I am visiting the Paola Mills Art Gallery exhibition. It’s called “Confusion,” and it’s the collection of her latest virtual images hosted by the DiXmiX Art Gallery, owned and curated by Dixmix Source. The majority of her exhibited photographs are in black and white, but a couple of pictures that you can find by entering the right of the gallery catch my attention.
These images are not black and white; both have colors that are important for defining the emotional impact that the photograph has on the visitor.
The artist created the larger image through the overlapping of the layers, and the colors help to define the story, the emotional state of the artist, it is the emotional impact that the image must have on the visitor.
Paola Mills, “Confusion” Paola Mills, “Confusion”
The image on the right also has colors that play an essential role in describing the story Paola wishes to tell. These are not bright colors or that show a high visual impact, but they are nevertheless crucial for defining a situation, for describing an emotion, for making a perfume imagine a life experience that is worthy of note for the author.
I believe that the title “Confusion” has certainly adapted, taking into account that each image conveys confusion, a sense of uncertainty, and perhaps also of inadequacy in which the protagonist in the photos seems to be.
Doubt, confusion can be of various types and may concern different sectors of life. In some cases, it may be uncertainty regarding one’s aesthetic appearance; in other cases, it may be uncertainty about work. In some cases, it may be more uncertainty regarding life in general, one’s path to be taken, what one has achieved in one’s life, and many other aspects that can generate safety in ourselves.
Paola, through her images, tells about the insecurities. Not necessarily her insecurities, but those that characterize the life of each of us. Always develops them through images that shout a form of unease. A confusing situation is told through sharp photos, not merely metaphors from which a case is inferred. Paola’s images are direct; they go straight to the problem.
As I said, Paola often uses black and white images, but making wise use of lights, through which she enhances some points of the scene that emphasize the drama, she wishes to represent.
Paola Mills, “Confusion” Paola Mills, “Confusion”
Paola’s performance is on two floors, therefore entering the entrance, you can see the first images, but I advise the visitor to go up the stairs that he can find on the left also to appreciate the pictures that are on the upper floor. As always, Paola amazes and impresses with the direct way in which she transmits her emotions, without worrying too much about what she can stir up in others.
You can find all the references at the bottom of the article where you can also find the link to Paola Mills’ Flickr.
I live in one of those areas that are defined as “red” because the Italian government quarantines them.
In particular, I am in Lombardy in the city of Milan. Here the situation is complicated: at work, in the family, in leisure time, in relationships with others. In any form of interaction, the limits are many. Of course, these are sensible limits, which are dictated by the need to reduce the danger of spreading the virus.
What we know for sure is that it is not a simple flu virus, some people are not at all elderly in severe respiratory conditions, attached to a respirator to live and is in intensive care. Among them, there are not necessarily people with previous pathologies. The situation is even more difficult, considering that many people do not respect the limits that are imposed by the authority. A strict discipline would be needed to limit the spread of the virus, such as the one that the Chinese have implemented. We are in quarantine; we cannot leave Lombardy nor move within the same region unless particular reasons must be authorized first. We are afraid.
Since the particular situation, I don’t feel at the time of writing on this blog. The writing and production of podcasts and video content are suspended, hoping that the emergency will pass as soon as possible. God help us.
Ti presento il mio primo podcast in italiano. Il tempo è sempre poco a disposizione e scrivere richiede tempo, quindi ho pensato di continuare a esprimermi facendo podcast.
Ovviamente continuano i posts in lingua inglese e, occasionalmente, i video.
In questo mio primo podcast ti parlo di un esperimento di qualche tempo fa: ho sperimentato cosa significa essere fashion blogger per 10 (lunghi) giorni.
Yesterday March 2, Megan Prumier inaugurated the opening of her photographic exhibition at the V I B E S Art Gallery.
The artist exhibits a series of very realistic photographic nudes, which portray the same woman, a voluptuous female form with red hair and light eyes. Megan gives importance to lights and shadows. In particular, the shadows seem to define the shape of the body, and the lights highlight the female forms that communicate eroticism. More generally, we can say that in her images, there is a play of lights and shadows that make the body of her model statuary, ethereal, and almost sacred.
“Void of Silence” by Megan Prumier @ V I B E S Art Gallery “Void of Silence” by Megan Prumier @ V I B E S Art Gallery
The title of the photographic exhibition is “Void of Silence,” the meaning of which can be doubtful. My first thought was that the void of silence was related to the fact that the woman is alone. It’s just my idea. The red of the nail polish further highlights the red of the hair; moreover, the rather marked eye make-up suggests a woman confident of her femininity and erotic charge.
As I said, Prumier, in this photographic exhibition, uses only one model, whose shapes are highlighted by a sophisticated play of light and shadow. Another effect that seems interesting to me is the soft patina that characterizes each image. This soft filter applied at the end of each image seems to convey a certain modesty, which contrasts with the markedly erotic tone of each photo.
