Edition 38: visions of an aspie | My Reflection | Thunderous Train of Air

VISIONS OF AN ASPIE

A new special exhibition opens at the LG Tower on 1st October. Xia Chieng will exhibit paintings, including four new works, under the title visions of an aspie.

The opening party, to which all our readers are invited, will be at 1300 (1pm) SLT on Monday, October 4th. Suzen Juel, an artist herself, will provide the music as DJ for the event.

Xia says of the exhibition;

The world is a little blurry for me. I am aspie. I was diagnosed late with Asperger's syndrome. It is difficult for me to communicate with other people, understand social rules and behavior. I live for it in my bubble, inside a shell, following my own rules and avoiding others. I am elusive reclusive. With this work done in the physical world, using different techniques of painting, oil and gouache mainly, I want to share situations, sensations and lived emotions that words cannot describe.

Her work is expressive in ways we certainly could not describe in words. So we won't try. Come see it yourselves and do, please, join us at the opening party if you can.  The exhibition runs until December 31st.

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ELSEWHERE ON THE ARTY GRID

We are in danger of becoming known as the Nitroglobus News as we so often feature the exhibitions there!

We're fond of Dido Haas (who isn't?) but we don't think it's bias on our part. She just knows what she's doing and keeps finding great new artists to feature at her gallery. 

The October exhibition there is MY REFLECTION by Hikaru Enimo-Lefevre.

Hikaru is a blogger, model, stylist, blogger manager, store manager, Neo-Japan SL Event Co-Founder, and lastly but no less his pet-project, he is also the Owner and Editor-in-Chief of L'Homme Magazine SL.

The SL photography in his show is monochrome, moody and intensely personal. It's not easy to produce SL photography with emotional depth, but he pulls it off. You can see more of his work at his Flickr page and his blog. The poster featured above was made by David Silence, based on one of Hikaru's images in the show.

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ELSEWHERE ELSEWHERE

Thunderous Train of Air

Exhibition by London Junkers at the Kuidvis Art Space (click images to enlarge and scroll)

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The Limoncello News is not just news from but (mostly) about the Limoncello Art Gallery. In building our collection however (and because we enjoy art) we visit many exhibitions and installations. This week Fenella stopped by London Junker's installation at the new Kuidvis Art Space for example. It's called Thunderous Train of Air and references the way American poet Ruth Stone felt inspiration came to her. As described by writer Elizabeth Gilbert;

growing up in rural Virginia, she would ... feel and hear a poem coming at her from over the landscape. It was like a thunderous train of air and ... when she felt it coming ... she knew she had only one thing to do. That was to, in her words, "run like hell" to the house ... to get to a piece of paper ... so that when it thundered through her, she could collect it and grab it ... Other times she wouldn't be fast enough ... and the poem would barrel through her and "continue on across the landscape looking for another poet."

The installation depicts the train and the poet fleeing towards her writing desk across the fields of her family's farm and is a striking, very literal interpretation of a long-lost poet's whimsy.

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NEW ACQUISITIONS

Dave, admiring our latest additions to the collection

Shamefully, the first new acquisition was acquired a few weeks ago. Dave forget he had it in inventory. For shame, Dave!

It's by Patrick Ireland and is called Emerging Realities. Patrick is an established name in SL art and the absence of any of his work in our collection has long been an obvious lacuna. We're glad it's finally filled.

Port Emyniad Art Walk outside our office (click to enlarge)

Dave enjoyed the inaugural Campbell Coast / Port Emyniad Art Walk which opened on September 18th and is still in place for all to enjoy. It's near the editorial offices of Limoncello News in the harbour.

The artists featured there include one of our favourites – Anja – and Dave acquired a new work by her called Unknown DJ. Both this week's new acquisitions are to be found on the 14th Floor of the LG Tower. 

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Until next week, dear Limoncello Friends, stay arty!

Edition 37: New exhibition at Elven Falls | Tiya Aura | Acquisition programme back on track

ELSEWHERE ON THE ARTY GRID

The gallery at Elven Falls seems to specialise in exhibitions involving four artists. The latest, called (for no particular reason we can discern) Banksy Goes Wild at Elven Falls, opened on Sunday 18th September. Fenella attended the opening party and checked out the exhibition while she was there. The show features work by Zia Sophia, AmandaT Tamatzui, Tom Prospero and Jamee Thomson.

We have works by Zia and Amanda in our collection at the Limoncello Gallery. We know and love their work. Tom and Jamee are new to us however. Tom's works are gentle, traditional RL landscapes that would adorn any home. Jamee's are mostly in the same genre, but the landscapes are in SL. There are, however, a couple of abstracts in the show that are very different to his other works on display.

