Kultivate Arts

Saoirse reviews Virtual Paris:

‘I am accustomed to sleep and in my dreams to imagine the same things that lunatics imagine when awake.’

-René Decartes

I visited Paris in-world the past few days captivated by a small gallery placed above the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Parisian neighborhoods are called arrondissements and this particular gallery is in the eighth arrondissement. This famous boulevard is known for upscale shops, theatres and cafés. Each year there is a parade here on the 14th of July to celebrate Bastille Day. Personally I recall when I walked this boulevard in my first and stopped at McDonald’s for a Diet Coke. Even in the fast food, there are luxurious teak walls, MP3 plugs, WIFI and the counter is tastefully hidden in the rear of the structure.

Our in-world Champs-Élysées is a work in progress, those portions completed artfully done. The gallery I visited is called “Magick Thoughts Art”. Sitting atop the roof, it boasts a panoramic view which includes the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower is actually across the Seine River and in the 7th arrondissement one Metro stop away.

Magick Thoughts is the inspiration of Amanda [amandamagik]. She has two expansive rooms of images. The setting is charming with twinkling lights across the floor of the colors of the French Flag [Blue, Red, White]. A large historic fireplace occupies one side of the dividing wall with a thoughtfully welcoming tea waiting.
I do love a nice place to sit and be with the images while I write. This was delightful, and the French music playing in the background is equally charming.

In the first image I view, there is a female figure soaring above the ground tilted at an angle to suggest she is either looking at something behind her or perhaps she is traveling that direction towards someone. See what you project on to the artist’s image. Delicate wings keep the figure aloft as she looks at something, hands at the ready. Background is high level cirrus clouds.

I feel the style used by the artist is predominately Impressionism. I do not know if this is purposeful or not. The impressionism, named for an image by Claude Monet, was largely a French movement in art. Imagine works created by Monet, Dega, Renior and you will have an idea of the work of the artist. She takes the reaction against formalism known of the time period to an in-world realm by using mostly single female figures with metaworld features. Impressionist artists would try to capture the subjective feel of light in a scene.

There are many angles and styles of light in her images. Look at an image, and then when you return see what you missed the first view. Her backgrounds are revealing and detailed in most pieces, and an intricate part of her creation.

I will mention my favorites of this collection. “Her Broken Heart’ has a female figure lying across a large white hare. I will discuss the hare further into this review. Our artist has made a fabulous image of color and of feeling with this piece. The center piece is our fallen heartbroken woman who is draped on her friend the hare, much like you would drape a blanket over a chair. Her body is loose, defeated and I feel it.

The background tells the story with a tree decorated with festive white lights. A forboding darkness encapsulates the main imagery as if darkness encroaches from all sides. Speckles of red berries adore the dead brown underbrush. I enjoy the angle of the festive tree, we are looking up the tree, it is slightly angled to seem larger.

The hare from the first image is featured as the subject in an image in the second room. Our hare is a female with a sprig of adornment and stars on her head. She must also be magic. Softly white, she looks as if you could touch her fur and stoke it gently. The artist places birch trees and snow for the background with a feeling of oils on panel. I am one to look at the details that fall together, our artist has a scattering of leaves that are indeed well done birch tree leaves. ‘Bunny and the Little Things’

There is a departure from the soft female figures and gowns in ‘Lillies’. This image uses vibrant gem colors within to draw the eye to a water lily and to give the surface of the water a twilight purple sheen. Lily pads are detailed well and the shadowing, the reflection is outstanding light play.

Room by the sea is a room that is up one landing, perhaps on a mezzanine. Dark colors with intricate designs on the floor and pillows hold up a spectral image moving or sitting upon them. Watch the play of light as there is a shadow cast by an image we do not see. Across the room in the image is a three panel iron piece. There must be one behind us in the image casting shadows onto the floor. Several candles lit in the room do not diminish the browns. We have a view of rocks along the sea and distance clouds in the lavender hues of dawn.

I had the opportunity to speak to the artist.  The artist works at a Parisian women’s elegant fashion store.  She told me that when she looks at some gowns, she sees a story.  A lovely succinct expression that many share, whether they tell their artful stories with images, music or other medium.  Artfully Yours, Saoirse Heart

Links and Bibliography

Gallery LM http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Les%20Champs%20Elysees/146/183/58

Information on the area in First  http://www.placesinfrance.com/history_des_champs-elysees.html

More on René Decartes and Individualism  http://differences.dukejournals.org/content/19/1/96.abstract