Revolution Gallery to host Drawing Through Reality, an exhibition of drawings by award-winning artist Arabella Proffer on Friday, September 17 from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM ET.
After being diagnosed with terminal cancer during a pandemic, Proffer found herself unable to paint anymore. This was physical but mental as well. To cope with it all, she did what anyone would do: watched marathons of Real Housewives.
“I have an issue with feeling like I’m being too lazy,” says Proffer, “so I decided to try drawing with markers while I watched women cry through fillers. Since painting wasn’t much of an option this helped me along, and I abandoned all hope of trying to perfect my linework to just have fun.”
Curator Maria Pabico LaRotonda adds, “Revolution Gallery has been connected to Arabella Proffer‘s work professionally and personally for years, and we are pleased to present her upcoming exhibit at the gallery. Intense emotions surround this body of artwork: and we – as an exhibiting gallery, artistic peers, and supportive friends – are looking forward to sharing all she has created.”
What began as little pencil sketches of faces — a distraction from a distraction, something to do with her hands that were slowly losing dexterity, became a habit. Little portraits, faces of women in outrageous prints and clothes, emerged while Arabella was re-learning to use a pen.
Drawn in loose colorful lines, these small jewel-like drawings are reminiscent of fashion illustrations whose occasional gaze at the viewer share a likeness with classical portraits. These fashionable women can be found dressed in punk, goth, glam, and loud patterned clothing with candy-colored hair to match.
Reality Television may have played as unconscious inspiration, but these are not portraits of ‘thee’ Housewives. These are made-up characters; women whose composition came naturally without reference. This was a distraction from a distraction, after all.
