By Klaus Bereznyak,
A new month means, for many art galleries in Second Life, new exhibitions. It would probably take a month to get round them all but I have picked a few current offerings of the photographic sort, two new and one ongoing, that are worth checking out.
To begin with, Whiskey Monday has opened with a collection called Alternate Worlds in the Tate-Canning gallery at LEA6. Whiskey's work does not often get aired inworld, so this is a treat.
The landing point is fixed at LEA6
and the gallery is over on the North East side of the sim. Walking over
there, the visitor can take in some of Dusty Canning's creations. She
describes herself as an old-fashioned prim builder, and LEA6 displays a
variety of such works, proving that there's still a lot you can do with
the humble prim. Not least of these is the gallery itself, which is
based on the Tate Modern in real-life London.Whiskey's latest offerings pop from their canvasses in the sharp white light of the gallery. Whiskey has an instantly recognizable style, surreal and yet instantly accessible. This series of perfectly composed situational self portraits are wry and, at times, challenging. I found most of the images either resonated with experience or made me see things in a different way.
On to The Bailywick Gallery on Corsica, which is hosting four artists with black and white photographic work through August. I arrived just a few minutes before the sun set and enjoyed the long light falling through the huge windows that make up the front of the building. The landing point is upstairs where work is displayed by Lulyboop Resident and Solana Python.
On the same floor, Solana's work is in smaller format and seems to contrast. Cutting into detail and finding the interesting textures and shadows in her subjects, there's both real-life and Second Life material in the selection. In at least one of the pictures I cannot be sure if we're seeing real-life or SL. By her own account, Solana seeks to open new doors for her viewers and put them in touch with nature and our world.
Downstairs, I looked first at GlitterPrincess Destiny's selection of dramatic scenes from inworld locations. These big canvasses, mostly depicting figures, are on the darker side of monochrome, seeming to exploit shadow more than light. To me they had a cinematic atmosphere.
Finally at The Bailywick, with the light fast fading, KodyMeyers Resident's compositons called for examination. There didn't seem to be any artist information available, but Kody's grunged surfaces and choice of scenes with repeating elements makes for some gritty imagery that seems to burn into the mind all the more for being in monochrome.
My final destination was Berg by
Nordan Art, where LOSS by Senna Coronet has been installed since July
and continues through September.This very poignant exhibition is dedicated to Amona Savira, Senna having been invited to take up a slot that would have been Amona's if she had not, very sadly, passed on earlier in the year. Senna's images are on larger than life canvasses, depicting the same figure haunting the same space and seemingly haunted by the shadow and memory of another. On multiple canvasses the man seems listless and trapped.
On reaching the second floor I realized that the exhibition setting itself, as well as bing dark, close and almost claustrophobic, is filled with the props and furniture that are also seen in the pictures, setting up echoes between the space and the work in a way that intensifies its effect. The whole exhibition has a felt impact and is well done.
Tate-Canning Gallery on LEA6: http://maps.secondlife.com/
The Bailywick Gallery: http://maps.secondlife.com/
Berg by Nordan Art: http://maps.secondlife.com/
Klaus Bereznyak