“Void of Silence” by Megan Prumier @ V I B E S Art Gallery “Void of Silence” by Megan Prumier @ V I B E S Art Gallery
I don’t know if Prumier has applied a filter of this kind. However, the feeling the images convey to me: eroticism in the subject, the exaltation of the body through lights and shadows, modesty in the overall suffused effect given to the picture. As always, I leave the useful references to visit the performance of Megan Prumier at the bottom of the article.
I created a new Preset Camera Raw for Photoshop: this time, the style is Underground: I invite you to use this preset both for the images you post on Instagram and for those you want to give a particular style to. In this post, I will explain how to install the preset and how to use it. The filter is customizable, so concerning the image you are working on, I recommend changing some parameters that I will indicate to you. So let’s proceed in order. The first thing to do is open Photoshop, import the image you want to edit, go to filter >>> Raw camera filter (ALT + CTRL + F) >> click on the four lines to the right of presets and, finally, on load settings. Look at this picture to better understand.
Filter >> Camera Raw >> Load Settings
Once the preset is loaded, you can find it at the following path: C: \ Users \ User \ AppData \ Roaming \ Adobe \ CameraRaw \ Settings Here you can add all the presets you want, even the ones you decide to download from the internet. If instead, you want to apply one of the presets that you have already saved, you have to go to Default:
Camera Raw >> Default
At this point, you can choose my filter, selecting Virtuality Blog Underground, and clicking on apply. At the bottom of this article, you will find the link to download the preset. Below I leave you an image where you can see before and after applying the filter. You can freely use this preset; I only ask you to quote me as an author using the following sentence:
Camera Raw Preset by Virtuality.Blog >> https://virtuality.blog/underground-camera-raw
Before >> After the Underground Camera Raw Filter
Let’s see now what are the parameters that I recommend you to customize concerning the image you are working on.
I advise you to pay attention to the necessary settings. In particular to exposure – contrast – lights – shadows – whites – blacks – clarity – vividness and saturation. Remember, in particular, that if you increase the vividness, it is crucial to decrease the saturation. Otherwise, the Underground effect is lost. Instead, in HSL, it is essential to increase the orange hue value and decrease the red hue value. These parameters can be customized concerning the image you are working on.
I recommend a visit to the DiXmiX Art Gallery during this period. Two good artists are presenting their latest works: Duna Gant and Harbor Galaxy.
Duna Gant’s exhibition is entitled “Poetic Lines” and is a hymn to minimalism, but at the same time to the attention to detail. This statement seems to be a paradox, but Duna’s images are characterized by being simple because the contexts exhibited are minimalist; but at the same time complex as the artist pays considerable attention to details such as the choice of color, the position of shadows, and the use of light. The complexity of Duna’s work is also evident in the overall harmony of the context on display. We are not talking about landscapes or faces. Duna’s artistic image can also be a simple ladder, but the way it is presented with colors, lights, and shadows, as well as the objects that are placed near the ladder, makes the artist’s image very interesting. Duna Gant introduces her exhibition “Poetic Lines” in an introductory notecard of which I report some significant passages:
“We are surrounded by small things, in our daily life, to which we give an absolute value or utility without stopping to think that, beyond what they are, they also enclose a poetic line that can make us reflect.
That’s what I have tried to do in these compositions—going deeper not only on its aesthetic side, but also on the concept, and sometimes changing it radically.
I have sought, through the simplicity of the photographs, to open the door to the viewer, inviting them to see beyond what these images objectively show.”
Duna Gant
Duna Gant – Poetic Lines Duna Gant – Poetic Lines Duna Gant – Poetic Lines Duna Gant – Poetic Lines Duna Gant – Poetic Lines
Another artist I recommend to visit at DiXmiX Art Gallery right now is Harbor Galaxy: her artistic exhibition is titled “Melange.” Harbor Galaxy has been working with images captured in Second Life for several years now. I’ve always found it fascinating how this artist manages to process the photographs in such a way that they look like paintings, like credible works of art in reality. Harbor can make complicated things look simple. The processing of her photographs is not a simple operation, but she presents her artworks in a natural, unsophisticated way. Moreover, the artist can deal with different themes: in some cases, the images arouse sensuality, in others’ joy, in others’ sadness or despair. The considerable experience that Harbor has accumulated over the years allows her to the range, embracing even very different themes.
As always, I leave all the useful references at the end of the article. For those who want to visit the Duna Gant and Harbor GalaxyFlickr, it is certainly interesting.
Please note that I Love Events(TM) is not associated with Linden Research, Inc. or any of its affiliated companies or products, including Second Life (collectively known as "Linden Lab"). The opinions and views expressed on this site belong to the content creators and do not represent the views or opinions of Linden Lab or its employees, directors, officers, agents, or representatives. The usage of the SLBN logo by I Love Events(TM) does not indicate endorsement or representation by Linden Lab.
