A Life's work for all generations to enjoy
The 60's & 70's photographic work
of Kim Gottlieb Walker

By Lovely Encore

Second Life receives plenty of negative press. I think it is a shame. I would like to bring to the forefront one of the unique aspects of Second Life. I met Kim Gottlieb-Walker. In Second Life she is KimLenswomanPhotographer Writer. She owns a gallery, in Second Life, where she displays her First Life’s work as a renowned still photographer.

“I was 20 when I shot Hendrix.” She says to me as we stand in front of one of her amazing photos of Jimi Hendrix. Now, maybe this does not seem notable to you. However, consider the vastness between our worlds. I am an ordinary housewife enjoying my middle class life style in the rural countryside way outside the suburbs of Washington DC. Ms. Gottlieb-Walker lives in Los Angeles where she has served as an elected representative for still photographers on the Western Region Council and the National Executive Boardfor most of the past 25 years of the Cinematographers Guild, IATSE Local 600. I never would have had the opportunity to see her work, let alone meet her and actually speak with her if it had not been for Second Life.

Her husband, genre and niche marketing genius, Jeff Walker, suggested she check out Second Life. She did a search on reggae and found Destroy Inc. a great store owned by Second Lifer’s Wullie Craig and Tom Eagle. Their store includes their custom dreadlocks. “I realized that it was a great place to expose my work... originally the reggae photos, because I realized Bob Marley is more popular around the world than he is even in America.” We are gazing at her Music Magazine cover photo of Bob Marley. “I had a reggae display there for a few months I had so much fun doing it, that I bought the land adjacent to their store to do this greatly expanded gallery. Wullie and Tom built it for me. They are my heroes.”

Her gallery is a phenomenal space. The first floor has her photos grouped by genre and each corner is a different subject category. For example one section is musicians with photos of Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull, Gram Parsons, considered the creator of Country rock and was Emmylou Harris' mentor, and Rod Stewart performing at the Crystal Palace in London with Small Faces, just to name a few. There are photos of Gene Roddenberry the CREATOR of Star Trek with Patrick Stewart, The Sha Na Na TV show, the first TV show Kim ever worked on, and “Cheers”. “I LOVED working on Cheers...another group of absolutely wonderful human beings” she tells me as we move around her gallery.

The space is large enough for an avatar to move around comfortably. There is a union office for the IATSE, the union that covers ALL the crew members for Movies, TV and Theater. It will have info about all the entertainment unions, what they cover, how you join...and gallery displays from the Matte Artists, Illustrators, wardrobe and Costume designers, set designers etc. “I hope to have MANY special exhibits from the still photographers who work on motion pictures here.”

The second floor is dedicated to her current exhibit of all her photos of Bob Marley. The roof top is a gorgeous garden for people to hang out and have a real “love-in” like they used to have in the 1970’s. “I hope people come just to hang out...bring dates to see the gallery and have a romantic time in the park on the roof.”

I have been to a lot of art galleries in Second Life. I enjoyed KimLenswomanPhotographer Writer’s gallery the most. Her life’s work, as Kim Gottlieb-Walker is incredible. Her photos really capture something personable about her subject. She portrays them as people. Their fame is not the subject of Kim’s work. I admire her talent. Put this on your priority of places to see in Second Life. This is one of those unique to Second Life experiences. You can meet Kim, talk to her, and discover for yourself what a wonderful artist she is.

Visit her gallery at: 60’s and 70’s Cultural Center, Plush Xi (199, 35, 22)
For updates, you can join her Second Life group: “Kim’s 60’s & 70’s Photography Fans”.