Beginning May 1, RJD Gallery will present Between the Shadows, a new solo exhibition for Erin Ruffino, whose graphite-based mixed media works are rooted in reality, but also have magical and surreal properties that make viewers question the figures and settings.
Ruffino, who is based in Fredonia, New York, is often inspired by the beauty around her, which occasionally appears in some of her work. “[Fredonia is] a historic college town where fickle clouds can’t decide whether to snow, drizzle, or let the sun peek through,” the artist says. “The trees are tall and mature here. Canadaway Creek, which cuts through the village and empties into nearby Lake Erie, changes in color and flow every day.”
Crew One, graphite and gouache on paper, 20 x 24"The show title Between the Shadows was picked by the gallery, but Ruffino says shadows play a key role in the new pieces, many of which are done in graphite and also paired with another medium, such as gouache, pastel, gold marker or oil paint. While some of the works are moody and atmospheric landscapes that seem to come alive within the shadows, other works have brighter sections that offer up contrasting areas of light and dark. “In an artwork, shadows play a role beyond their technical definition as the point where light terminates,” she says. “Shadows are verb-like: states of happening in the dark, shiftings in the absence of illumination. Light may reveal, but shadow informs. Light may be seen, but shadows are felt. In the same vein that to ‘read between the lines’ is to understand an implied meaning, I think the title Between the Shadows is an invitation to seek feelings beneath the surface.”
When it comes to her materials and tools, Ruffino delights in the intricacies of each medium, especially graphite, which can be a tricky and exacting way of creating art.
Psyche, graphite and pastel on paper, 10 x 18"
“As a medium, I find graphite demands great patience from the jittery monkey inside me that expects a perfect drawing to appear the moment I sit down at my desk. The pencils require me to work slowly, building up the darks in layers over the course of at least several weeks,” she says. “It places importance on the middle stage of a drawing, solving the immediate problems of what needs to be lighter, darker, softer, subtler. Luckily it’s a very forgiving process with the kneaded eraser being the best tool for exchanging values or carving shapes back into areas that lost their structure. Small brushes help to obliterate unnecessary detail, unify edges and block-in backgrounds with graphite powder.”
Papillon, graphite and gold marker on paper, 11½ x 15"
Remarkably, even though graphite is a completely two-dimensional medium—unless, of course, someone has learned how to use an impasto technique with a pencil—Ruffino’s work has texture and three-dimensional qualities. Sometimes this is achieved practically, with oil paint in a work like Offering, but sometimes it is achieved optically by creating the perception of texture through her toothy paper choices, careful mixtures of different kinds of marks and her ability to weave in multiple mediums within one work. It creates an effect that can only be characterized as touchable.
Mug 1 and Mug 2 (diptych), oil and graphite on paper, 4 x 8"
“I’m still very much discovering how to incorporate texture into my work. For many years I think it suffered from too much ‘sameness’ with blending stumps mushing everything together until there was no evidence left of any individual marks,” she says. “I try to apply my mentors’ advice that interesting pictures are created through contrast; they need edges of all kinds, strokes varying in direction and pressure, differences in design language. Offering was a bit of a breakthrough. Under a fast turnaround for a gallery show, I didn’t have time to flesh out a full background in graphite and so with a palette knife, I was able to slap and slide cold wax medium around the portrait. The knife’s energetic marks contrast the sleeping figure drawn on toothy Rives BFK printmaking paper. Mostly the knife is just plain fun and provides a refreshing break from long hours of slow rendering.”
Offering, graphite, oil paint and cold wax media on paper, 8 x 10"
When asked what she is searching for as an artist, Ruffino turns inward. “I’m inspired by the inner versus the outer world, and how people reconcile perceived differences between the two. Lately, this manifests as a figure experiencing some sort of turmoil in an environment—whether it’s an actual landscape or a projection of the figure’s emotional state, you can decide. I’ve received many well-meaning prompts like, ‘Why don’t you make happy pictures?’ Though thematically rooted in loneliness, I think my work is admiration for the resiliency of the human spirit and the desire to establish fulfilling connections with others,” she says. “I don’t make work that’s dark for dark’s sake, nor would I ever wish people to walk away feeling hopeless. On the contrary, I want to show narratives of people fighting the good fight—yes, frequently failing but always trying—to uphold pillars of courage, kindness and determination. I’m searching for stories about those trying to improve their weaknesses, those not afraid to look into the shadowy parts of themselves. Above all, I respect the very human quality of a ruthless, unrelenting will to hold out hope for another day.”
Lift, graphite on paper, 11 x 14"
Weston Weiss, RJD Gallery manager, says he is excited to show the artist’s works. “Erin Ruffino creates a world shrouded in shadow, beckoning us to abandon our own reality and reach into the darkness for something new,” Weiss says. “It’s a special talent to create subtle narratives that lead us down endless roads within ourselves, previously unexplored. Her renderings showcase the beauty of nature and the human form, while simultaneously challenging our perceptions of reality and inviting us into a new world of her own design.” —
RJD Gallery 227 N. Main Street • Romeo, MI 48065 (586) 281-3613 • www.rjdgallery.com
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