Henceforth poorer...

More (past) photo exhibits...

In the last post I wrote about my photo exhibits at R&D gallery and at MAAD. Though, I didn't realize that I never noticed I have started exhibiting my pics since a while yet!
I never should have thought to exhibit my photos; I'm not a professional photographer and my technical skills are probably poor; I'm just a passionate amateur, enthusiast witness of my own feelings about SL people, places and magic. If technics is poor, my catching eye is driven by strong feelings and emotions.

Thanks to Olympes Rhode, great Paris 1900 photographer, dancer and friend, I had had that opportunity: she trusted in my skills and she invited me to join the Photographes Inter-Sims group, asking me first some pics for the thematic exhibit "Passages" at the stunning Galerie des Machines in Paris, then for taking part in two great exhibits at the Café des Artistes.



The first one, some month ago, has been about "Paris Impressions" and I had the honour and the pleasure to share the exhibit's rooms with Zaelle Uxlay ans Shoji Kumaki.
The second one, even with the same friends, is about the theme The Bright Side of Life" and it's still open at the Café.
The first pics (you can see them on a Flickr set here) try to catch some meaningful corners of one among the SL cities i love much, where i keep stores and where i take part in great events.




The second exhibit gave me a strong impulse to reflect about things that make my SL worthy and beautiful :) Even a small tree or a bright sunshine can be a reason to love this Life and the Other One.




Faces, Places, Moments are the three words which I had in my mind when I selected the pics.




The Passages theme brought me to experiment some ideas (or questions) about SL-RL relationship: Imitation, Swap, Trespassing. Three possible ways to live both Lives, as we have the chance to do.



Merci Olympes!

Art Deco photos...

As most of my friends know, since a long time I collect pics of Art Deco places in SL (see my Flickr set). I have been surprised by the huge amount of buildings and whole towns that i found around SL.
Months ago i've been asked by a friend who keeps an art gallery to exhibit some of my photos. So bore the exhibit Second Deco, hosted by Red Bickin and Danniela Bruun at their R&D Gallery.









At the exhibit, i met Frey Bravin, who was starting with the project of a Museum of American Architecture and Design. He invited me to dislpay my works at the new Museum; so I'm grateful and proud to see there a room where my pics are shown.









Likewise, I'm proud also to see my pics shown in an Artist Walk of the beautiful SIM Campus d'Art, owned and built by Cecilia Delacroix, among great SL and RL artists's galleries.





I invite all art lovers to visit these places, that witness one of the most worthy side of SL.

(A special thank to Pandora Runo and Lulubelle Muircastle, who made me met Red and Frey; and to Laura18 Streeter, who gave me the pic of the MAAD exhibit entrance)

Another victim of a wrong policy: Primtings Museum is no longer in SL

.
.
JUNE 24th UPDATE!
Primtings and the Shakespeare SIMs are back!!
A miracle?


Many Second Life SIMs close every day: wrong plans, weak management, lack of money, scarce advertising kill old and great commercial brands or even small communities' discos or chatting venues.
It's sad, very sad, to people who loved (and LIVED) them, even if they were just entretainment places.
It's life, it's Second Life.



But sometimes we have to regret even more, 'cause the disappeared place is a different and a special one. Closing of public interest SIMs makes all of us poorer and destroys a piece of the great puzzle-dream that SL would be.
Losing a museum, a theater, an accurate rebuilding of an historical or art town, a famous cafè or a passionate creator's fashion brand means subtracting to SL one of its aims: that of being a place were creativity, passion and skills - which often are frustrated in RL - could show themselves and could give pleasure and useful knowledge to many other people.

So, i think we can't keep silent while Primtings Museum and the connected Shakespeare (with a stunning rebuilding of the Globe Theater) and sLiteracy SIMs disappear from the SL map.



Primtings was a very special museum (i wrote several times about it) where SL artists made 3d versions of contemporary art masterpieces. An unique place, where you could hang on a tree aside to the liquefied clock of the famous Salvador Dali's painting, or you could take a cup of coffee at the counter of the Phillie's pub of the Edward Hopper's Nighthawk one. The architecture of the museum was itself a very original witness of modern design.







I enjoyed it several times, i brought there dozen of friends, and all of them had become enthusiast visitors and supporters of the place. Here you can find records about all the artwork that were in the museum.


Ina Centaur, the restless creator of these wonderful places, wrote a sad message to all her friends telling the bad story that brought the SIMs to die. I don't add anything but a short notice for those who don't have the time to read her letter.
Despite Primtings and Shakespeare SIMs have raisen the money needed to survive until half 2011, the arrear in tier payment of other SIMs brought Ina's account to be closed by LL. Consequently all her properties and items disappeared from our virtual world.

All supporters and contributors of the funding campaign have to be astonished and upset by this strict enforcement of LL rules. But even more should be astonished and upset all art and culture lovers who live in SL, seeing that LL demonstrate to be indifferent to preserve what can be considered as an achievement of SL purposes: making dreams real, showing the great opportunities of the virtual world, overcoming funding tyranny and lack of profitability that is a constant treat to art and culture in their highest forms.
An enlighted management should have to recognize what has worth and deserves support, even if it should mean departing from economic rules. LL should have been supporters of such an initiative - as hundreds of SL residents are - and not its killers.