Standing in Bif's space in Amanda's exhibition

By way of a bonus, Bif Mopp – a well known aviation artist in RL – makes his SL debut as a guest in Amanda's space.

A member of the American society of Aviation Artists, Bif's paintings have hung in several aviation museums. His work entitled "Glider Over Pike's Peak" once held prominent position at the Pentagon as a personal favorite in the Office of the Air Force Chief of Staff.

Each of the artists has far more space than is usual at such exhibitions. So when they're all added up, this is a huge show. The artists' styles differ widely, so if you can't find something you like here, we'd be surprised. 

TIYA AURA

We usually mention just one exhibition, gallery or event in Elsewhere on the Arty Grid each week, but we couldn't let Tiya Aura's show at Art Korner pass without a mention. Why? Because it's very much our thing. We love portraits.

Anyone who makes them as a photographer in both RL and SL knows it involves different challenges. In RL you can direct a professional model easily enough but other sitters may need to be cajoled, teased or even tricked into giving the desired expression. Take Yousuf Karsh's portrait of Winston Churchill for example – now on the £5 note in the UK. Karsh got the expression he wanted by snatching the cigar from Churchill's mouth at the moment of releasing the shutter!

In SL, you can direct your model too, asking them to use their head HUD to alter their expression. You can even, by using such tools as the Animare+ posing HUD, take control of their poses yourself. You can control your subject in ways that – if an RL photographer tried it – no model would want to work with him again! Yet it is notoriously difficult to express real emotion with an SL portrait. An SL photographer must replace with skill, guile and technique all the things we have to do in SL with emotes and emojis to convey our feelings.

So we appreciated and enjoyed Tiya's portraits very much. Yes, the expressions on display are limited in range. In RL, professional models also tend to have their versions of Zoolander's Blue Steel and photographers also have "go to" looks they ask for. Yet she's still managed to give us a sense that there's something between her subjects' ears other than the SL head maker's cartoon brain!

We know it's a good exhibition when we can't decide on one work to buy for our collection. Tiya is selling her portraits on a pay as you feel basis so, if we had less ruth than we do, we could have bought them all. Conscience would not permit that, so we settled on two and paid a reasonable price for each. 

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NEW ACQUISITIONS

After last week's purchasing pause we've added a few items to the collection this week. From their new gallery adjoining the offices of the Limoncello News in Emyniad, Campbell Coast, we bought two oil paintings by mother and daughter art team Samaniego Art. The gallerist/curator (and the artists' daughter/granddaughter) our friend Bijoux Barr tells us that both Waves and Reflection are by Samaniego the Younger, her mother. 

By way of generous gifts from the artist we acquired Red Oriental and Four Corners by AmandaT Tamatzui. We also acquired A Dream by ilyra chardin – the third work by this artist in our collection. We bought The Sky is Falling by Jamee Thomson and Swampduck and Cryssy_Asian from Tiya Aura's show at Art Korner.

All this week's new acquisitions hang on the 14th Floor of the LG Tower at our mainland annexe in Nanga. 

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Until next week, Limoncello Friends, stay arty!

Edition 36: AmandaT Tamatzui Gallery Opening | New acquisitions (not).

ELSEWHERE ON THE ARTY GRID

Some SL gallerists see others as rivals. Perhaps it's because we're not commercial that we don't see other galleries that way? Or perhaps it's because we are still more collectors than curators? We simply don't see the point of locking our collection away when theft, security and insurance costs are not an issue in Second Life®. We'd pay the same tier if they were all behind ban-lines (eugh!) so why be a dog in a manger? 

Galleries that house collections like ours are a joy to us. They're inspirations and sources of practical ideas. We shamelessly bought the greeter boards and subscriber kiosks we enjoyed using at other galleries. We're happy to notice the wonderful directory boards/inter-sim teleports we bought for the Limoncello showing up at other galleries. Many other gallery owners we've come to know over fifteen years in SL are now our friends, role models or even mentors. Those that sell art – whether owned by artists or dealers – are our favourite places in SL. They're where we love to shop! We spend most of our Second Lives in art galleries so, frankly, the more there are the better we like it.

Tom, Dave and Fenella were delighted all to be invited to the official opening party for the new gallery of AmandaT Tamatzui, which will take place on 18th September between 1400 and 1600 SLT. With Amanda's kind permission we have included an invitation to her party with this week's edition of the Limoncello News. Fenella will be there to represent us and hopes to see as many of you as possible. 

