably wouldn’t have learned about my creative side.”

From starting out taking shots of friends for fun, Skip’s reputation quickly grew to the point where he is very much in demand. So much so, that his PA, Delinda Dench, has closed his appointment book until June so that he’s not completely overloaded.

For the Living Room exhibition, he’s displaying over 20 pieces, across the three floors of the gallery space, all of which amply demonstrate the breadth and depth of his skill. From portraits to action poses to fantasy, all of the pictures present Skip’s signature attention to detail and his ability to frame a story in a single frame.

The exhibition comes at the first anniversary of The Living Room opening its doors, and as such, Skip is a superb choice of artist to be displaying there. Over the course of the past 12 months I’ve had immense pleasure in reporting on each exhibit Owl, Daallee and Nora have staged, and have witnessed some wonderful talents there (some of whom I’m hoping to “steal” and have exhibit at Holly Kai Park!). And on occasion of their anniversary, I’d like to pass on my congratulations to them, and my hope that it is the first of many.

Skip’s exhibition officially opens at 20:00 SLT on Tuesday, March 8th with music from the Vinnie Show, and will run through until 20:00 SLT on Tuesday, March 29th, when there will be  closing party with Aminius Writer.

The mid-month music party for March will take place on Thursday, March 17th, with Whirligig Rutabaga taking to The Living Room stage at 17:00 SLT, followed at 18:00 SLT by Oblee. And given this is the anniversary month, Owl, Daallee and Nora are promising more surprises as well – so make sure you get to the parties and keep an eye out for news from The Living Room!

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• The Living Room (Rated: Moderate)

Now open at The Living Room, the delightful art and music venue operated by Owl, Daallee and Nora, is a new double-header exhibition, one I’m particularly please to see take place, featuring as it does the work of sculptress CioTToLiNa Xue, who is displaying her work alongside the equally eye-catching 2D art of Thea Maiman.

Regular readers here will know of my appreciation of CioTToLiNa’s art, which I first encountered whilst visiting an exhibition of Mistro Hifeng’s work. I was immediately struck by her emerging ability to present emotive studies; so much so, that I was determined to have her display her work at my 2015 LEA installation, Impressions – and remain pleased that she accepted my invitation to so do.

Entirely self-taught, CioTToLiNa has been learning 3D and 2D techniques over the course of the last year, between intensive university studies in veterinary medicine. Extremely shy, she believes she still has a lot to learn and is hoping to further refine her skills. This may be true – creativity as always an evolving process after all; but I think it fair to say her abilities are already self-evident, as the pieces displayed at The Living Room demonstrate. For me, it’s an absolute pleasure to see more people taking an interest in her work and offering her opportunities to exhibit – long may it continue!

I am a little ashamed to admit that prior to visiting the Living Room I was nowhere near as well acquainted with Thea Maiman’s work as I am with CioTToLiNa’s – however, my visit has certainly rectified that! Thea’s work focuses on avatar studies, with those presented in this exhibition richly textured and evocative in both style and study.

Thea says of her work that she finds her inspiration in melancholy and darkness, although light and colours can also move her as well. All of these are evident in the works on display at The Living Room, where the idea of darkness can be interpreted through the use of her subject’s eyes being obscured by dark make-up or covered by a blindfold, while  other images contrast this in the use of colour, whilst sometimes simultaneously conveying a sense of the subject being on their own, which pushes slightly at the idea of melancholy.

None of the above should be taken to mean the images are in any way depressing – far from it. There is a vibrancy and life within Thea’s work which contrasts strongly with her stated sources of inspiration, and which makes them a delight to see.

CioTToLiNa and Thea will remain at The Living Room through until Tuesday, February 23rd, depressing; when a closing party will be held, featuring the music of Lazarus Doghouse. And don’t forget the Thursday Music Party at The Living Room, which this month takes place on Thursday, February 18th, and features Agusto Napoli at 17:00 SLT, followed by The Vinnie Show! at 18:0 SLT.

SLurl Details

• The Living Room (Rated: Moderate)

Opening on Thursday, January 7th is the latest exhibition at The Living Room, and this month, it’s a double-header featuring the work of Mareea Farrasco and Faith Maxwell.

In About SL People and Places, Mareea presents a series of images of people and places from within Second Life. some of these have a distinctly photographic finish to them, while other lean more towards paintings. All of them are uniquely personal in both subject and the effect they have on the observer, drawing you gently into them, presenting glimpses of lives as they unfold, or places which seem both new and yet familiar.

This is particularly true of the images depicting rooms and places of work: an art studio, a bathroom, a desk on which sits  typewriter; each carries the hint of places we may have seen or visited , but it at home or when out and about, whilst at the same time offering a glimpse inside the lives of people when they are otherwise engaged elsewhere.

“The pictures I create are small steps in the indefinite journey to myself. Join me and, who knows, you might find yourself,” Mareea says of her work; a comment which perhaps gives some of the images here an even deeper personal perspective in the suggestion that some of the spaces depicted in the image might be her own, and thus we are sharing in her world as much as in her view of the world.