This post is a requiem for a great place, a protest against a shortsighted company policy and a faithful witness of an art lover and of a SL enthusiast, who feels herself injured by this sad and unnecessary event.

52 Weeks of Colors Challenge - Mahogany

This Week Luna Jubilee proposes the color MAHOGANY.
Being a furniture maker, it sound to me like one of the best woods for ancient and luxurious furniture... I can't resist, though being busy...

My mahogany!

I got a great gift...: LollipopZ hair!

I'm so happy that my work in SL Fashion let me meet so many amazing people!
One of them is my friend Zeev Dinzeo, whose LollipopZ hair I wear very often (when I'm in Avination, when i've less hair than in SL, I wear almost only her Chances hair, whose blonde color and whose bun closed in a black net make a very great effect!).
Now, she has been so kind to give me her new hair's line, and i want to share some of them with my readers.
Hair come with their matching hair bases, and this is yet a great improvement to their fitting; moreover, the choice of colors is so wide that i had to stop trying them last night, 'cause the dawn was coming yet!
Finally, hair with accessories (bows, bands, berets...) have a HUD that allows to change the accessory color, so that you can adapt them to your outfit.
No more words, then! Let me show now some sample of these great creations.


Angelic hair is one of most versatile ones i ever got: here, I wear it in a semi-elegant mood, with the MEB Capri outfit, but while i write i'me wearing the Auburn version with a full colored bobo-chic outfit, and i can ensure you it's stunning too! Moreover, you can add it a big braid, laying on your breast :)


Daniela hair style mixes up an elegant cut and a wild and provocative one. Here i wear it with the top MEB gown, Red Carpet Neige, and it's a pity you can't see how well curls on the back move when i walk. Really original, glamour and sexy!


The white version of the same hair Daniela requires another skin, to stress the almost futurist mood it suggest. I worn my Glam Affair Mary Grey skin, and you can easily see by yourselves how it enhances the sober and refined elegance of this bright white hair.


I was talking about accessories, before. Well, the simple wool band coming with Julia hair can change by HUD up to 8 different colors, making of this hair a perfect example of classy casual ones. Another accessoried hair is Scarlet, with its cute wool beret, that leaves just some curls outside its shape.

The LollipopZ new line is then completed by Dolce, long hair, coming down to the breast on both two sides (and can add braid too).

Thanks, Zeev, really great hair styles!!

52 Weeks of Color: EGGPLANT

Eggplant: i love it!
So I wanted to take pics with a dress and with lingerie.







Dress is MEB Isabella, an exclusive item for Front Row, the charity against Cancer (Relay for Life) managed in sl by Glance International. It's on sale at MEB main store: all incomes proceeding from its sale will go to RFL.

SAVE PRIMTINGS MUSEUM!!!

We all contributed to good causes, in these days. A great solidarity is being seen about Japanese tragedy, and Fashion for Life event involved thousands of fashion lovers, raising more than 4750000 l$.
But we risk to forget that even culture needs even more help.
In many countries, education and culture are neglected and beaten by funds' cuts stated by governments 'cause the economic crisis... In SL, LLabs cancelled tier relief for educational SIMs...


Primtings is a unique virtual museum, where great SL artists tryed to give a virtual life to RL art masterpieces:wandering around its awesome rooms, among beutyful views on the sea and stunning minimalist architectures, you can WALK inside surrealist landscapes or take a drink at the Edward Hopper's Phillie's bar. Or even admire a great baroque 3D ceiling by Andrea Del Pozzo, or get lost in the Escher's labyrinths.
Or even "DIE" like David's Marat in a bloody bathtub...


All that could get lost to SL art lovers: the creator, Ina Centaur, launched a support campaign, but offers are not still enough.
She thought to migrate to other virtual spaces, to preserve the great Primtings idea. But we should lose the pleasure to spend time in that place and our SL would be more sad and poor.


A long strip made by squares to color by our contribution is now at the Museum.
Add a little square to the collective painting we are making by our L$ helps, take part in the campaign Paint by Prims!
Primtings - Paint by Prims



Don't allow one of the best SL Art places desappear!!

52 Weeks of Colors - WHITE (on black)

So, i can wear one of the most stunning MEB dresses: Red Carpet is born on its proper color, the "Rouge" (Red), but suddenly, its success made MEB make other colors. Among them, this awesome bright white "Neige" (Snow). I shot it in a black background and decor, a typical Art Deco elegant room, that i made collecting pieces from different "ages" of Melu Deco history. The best way to stress the brightness of this great gown. (Better view on Flickr)

52 Weeks of Colors: SKY BLUE (to Japan)

I dedicate this week's pic to all japanese friends, hoping an ever blue sky :)



Black haired Melu wears a kimono by Fall'n Angels, blonde Melu wears MEB Anastacia (exclusive, not for sale, but avalaible in other color as Juliette). Furnishing by Melu Deco.


(Better view)