As well as celebrating the opening, the party will feature the SL debut of singer Ronny Acoustic – Amanda's RL husband. Ronny is an accomplished singer from Indonesia. We've heard him sing and – like his wife – he has real talent. Other music will be provided by DJ Eye 'Candy' Morpork. 

AmandaT is the SL avi of RL artist Amanda Tomasoa. She has been exhibited around the world but makes a point of making her work accessible by featuring it on jigsaws, clothing and home decor items too. Her work is joyful, colourful; a delight to the eyes and a balm to the soul. She says of it;

My art celebrates life. It carries my deep gratitude for the abundance that I have been blessed to receive. It speaks of perseverance, courage and strength – testimonies to the enduring will of the human spirit. It is a quiet reassurance that, by God’s grace, all will be well.

Other artists' demons speak through their work. Amanda's angels speak through hers. We are happy to have some of her art in the Limoncello collection and to count her as a personal friend. We hope you can go to the opening party. If you can't, do visit the new gallery anyway. We promise it will lift your spirits. 

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NEW ACQUISITIONS

For the first time in many months, there are no new additions to the gallery this week. Just to remind you, however, that there are now hundreds of pieces in our collections at our three locations; the Home Gallery (above Dave's houseboat in Bellisseria), the Airship Limoncello (our historic home in SL since 2007) and the LG Tower (twenty storeys high and filling up with art). 

You can obtain a complete, searchable catalogue of the collection from the greeter boards to be found at each location or at our offices in Campbell Coast, Carmel Art Community and the Elven Falls Art Collective. 

Not only do we exhibit our owner's private art collection, but works belonging to three other SL collectors: Sisi Biedermann, Owl Dragonash and JMB Balogh. We think we were the first to introduce the concept of such "loan collections" (common in RL) to Second Life® and love that people are able to enjoy at any time fantastic artworks that would otherwise have languished in their owners' inventories, or appeared only in occasional exhibitions.

Last but not least we have three superb special exhibitions in progress at the moment. Eylinea Seabird's enormous 3D installation, In My Mood, I am Free's A Girl's Best Friends at the LG Tower and (in its final two weeks) Amona Savira: a Retrospective in the Jishnu Room. 

There's a whole lot of art to see while you wait for our next acquisitions. 

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Until next week, Limoncello Friends, stay arty! 

Edition 35: Elven Falls | Mihailsk | Dido Haas | Hermes Kondor | Kraven Klees | Awesome Fallen | Maloe Vansant

ELVEN FALLS

A new space for artists has appeared in Second Life® – Elven Falls. It's a former fantasy RP region now landscaped and rebuilt to house galleries. Fenella met gallery manager Aires Hax there and was impressed by his enthusiasm. He is personable and chatty – always in voice. She ran behind him trying to keep up to hear all he had to say about the region's planned development!

The owners are RL artists and this is a philanthropic venture. Rents are low. For approved new artists, there are free street locations. Either way there are no commissions on art sales. There's street art on the walls and sculptures in the parkland. There is affordable housing for artists to rent – with a clear intent to make this a creative community. The Elven Falls Gallery itself stages regular exhibitions and also allows exhibitors to sell at zero commission.

The project is on a serious scale and growing. It has clearly been given much thought. Sisi Biedermann, Zia Branner and Jaëlle Faerye have already opened galleries. Art Korner is also there; displaying some of Frank Atisso's personal art collection.

The Limoncello Art Gallery is happy to be part of this exciting new venture. We've rented a rep office/cafe near the landing point. Please stop by to have a coffee and a cupcake while you check out what's going on with us. As always at our locations, there's a Tardis landing spot nearby. Set your navigation console to Elven Falls!

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ELSEWHERE ON THE ARTY GRID

There are two new exhibitions at the Nitroglobus for September. The first is Red Sky by Mihailsk in Dido's part of the gallery. Mihailsk says of his show;

The color red symbolizes intense situations and emotions but at the same time it indicates warning and danger. My red sky is a sky which reflects strong human emotions, covering them like a blanket and thus giving a sense of safety and hope.  Danger, longing, visualization, power, love, pain, balance, joy.: eight human moments under the red sky.

This is Mihailk's second exhibition in rapid succession. His debut exhibition, Baptism of Fire, was also at Nitroglobus and we reviewed it in Edition 26. 

Dido has dressed the space with red light poles, red/purple trees and glowing clouds under the floor. The staging sets the artworks off perfectly. 

The other exhibition is by Dido herself in the main gallery and is called One Day. It takes its title from a poem, Amoretti LXXV, by Edmund Spenser. 