With Sky is the Limit in SL, Faith Maxwell presents a series of her sculptures which reflect the theme of her title. Several of the pieces have a distinctly astral / cosmos / space feel to them – witness Cosmic Reaching Out, Astroid 2, and Time Marches On. Others have a strong aerial / avian flavour to them, as is the case with Lifting Spirit, Pureness of Doves, Hummingbird in Flight, and Turning Point (with its suggestion of a gyroscope).

Within the free-standing works are framed or mounted pieces which hold their own fascination. I particularly found myself constantly drawn back to the elegant simplicity apparent in Fallen Leaves and its suggestion both of time passing and the promise of open horizons, together with the hauntingly powerful In Mask, which suggested new themes and feeling each time my camera passed over it.

Like Mareea, faith pours a lot of herself into her work, noting, “When I came to SL I wanted to try my hand in sculpture. All my work is totally a work of me; my mood, my feelings.” Thus, both are ideally suited to sharing space at The Living Room.

About SL People and Sky is the Limit in SL formally open at 12:00 noon on Thursday, January 7th to music by The Vinnie Show! The exhibition will remain open through until Tuesday, January 26th, when there will be a closing show with music by Aminius Writer at 12:00 noon SLT. And don’t forget the Thursday Music Party at The Living Room, which this month takes place on Thursday, January 14th, and features Bat Masters at 17:00 SLT, followed by Lyndon Heart at 18:0 SLT.

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• The Living Room (Rated: Moderate)

Now open through until December 29th at The Living Room Gallery is an exhibition focusing on the work of Lexi Marshdevil and Particle Tom, known together as Sky Fire, and who are responsible for some of the most stunning particle shows in second Life.

On display are a series of images taken from the duo’s shows Legend of the White Rock and On Tour with Jed Luckless, which offer insight into the work of Sky Fire in the use of particle shows to both tell stories and provide an immersive visual experience to accompany live music events.

The storytelling element of Sky Fire’s work is very much evident in Legend if the White Rock, a tale of young love (albeit that of the son of a sea-god and the princess of a tribe of indians), which as Lexi explains proved inspirational:

Having grown up in White Rock, Canada, the Legend has always been an integral part of my life. Living near the beach, the Semiahmoo reservation, and hanging  out  at the famous white rock itself meant that it was a constant reminder of a wonderful story. As I happened to read the Legend again one night I realised how perfect the concept would fit into a beautiful particle show interpretation. The angst of young lovers, the Native American princess and her life amongst her tribe,  her suitor,  Neptune’s son,  who lived beneath the ocean , and how love would set them free eventually to start a whole new world of their own, that would continue through time.

The images from On Tour with Jed Luckless obviously illustrate how music and particle shows can be combined to present a visual and aural extravaganza.

As a part of the exhibition, Jed Luckless will be singing at The Living Room in a 2-hour special mid-month musical event on Thursday, December 17th, starting at 17:00 SLT.

The Sky Fire exhibition will, as noted, run through until December 29th, when there will be a closing party featuring Boney Mosey, starting at 18:00 SLT. Those who have seen The Legend of the White Rock may wish to avail themselves of the opportunity to buy a copy of a book featuring images from the show.

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• The Living Room (Rated: Moderate)

November sees Gidgy Buckshot (Gidgette Adagio) arrive at The Living Room Gallery and music venue with an exhibition of work entitled Love Is…  – and it is a sheer joy.

Many may be familiar with the title, Love Is…, as being used in the cartoon series by the late Kim Casali. This is no accident, as Gidgy explains, “When I was a little girl, my Great Grandmother used to collect a comic strip called “love is”. She’d cut out the comics and tape them into an album. I spent hours looking through her scrapbook. This series is dedicated to my Great Grams. How I miss those moments with her.”

Taking their lead from the original cartoons, Gidgy’s pictures present a whimsical and delightful set of scenes shoot with her partner, Wilberforce Buckshot (WilberforceBuckshot). Some of these, like the originals, have been taken with the couple naked, while all of them express the joys of being in love, be it when greeting your partner as they return from a trip, caring for them whilst they are ill, sharing a daring pastime together, missing them when they are absent – even discovering one of their naughty secrets (the Interwebz have a lot to answer for, above right!).

In all, 13 images are presented, all of them for sale, and together they give a charming and touching insight into the lives of Gidy and Wilburforce as an older couple still very much full of the youthful joys of love.

As well as the Love Is… series, and located on the floors above and below it, are further examples of Gidy’s photography which reveal more of her talent, offering a set of visually stunning studies of avatars.

Love Is … is a wonderful display of art which captures the essence of the original comic series and offers it through the lens of Second Life in a way that cannot fail to bring a smile to the lips. Alongside of it,  the display of Gidgy’s more formal work present a powerful contrast in styles and approach, and which demonstrate a formidable eye for composition and artistic statement. Together, the two aspects of this exhibition make it one not to be missed.

November will also see Owl, Daallee and Nora hosting musics events at The Living Room, featuring Billy Thunders at 17:00 SLT on Thursday, November 12th, followed by The Vinnie Show at 18:00 SLT. Then, on Tuesday, November 24th, Wald Schridde will be closing out Gidgy’s exhibition with a live show at 18:00 SLT.

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• The Living Room (Rated: Moderate)