Bamboo Barnes started making images in Second Life in 2011. She started with avatar screenshots. When she learned how 3D installations work, she felt deeply moved, fell in love with it, and this changed her art-making path completely.
Today, Bamboo Barnes is an artist of amazing depth and complexity whose creations can be stunning in their appeal to our senses, but, at the same time, it leaves us in somber and peaceful admiration of the world she introduces:
Her art is marvelous, majestic and mysterious, yet delicate, fragile and pristine.
Her art is dazzling and astounding, yet scenic calm, peaceful and ethereal.
Her art is attractive, gorgeous, almost overpowering yet adorable, charming and spiritual.
Her art is often dark, unearthly, cosmic and transcendental, yet at the same time pastoral and picturesque.
Her art is handsome, intelligent and radiant, yet effortless, innocent and delicately sensual.
Through her creations, Bamboo is able to express her innermost feelings: Her art is her soul.
In our conversation about her motivation, her inner movement and in answer to my question how she describes her art, Bamboo said:
„The things that move me are impatient and scary to miss. My body is driven by art, I don’t want to miss a chance to create. Sometimes music mixes with frustration to create something, but most just roam around in me. This is me, my art, all of me.
My work is so personal that it’s not in my mind what it looks like when shown to others, a frequently asked question, “What is your art?” The answer to this Is myself. I just wanted to create something, no ideas, no plans. Even if you are satisfied with the product, the feeling of happiness disappears immediately, and what remains is anxiety about the next work, and the impatience and stress of how to make something even a little better.
I will struggle again in the gray chaos, but what I can do is keep making it. Hoping that someday a small spark will become a big light to create something that still looks good when viewed a year later.
It’s been nine years since I’ve been living to avoid contact with people as much as possible, and I’m sure this has influenced my art. What I hear is the nourishing music of the mind and the sounds of my breathing, in which my consciousness goes back and forth between the present and the past.
What I create has no purpose, maybe it doesn’t move you. Perhaps the colors and compositions that make sense to me are just a play from the perspective of others, and I hope that they will remain in your memory for a while, and that fragments will pop up at some point.“
After 9 years, Bamboo is still taking pictures in the meta-verse of SL.
Today she is learning and developing as an artist.
Her art is never finished, just abandoned.
The artworks in her exhibition are a statement about her, and she wishes we see something in them for us. I strongly recommend that you visit her exhibition. I am convinced that you will be touched by Bamboo’s art as much as I have been.
Let me finish by expressing how lucky I am to have met Bamboo in SL and how grateful I am to call this wonderful person a friend.
„Close my eyes, evening in the clouds.
Crows in countless quiet noises.
Close your eyes, if I’m different
People who would have been there if I walked on a different road.
May this dusk be happy for you.“
Self–taught artist, creating digital art in virtual worlds (Second life) since 2011
Bamboo Barnes wishes to thank:
“Thanks to all gallery owners and curators for your endless patience and support!
Hans Goosson for your constant support.
Haveit Neox , Theda Tammas, Livio Korobase, JadeYu Fhang, Cherry Manga, Rebeca Bashly, Giovanna Cerise, Bryn Oh, Mistero Hifeng and all other 3D installation artists. Your artworks make me stay in second life.”
EXHIBITIONS OF DIGITAL ARTWORK IN PHYSICAL GALLERIES
2018 Nov / “Queen & Dragon” at LeoniArt Project for Visionary Artworks, Genova, Italy
SOLO EXHIBITIONS in METAVERSE GALLERIES (Second Life)
2020 Sep–present / “Receding Reality” at Ribong Gallery Artspace 2243
2020 Aug–Sep / “Where the Rainbow Ends” at Hannington Endowment for The Arts
2020 July -present at Akiniwa (SL art and RL art)
2020 Jun / “Tranquil droplet” at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery
2020 Jan 31–May 29 / “Shelter” at MEA
2020 April–present / “Meant to be” at Itakos Project
2020 Mar–Apr / “Bamboo Barnes” at Hoot Suite Art Gallery
2019 Oct–2020 Feb. / “Maze” at ArtCare Gallery
2018 Mar 21–May 20 / “Mind” at Koka Gallery
2019 Jul 20–Sep / “Faces” at Art Free
June 2017–present / Ongoing solo exhibits at The Galleries (2020 Mar, Jul; 2019 Jul, Nov; 2018 Apr, Jul, Dec; 2017 Jun, Nov)
June 2017–present / Ongoing solo exhibits at Vision of Beauty Art Complex (2019 Jul, Aug, Dec; 2018 Jul, Aug, Dec; 2017 Jul, Dec)
2016 Dec / “Themeless Colors” at Empusa Art Gallery
2015 Sep./ Windlight gallery
2015 July / “Outside and Inside,” co-exhibit with Livio Korobase at LEA11
2014 / RoseTheater Gallery4
2013 / RoseTheater Gallery4
2013 Jul / Ub’s
GROUP EXHIBITIONS in METAVERSE GALLERIES (Second Life)
UPCOMING:15th October at 10 AM SLT / ArtCare Gallery
2019 Nov–2020 Jan / Art In the Park Gallery
2019 Dec 11–2020 Jan 10 / VeGeTaL PLaNeT
2019 Dec 2–31 / Merry Arts
2018 Jan–Feb / Kandis Gallery
2017 Oct / TerpsiCorps Isle
2017 June / LEA10
2014 Spring / Creation Park
2014 / BlueMoonGallery
2013 Sep–2014 Feb / “The Freedom Projects” at University of Western Australia sim
2013 June / “Art Festival” at MadPea
2013 April–May / BlueMoonGallery
2013 March / Art4U
2013 Spring / Creation Park
REVIEWS
2020 Sep 25 / Bamboo Barnes at Ribing Gallery in SecondLife
2020 Jun 8 / “Tranquil Droplets at Nitroglobus in Second Life” by Inara Pey
2020 Apr 16 / Review of “Meant to be” exhibition at Itakos gallery in Second Life by Diomita Maurer
INTERVIEWS
2017 Sep 7 / “Cajsa’s Choices: Bamboo Barnes Turns Second Life Screenshots Into Brilliant Abstract Art” by Cajsa Little hook
“Thank you to Mr. Haveit Neox for kindly displaying my images at his own sim”:
ACC Alpha/114/169/355
It is wonderful, I thank you and honored. Regards Bamboo Barnes
A most Soul filled Captivating Exhibition…