My verse your vertues rare shall eternize,

And in the heavens write your glorious name:

Where whenas death shall all the world subdue,

Our love shall live, and later life renew.

 

It's poetry as seduction; winning the target over by the promise of immortality. Just as with Shakespeare's various inamoratas in the sonnets, however, it's the poet's name we remember!

We have known Dido Haas a long time in SL terms. One of her works is among the earliest pieces in our collection. In 2012 she and her late SL partner Nitro started Nitroglobus Gallery and most of her SL time has been dedicated to curating and promoting exhibitions by guest artists. She says;

Being so busy with curating I had little time left to make photos myself. When I do, my pictures showed visitors, exhibitions and parties at my gallery. But sometimes when I am in the right mood I do make photos, most of them black/white and portraits or avatar studies.

So, an exhibition by Dido herself these days is a rare treat and not to be missed. We have enjoyed her photography and appreciate its characteristically romantic tone. Dido mentions love a lot. At some level it is a presence in everything she does. 

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NEW ACQUISITIONS

New Acquisitions

Scroll/Click to enlarge

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This week we acquired quite a few new artworks. Dave took the monthly tour using the Focus Art HUD and bought Persona - 049, by Hermes Kondor. That now hangs on the Lower Deck of the Airship Limoncello. He also bought Posing Nude and Painted Beauty, by Kraven Klees, Awesome FACES 10 and Awesome FACES 12, by Awesome Fallen. Finally, he bought Lust for Life by Maloe Vansant. All of those are to be found now on the 12th Floor of the LG Tower.

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Until next week, Limoncello Friends, stay arty!

Edition 34: A Girl's Best Friends | Of the true nature of SL

A GIRL'S BEST FRIENDS BY I AM FREE... (LIBBBERAMENTE)

A new special exhibition opens today at the Limoncello Gallery. It does so without fanfare, opening party or other promotional shenanigans because the artist, Libbberamente, prefers it that way. She has "nothing to say" about the art. She prefers to let it speak for itself. Fortunately we think it does - and eloquently too.

The images on show are in a series of slideshows so please take your time to see them all. Following a discussion between Dave and the artist, they were commissioned especially for this exhibition and have appeared nowhere else in RL or SL until today.

They are to be found on the 16th floor of the LG Tower. We hope you enjoy them. 

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OF THE TRUE NATURE OF SL

Second Life® is poorly named. It's not an alternate reality. It's an extension of our one and only life; another place we visit – to have fun, to socialise, to create or whatever. We happen to get there, not by car or plane, but via our computer.

All human life is here – good and bad. Happily we experience more of the former because we've found our people here. Artists can be as neurotic or difficult as the next person, but for the most part they're charming, interesting and (usually) playful. Every child is an artist, just as every child is an actor. Artists and actors just didn't stop.

That playfulness is, in the end, what unites us in SL. We're not all creators. We're not all good at RP. More of us shop for our SL clothes, furniture or gadgets than make them ourselves. But none of us are the kind of people who think they are too "grown up" or too "important" to play. 

So it's sad when we encounter residents who take themselves too seriously and get nasty if someone treads more lightly in SL. The Lindens are running a fairground here – not a parliament – so let's enjoy the rides, eat the virtual candy and have fun. We can do serious things too – and take pride in doing them well – but for the most part SL is pure recreation.

Firstly, please don't be one of those people. Secondly, if one of them tries to involve you in drama, log off. Hug a loved one. Stroke a pet. If you must stay in SL, visit a gallery (preferably ours) and lose yourself in the art. Remember how good life is and be happy you found this quirky, amusing, way to extend it into pixeldom.

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ELSEWHERE ON THE ARTY GRID

The show we enjoyed most this week was BiancaJane at Sisi Biedermann's gallery. BiancaJane Juliesse is the SL name of RL artist Mary Sparrow, whose work can be seen on her website. This is not high art but it's joyful and we love it. We were alerted to it by SL blogger extraordinaire Inara Pay and we commend you to her review for more details. We bought two pieces from this show and we are enjoying them a lot. We hope you do too. 

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NEW ACQUISITIONS

The 3rd floor of the LG Tower now features a collection of seven artworks by Milena Carbone. The latest addition is Explore beyond God. On the 12th Floor of the LG Tower we have three new works. He Sang her A Love Song, by AmandaT Tamatzui, Painting Marilyn and Joie De Vivre, by Biancajane Juliesse (Mary Sparrow in RL)

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Until next week, Limoncello Friends, stay arty!